It was high drama at the Calcutta racecourse on Saturday in the mile-and-threequarter race for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. There were four in a line near the distance post and it seemed anybody’s race at that point of time. However, an audacious and daring piece of horsemanship by Trevor Patel ensured that Suleiman Attaolahi’s Agostini gained the day from a  fully-stretched Triumphus on whom Dashrath was going hell for leather. After two forward runs, Agostini (Burden Of Proof – Glorious Beauty/ Kunigal Stud) was ridden in check on this occasion in the hope that he will stay the trip – and boy, did he!

Obeilina Princess set a scorching pace with the two bottom-weights from Vijay Singh’s stable (Adzukis and Romantic Magic) in tow. Triumphus was lying fourth for most part while Agostini and the on-money favourite Dare To Dream were sixth and seventh respectively. The last named moved up gradually and was in third slot near the turning for home. Imran Chisty went for the stick and got his mount to take up the running near the distance post but that is as far as he got as both Triumphus on the outside and Agostini along the rails were moving almost simultaneously with giant strides. Trevor created a passage between the public choice and Triumphus and pulled it off with sheer determination. Had Dashrath taken the gamble of a shorter route (albeit with more traffic), he may have triumphed – or for that matter – finished in the ruck. Hence it would be wisest to accept that the ‘best horse of the day triumphed’.

The six-year-old property of Dr Vijay Mallya was led in by Manvendra Singh deputising for Attaollahi. On this showing, with 62.5kg on his back, this product of Kunigal stud is likely to be headed for Guindy for The Stayers’ Cup in early March. It’s quite likely that Triumphus will also make that his next stop.

Coming in the wake of the exciting Queen’s Cup, The Calcutta Million was something of an anticlimax as the grapevine had it that the  Vijay Singh-trained Ophion (Abbeyside – Bold Reply ) was the horse to back. Nevertheless, form-workers were not to be deterred and money poured in on Abbeville who closed on-money. Trainer Vijay Singh had four runners in the fray and Apercus was used as the pacemaker. Ophion followed in close touch till he took over in the straight. On this occasion, the on-money favourite Abbeville was kept too far back and made up good ground in the home stretch to be a noteworthy runner-up.

Trainer Daniel David combined successfully with jockey Sandesh to score a lucrative double with Earnest Ruler and Duke Of Earl – both of whom overcame the handicapper’s penalty after their previous wins. Adrestia was installed as the firm favourite in the French Cup run over 2000 metres and she ran a good race to edge out Scarborough Fair at the wire. The latter incidentally was 2kg out of the scale, that too after weights being raised by 1.5kg. The handicapper is likely to take that into account when setting his her new mark. The connections always run the risk of extra penalty when running out of the scale or in a ‘terms’ race. Ambrose brought the field into the straight where Scarborough Fair took over but she was soon challenged by Adrestia along the rails and Earnest Ruler (Rebuttal-Farha/ Hazara Stud) on the outside. The latter prevailed due to Sandesh’s driving finish.

Duke Of Earl (Noverre-Sharatila/ Sohna Stud) was ridden in virtually the same style to land the spoils in the seven-furlong race for the Portugal Cup. Another Glory was shaping like a winner at the distance post when the winner moved like lightning in the final 100 metres to grab the Cup. In both races Sandesh got the better of C. Alford at the wire.
However, Alford had the last laugh when he lifted the Ireland Cup astride Bath-trained Winning Fortune (Oath-Moneypenny/Pratap Stud) by the skin of his teeth from Sandesh’s mount Clairvoyance. The duo challenged the front-running Words in the final furlong and were going neck to neck when they crossed the wire.

Vikash Jaiswal’s Bengal Tiger ( Multidimensional – Blue Gardenia/ Usha Stud), who was earlier known as Made To Measure, won a thriller when Imran Chisty brought him along the rails to edge out Midnight Magic at the wire and lift The Phillipinnes Cup. Trevor on the last named appeared to have left it a trifle late.

Trainer Vijay Singh’s Dysnomia and Bharath Singh’s Aquitania lifted the two sprints earmarked for three-year-olds. While Chouhan astride Dysnomia (Rebuttal-A La Votre/  Hazara Stud) had to ride out the finish with all guns blazing to lift the MB Medhora Cup, Aquitania (Admiralofthefleet – Rhapsody In Blue / Kunigal Stud) was probably the most facile winner of the day in the hands of Trevor.