It was no new alliance at the Derby podium nor the brilliant cut jewel in the crown. It was Vijay Mallya’s  `Angel’  again  who kicked the `dust’ and raised a storm, galloping home to  wear the Garuda Bangalore sash in resplendent style.

She did it in summer, winning the Kingfisher Derby after failing to make an impression in the Fillies Championship and now under the cool winter sun, the classy daughter of Win Legend out of Angelique from the Dashmesh Stud Farm produced her best in the hands of the darling of the railbirds, Trevor Patel to register her unique feat at her parent centre.

Angel Dust, it appears reserves her best for the blue riband.  Following her second behind Starlet in the 1000 Guineas and the fact that the top Colt Brilliant Cut from trainer Irfan Ghatala’s yard had recorded a smashing win in the 2000 Guineas and the only other filly in the fray, New Alliance had won the Oaks in emphatic fashion,  the champion filly’s  chances in the biggest plum of the winter were discounted by both the knowledgeable and  the old hats in the game.  But the Kunigal think-tank headed by Zeyn Mirza knew that the filly had it in her to scale a new high.  They simply changed their tactics and the new strategy brought home the desired result.  A good run for the roses it proved to be for Zeyn, trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi  and the pilot Trevor Patel.  The `Angel’ merrily flew home to edge out the public choice Brilliant Cut at the shadow of the winning post.

To the credit of Brilliant Cut, it must be mentioned that though he found the mile-and-half  classic trip  exacting, the top son of Burden Of Proof from the Kunigal Stud Farm produced his best and in defeat the Irfan Ghatala ward was not disgraced and lives to fight another day.

A delighted Zeyn Mirza revealed that he in consultation with Sulaiman and Trevor had decided to change Angel Dust’s  race tactics, choosing to switch off in the early part and race from the rear. It worked. Trevor  graced the wrong end of the field all through the backstretch as the two leaders, nohoper Calico Jack and the lesser fancied Auriga who again bolted  set a decent pace.

No sooner the leaders shot their bolt, the Mumbai challenger and the Mysore Derby winner Mogadishu who also was playing the waiting game stole a march before Chouhan astride the favourite and Trevor guiding the fortunes of `Queen’ filly Angel Dust packed punch to storm ahead. Brilliant Cut, it appeared would last out but the handsome colt just lost out, the `Angel’ digging deep into her reserves, produced the magical kick to land the Derby riches.

“She is a top class filly and I think she is a big match player,” said Trevor while lauding the strategy and the new game plan designed by Zeyn and Sulaiman.

Chouhan who lost the big one, in fact was the most successful professional on D-day recording a memorable treble. The leading `Knight’ booted home the Irfan-trained Babushka in the opening event, the lower division of the Asian Racing Cup before punching for home on the Mahesh schooled  Ayaan in the next event, the Vijayanagar Cup. 

In line for a treble, Chouhan was at his best on another Irfan ward Ace Bucephalus who produced an astounding gallop to beat the public choice Alexandra Mills and Arrogant Approach in a cluster finish in the principal added attraction, the Bangalore Race Course 153^rd year Commemoration Trophy run over a mile.

Earlier, the Mysore Race Club Trophy was claimed by the Arjun Manglorkar schooled Common Wealth who snuffed out the challenge of the favourite Fabulous Touch. John who stretched every sinew on Common Wealth had it easy on another Arjun ward Downton Abbey in the upper division of the Asian Racing Cup run over a sprint.

Sandesh who failed to find the winning touch on Fabulous Touch proved his mettle later driving home the lesser fancied Native Force to a thrilling victory in the Indian Republic Trophy run over a distance of nine furlongs.