Trainer Vijay Singh’s six-year-old gelding Falcon (Razeen-Tarnished Lady/ Usha Stud) got the better of piping hot favourite Captain Cook by the proverbial whisker in the 1800 metres race for the Manohar Lal Memorial Cup at the RCTC on Wednesday. Despite conceding 5kg to a horse two years his junior, who won the Monsoon Derby last year, the top-weight displayed remarkable fighting spirit in the hands of Nirmal Jodha as the duo battled tooth and nail all the way down the straight. Jockey Christopher Alford may have been a tad over-confident but who can blame him? He made his move at the top of the straight when Falcon was galloping smoothly up front and was taken aback when he realised that he will have to resort to the stick near the distance post. He rode out his mount out hands and heels in the final fifty metres. Technically speaking, he rode a flawless race but bit the dust all the same. It may be noted that the odds of the favourite expanded to a nourishing 75/100 before the starter fired his gun. Those he queued up to rake in the ‘loot’ were in for a rude shock at the end of it all. The inter-venue punters had further disappointment in store as the commentator called the favourite first at the wire before saying ‘locked together.

The other highlight of the afternoon was a prominent  well-thought out double by Vikash Jaiswal who led in Studiofiftyfour and El Cid – both piloted by this monsoon’s thus far winless apprentice Akash Rajput. The lad did extremely well on both mounts as he had to ride them out vigorously in the final 100 metres. After repeated failures, Studiofiftyfour  (Glory Of Dancer-Gabeela/ Kehelan Stud) finally came good as he got the better of fancied runners Artegal and Shivalik Shakti close home. The ante-post favourite (by virtue of his track movements) was Cendrillon but the chestnut filly was never in it. There was some inspired betting on the eventual winner just before the start of the race and he closed as the second favourite at 3/1.

Jaiswal and Rajput completed their double with El Cid (Noverre-Darsiyma/ Sohna Stud) who too closed as the 7/2 public choice in The Echoes Of Light Handicap.  What must have been even the icing on the cake for the young apprentice was the fact that he got the better of the local champion jockey C. Alford for the second time during the afternoon. Flourishing Move and Alford were on a start to finish mission over the seven furlong trip, but their quest fell apart close home as El Cid made his move along the rails.

Alford however did not return empty handed at the end of the day as he was piloted Vijay Singh-trained Spallanzani (Chevalier-Santerelle/ Ruia Stud) to a bloodless victory in the race for The Credit Squeeze Plate. The colt well and truly outclassed the opposition as he continued to increase the margin of victory with the jockey looking over his shoulder,

That was the second Chevalier colt to hoist the winning flag during the day as earlier Robert Gowli-trained Mellow Fellow (out of Star Pride) pocketed the Unleashed Handicap in the hands of Ashhad Asbar. Tracking Legende Indienne till the straight, the colt pulled away in the final furlong to win easier than verdict. Incidentally, this was the colt’s third win in as many outings, which is rather creditable by any standard and  speaks well of the trainer’s placements as well.

Like Spallanzani, another three-year-old colt ho impressed all and sundry was James Mckeown’s Yamazaki (China Visit-Amorina/ Usha Stud). The colt recorded his maiden win, that too over seven furlongs, in resounding fashion as he outpaced the favourite Supreme Ruler in the straight. Ashhad Asbar thus completed a brace without too much trouble. A couple of reminders was all that  was required to keep the front-runner galloping resolutely.

The curtain came down with Sarfaraz Khan’s 10/1 shot Cocoanut (Sussex-Coco Beach/ Pratap Stud) being given a wonderful ride by able apprentice Ranidan Singh. Unperturbed by an outside draw, the apprentice allowed his mount to settle down before weaving his way to the inside and challenging the front-runner Monsieur Strauss. The Fancied pair of Dreamz Unlimited and Ramasses were disappointments as they failed to make the frame.