It was an afternoon at RCTC that most punters would like to put behind them as quite a few fancied runners fell by the wayside. However, though available at lucrative odds of 4/1 and 3/1, both Shiprock (C. Alford up) and Cadman (Neeraj Rawal up) found support in the tote to close as favourites. Shyam Habbu-trained Shiprock (Kingda Ka – Giacosa/ ) made every post of the mile race for the PP Ginwala Memorial Cup a winning one. Both Splash Proof and Earnest Ruler fought for the minor placings while Magic In The Air was never in the race and graced the wrong end of the field.

Though a kg out of the Class II handicap scale, Vijay Singh-trained Cadman (Dancing Forever-Lambency) had no difficulty in keeping at bay the fast finishing Stevalena in the straight. Once Cadman took over the running from Sushi at the top of the straight, Neeraj went hell for leather and ensured a fairly comfortable victory at the end. Fancied by many, Santero (who had switched stables recently) finished a poor fourth despite the best efforts of C. Alford.

Dashrath Singh atop Stevalena had to be content with the runner-up spot in the very next race as well as his mount Lochinvar went down narrowly to James Mckeown’s I Told You Know (C. Alford up). The duo went tooth and nail down the straight with the front-running I Told You Know (Whatsthescript-Oban) holding on to his slender advantage. The winner had come on a lot in the last fortnight after finishing runner-up to Top Cat and Alford got the best out of him with his runaway tactics. In this race , Miracle Of Love was left at the gates. Rather surprisingly, Queen’s Command was installed as the favourite and she finished a fair third.

Trainer Raunak Banerji landed a good gamble with Modification (Rebuttal-Hazel Eyes/ Hazara Stud) in the opening race of the day at odds of 3/1. After a lung-opener in the lowest class where she ended up nowhere, the extended trip seemed to suit her to the hilt. Jockey Ashhad Aasbar brought her with a late run in the straight to land the spoils from Heliconia who ran a good second.

Apprentice Nikhil Naidu has been riding fairly successfully this season and his “friendless” strike with Bharath Singh-trained Super Striker (Arabian Gulf-Coconut Squeak/ Manjri Stud) stunned all and sundry at RCTC. Using the inner draw to good effect, Super Striker made every post a winning one and kept at bay the much fancied Xperience to bag the Succeeding Star Handicap.

The upper division of The Allodium Plate saw both Another Glory and Rabda being backed in the ring but neither finished in the money. Unfancied runners occupied the first four bertha with 10/1 shot Footlose (European-Sacred Dreams) showing the way. Spyglass Hill moved well along the rails to occupy the runner-up berth. Favourites continued to tumble in the next two races, leaving punters with nothing but burnt fingers. They were however witness to the most spectacular finish of the day when 5/1 shot Shy Belle from Arti Doctor’s yard pulled off a miraculous victory in the hands of Zervan.  After a tardy beginning which saw the filly by Diffident out of Striking Beauty (Yervada Stud) lose about four lengths at the start, Shy Belle raced in the rear of the ten-horse field for most part. She was in fact a bad last till heads turned for home while  My Lady Luck made merry up front. Then, the most amazing turn of events took place. Despite the traffic problems up front, Shy Belle changed gears so fast, that those watching could barely believe their eyes. To use a cliché, she came like a bolt from the blue to peg back the front-runner at the wire.  Clairvoyance was a tame third and her rider PS Chouhan was the only top rung visiting rider to return empty handed after the day’s proceedings.

Dashrath Singh picked up his sole winner of the day when Narendra Lagad-trained Australian Agatta (Phoenix Tiger-Roseate/ Manjri Stud) won the Arterial Handicap start-to-finish. The speedy filly was first out of the gates and stayed there all the way.  The winner had failed over five-and-half furlongs last time out but negotiated the extra 100 metres quite easily af6ter that lung-opener. Installed as the favourite, Stand and Dance ended up a fairly decent third but never threatened the front-runner at any stage of the race.