Vijay Singh-trained Snowdrift (Multidimensional-Snow Tiger/ Usha Stud) lifted the Indian Champion Cup easier than verdict and in the process smashed the course record for 2000 metres set by Ocean And Beyond in this very race last year. For that matter, so did the runner-up Circle Of Bliss who issued a strong challenge in the straight, but Christopher Alford always had something in hand and had no trouble whatsoever in staving off the brave-hearted mare. It was a classy performance from the prized possession of the Khaitan family and one that truly places him in a league of his own.

Responsible for the cracking pace was the front-runner Aptness – a stablemate of the eventual winner. Alford maintained his mount in the fifth slot while Ashish was  content to sit at his tail till heads turned for home. Taking no chances whatsoever, Snowdrift took the bend five wide and shot ahead while Circle Of Bliss squeezed through an opening and came at him. Ashish was going hell for leather at the distance post while Alford merely tapped his mount gently a couple of times and looked over his shoulder to see his struggling adversary. He eased off about twenty metres from home in perfunctory manner. The rest of the field were completely outclassed by these two and finished way behind.

One race later, Arti Doctor-trained Theokoles (Noverre-Zajwah/Sohna Stud) produced a thunderous gallop in the straight to get the better of speedy Annie Oakley close home and lift the SS Bala Memorial Cup. The ante-post favourite Soviet Dancer was withdrawn at the starting stalls though it is most unlikely that she would have been able to overhaul the winner on this occasion. The two other fancied runners , Aerona and Cool Hunter, were both disappointments.

The afternoon commenced with a lucrative double for the Bath-Parmar combo as both siblings Lantana Lady (8/1) and Layali (5/2) brought home the bacon. The first named, a mare by Sedgefield out of Linette (Jai Govind Stud), shouldered a heavy impost of 62 kg and yet put paid to the pretensions of the course favourite Exclusive Colours, though the latter was marginally better at weights. He is obviously not the same horse that he was last winter and seems a trifle jaded. In fact, in a three-horse blanket finish, the five-year-old lost the runner-up berth to Self Directed.

Full sister Layali had to be worked on all the way down the straight to overcome front-running Winnertakesall close home. Second favourite Fruit N Nut was disappointing to say the least as he never raised a gallop at any part of the seven-furlong trip.

Robert Gowli’s Arion (Chatham Strait-Lisianski/ Ruia Stud) used Jorawar Singh’s allowance to good effect to pull off a fairly easy victory in the mile race for the Echoes Of Light Handicap. Once pace-setter Sreeputra shot his bolt, it was not favourite Divine Dimension who took over the running as expected but Arion who came with a fluent run on the outside.

Jockey Ashish displayed exemplary focus and perseverance to pull off a smart win astride Farley Rodrigues-schooled Major Colours. It was a welcome return to ‘office’ for the schooler after being sidelined by the authorities for several months. The colt by Arabian Gulf out of Trace of Magic (Manjri Stud) thus annexed the King Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh Cup. Using his presence of mind, an alert Ashish forged ahead at the distance post through a gap in the wall of horses ahead of him and staved off a strong challenge from the public choice Chimeric.

If Farley made a grand re-entry into the arena, supended Jasbir Singh bid an equally notable adios as his ward Kaartiken (Rebuttal-Cap of Dimonty/ Hazara Stud) landed a huge gamble for the connections in the last race of the day while running under the care of Christopher Gleich. The latter’s other runner Princess Thea with Sandesh astride was the ante-post choice of punters and she ended up third as the grey outclassed the opposition. After his good third to Miraculix at the end of the monsoon meet, he was maintained in good nick on the track for the right moment. Jockey Mohit Singh took no chances and made it a start-to-finish affair effortlessly.