It was an action-packed mid-week afternoon at RCTC with never a dull moment. Robert Gowli’s Setaflame stole the show with a thunderous, spectacular gallop and left his visiting card for The Monsoon Derby in October, while Bharath Singh’s Zacara lifted the Stay In Shape Cup quite easily. Jockey PS Chouhan suffered a nasty fall from Anassa thanks to apprentice Ranidan Singh squeezing the pack of ten from the outside draw. It was a disastrous domino effect which could have been far worse. PSC is reported to be recovering well. For his reckless and blatant offence, the apprentice has been suspended for four racing days.

The sole cup event of the afternoon, The Stay In Shape Cup, saw the early withdrawal of Gowli’s filly Uptown Girl and the rest of it went according to script. The 12/10 favourite Zacara (Burden Of Proof-Callista/ Kunigal Stud)  from Bharath Singh’s yard made every post a winning one in the hands of jockey Sandesh. The top-weight Cool Hunter was completely at sea against the sheer pace of the winner.

The only other favourite to oblige during the afternoon was Robert Gowli-trained Setaflame (China Visit – Set Aside/ Usha Stud) who produced a stupendous gallop in the straight to get the better of runaway leader Flourishing Move and win going  away by four lengths. The fashionably bred colt’s brilliant turn of foot, though only in a Class III race, makes him an automatic candidate for The Monsoon Derby in October. He could very well skip The Colts Trial over seven furlongs in September. Incidentally, trainer Vijay Singh’s suspension period will be over before The Derby.

Public choices fell like nine pins in the other five races. Trainer Arti Doctor and her retained rider B. Nikhil completed a high-priced double with Exemplary (4/1) and Primrose (8/1). Nikhil did extremely well to coax a late gallop out of the former to get the better of the favourite Casper The Ghost who was shaping like a winner after collaring front-running Sreeputra, in the opening race of the afternoon, The Goldliner Handicap. Having seen the winning post, the filly by China Visit out of Pitlochry (Usha Stud) may do it again this season.

The Audubon Handicap saw Primrose (Chevalier – So Shocking/ Ruia Stud) come out of  the gates like a scalded cat and go hell for leather. But what took place behind her was utter chaos. Apprentice Ranidan Singh came out of the 10^th draw atop Kwan Yin and made a bee line for the rails, resulting in a deadly domino effect which saw all the runners on his inside being squeezed. Trying to take up his position, PS Chouhan atop Anassa was badly hemmed in between Pinball Wizard and Xipen, resulting in his fall. He did well to roll over and avoid a horrendous injury. The apprentice has been suspended for four racing days. Kwan Yin was fortunate not to be disqualified.

Jockey Trevor Patel was astride two public choices but neither of them had the necessary credentials to warrant such support. Trevor did well to place with both Sam Houston and Cixi.  The former, by Lucifer Sam out of  Indian Relative, seemed to get the 1800 metres trip quite well, but was done in by rank outsider Yerevan’s (CP West-Royal Yavarro/ Galloping Acres Stud) late gallop. The Javed Khan winner was piloted by Mohit Singh.

In The Thrifty Allan handicap, Cixi had no answer to Robert Gowli’s Adanna (Steinbeck-Divinity/ Usha Stud) who needed a couple of reminders from Shailesh Shinde’s stick to get her going near the distance post. Sweet Suspense was finishing powerfully but never posed a threat to the winner.

The last race of the day, The Prince Manoj Handicap, saw Gowli-schooled Gimme Credit (Chevalier – Star Pride/ Ruia Stud) get the better of runaway Analyst at the wire. Jockey Md Islam persisted with his mount though he drifted out, and it ultimately paid dividends. The favourite Conquest was a disappointment as were most of the other runners.