Farley Rodrigues schooled Top Cat (Rip Van Winkle – Closing Bell) lifted the Bold Display Cup at the Calcutta mid-week races on the penultimate day of the season to give the trainer his maiden victory of the monsoon season. Apprentice Hindu Singh rode a flawless race and the short local straight helped him in his quest as Auberon threatened to overhaul him in the final furlong. Top Cat had pulled away from Spyglass Hill and looked to be heading for a comfortable triumph till Auberon showed up on the scene. However, the winning post came to Top Cat’s rescue in the nick of time. Apprentice Hindu Singh completed a well deserved brace when he brought Manvendra Singh-trained Midnight Star (Gaswar-Minnie Mouse/ Lingwood Stud) with giant strides to get the better of runaway Gimme Credit close home.

The 2000 metres race for The Awesome Indian Handicap saw Vijay Singh-trained Santero do an encore in the hands of low-weight jockey B Nikhil. Jockey Dashrath atop the favourite Stevalena gradually improve his position while Sushi set a cracking pace followed by Legendofthephoenix.  Once in the straight, Stevalena took over the running and tried runaway tactics. However, Nikhil, who was biding his time in mid-division, was alert to his task, and brought bottom-weighted Santero  (Chevalier-Santarelle/ Ruia Stud) with raking strides in the straight. The surprise package was Interstellar who ended up runner-up and may go one better in her next essay. An objection by the fourth placed Sushi (C. Alford) over Stevalena did not hold water with the Stipes and the placings remained unaltered.

Vikash Jaiswal’s Change The Game was the gambled horse in the opening race of the day, The Alarico Handicap. The three-year-old filly ran a good race but came unstuck in the final furlong as Jasbir Singh-trained Zurvan kicked on merrily in the hands of Rajinder Singh.The four-year-old by Oath out of Zauberwelt (Pratap Stud) made every post a winning one.

Trainer Vijay Singh did a wise thing by declaring champion apprentice Akash Rajput astride the front-running speedster Mustang (Diffident-Marquisa/ Yeravada Stud). The lad did extremely well to keep the colt in check though he was fighting for his head.  The public rage Wylde was running up front with Small Talk while Mustang was in fifth slot. Once in the straight, Milady Luck was the first to make her move but Rajput brought Mustang with a daring run down the centre of the field and pass the winning post first. In this race, the favourite Wylde pulled up before the winning post as she burst her blood vessels and bled through her nostrils. The rider wisely dismounted.

There was also a keen tussle in the race for the Bold Raider Handicap before Daniel David – trained The Talisman (Noverre-Debinnair/ Sohna Stud)  prevailed over Arti Doctor’s Fire Song. Both runners were ridden in check as Scarlet Pimpernel called the early shots. They made their move in the straight almost together but The Talisman was clearly moving the better of the two. Though Lombardo closed as the favourite for the Golden Praise Handicap, James Mc Keown’s Heirloom (Princely Heir-Hauhaiwunai ) with Mudassar Nazar in the saddle made the mile event a one-horse race once into the straight.