The much expected duel between the five-year-old mare Agatta and seven-year-old Dandified failed to materialise in The Elusive Pimpernel Cup as the latter was visibly in gross discomfort and returned to the unsaddling enclosure bleeding from his nostrils. The over-worked champion of the past was running within ten days of his previous run and paid the penalty. He has performed brilliantly for most part of his career, despite it being blotted by the sole instance of ‘usage of a banned substance’. The connections have done the wisest thing by retiring him to Dashmesh stud. The horse has earned it for the exceptional professional service he has provided to his elite stable.

The race itself was rather interesting as Dandified closed at 10-to-7-on while the odds of Rodrigues-trained Agatta expanded to 5/1. Running in the same colours as Dandified, both Artesia and Arktouros set a cracking pace till the home turn with Dandified travelling in sixth slot on the wide outside while Agatta was a handy last but one. Jockey Ashish on the latter did well to squeeze through a passage in front of him after heads turned for home while C.Alford was rather unnecessarily using the stick on the former champion even when the horse was in discomfort and unable to budge. In the final furlong, the daughter of Ikhtyar out of Jalapeno (Nanoli Stud) made it a one-horse race to make it her fourth win of the season and ensure the ‘horse of the season’ tag for herself.  Kudos to her stable for having the guts and foresight to make a final entry!

Both trainers Patrick Quinn (under whose care Agatta was placed when Rodrigues was under suspension) and Farley Rodrigues deserve to be lauded for the exceptional improvement of the mare after switching stables – she was originally called Jalapeno Pepper and under the care of Vijay Singh. Talking to www.indiarace.com, trainer Rodrigues rather humbly attributed the phenomenal achievement of the mare to her having matured late and was willing to take only a ‘part of the credit for her success’.

The status quo in the race for the jockeys’ championship was maintained as both C. Alford and current leader Kamlesh notched up one race apiece. In his inimitable manner, Alford guided home the favourite Kinloch (Gaswar-Kilspindie/ Lingwood Stud) to a facile win in the Rontgen Handicap. The even-money favourite from Manvendra Singh’s yard was maintained in a handy fourth position while front-runner Shivalik Shakti showed the way. As he is wont to do, Alford sneaked though along the rails at the top of the straight and it was all over bar the shouting.

Fire Song, the speedy daughter of Al Nasr Alwasheek out of Firefoot (Poona Stud), provided Kamlesh with his sole win of the afternoon. The Arti Doctor-trained youngster followed Annie Oakley till the distance post before taking over the running after a couple of reminders. It was quite an impressive maiden start and she has more races in store. The piping hot favourite Soviet Dancer was as usual fractious at the starting stalls and is obviously not an apprentice ride. The disappointment in the race was Gimme Credit who has been in rousing form this season.

Trainer Vikash Jaiswal notched up a lucrative brace when his Gonna Be A Rockstar (Ikhtyar-Sweetspot/ Nanoli Stud) picked up the opening event in start-to-finish manner in the hands of Gajender Singh. The friendless runner paid Rs 341/- for a tenner. Jaiswal completed his double with much improved Secret Builder who quite easily accounted for the favourite City Heights in the 2000 metres race for The Kamlin Handicap.

A larger dividend (Rs 467/-) was in the offing for those willing to take a chance on outsiders when Javed Khan-trained Grande Dame (Mull Of Kintyre-Grand Natalie Rose/ Capricorn Stud) got the better of on-money favourite Evesham in the sprint for the Wind Song Handicap. Apprentice Azharuddin on the eventual winner engaged the favourite in a keen tussle all the way down the straight before prevailing by a fair margin. Jasbir Singh-schooled Songstress (Mohit up) brought the curtain down to an eventful and entertaining afternoon of racing when the daughter of China Visit out of Cacophony (Usha Stud) pegged back quietly-fancied Masquenada Lyrics at the wire.