Crack sprinter Tweedle Dee (Juniper-Linette/ Sans Craintes Stud) made winning look easy as he treated the opposition with utter disdain and lifted the S Rahamathulla Memorial Cup at RCTC on Wednesday. The Bharath Singh-trained gelding won far easier than verdict in the safe hands of Christopher Alford. Allowing Zander and Drops OF Jupiter to call the shots till the home turn, Alford simply showed the son of Juniper daylight and the well-tuned animal did the rest, being eased up before the winning post. His turn of foot about a furlong from home was quite phenomenal and it left Drops of Jupiter floundering under Trevor’s stick.

Trainer Vijay Singh, along with jockeys C. Alford and Trevor Patel notched up a brace each to make it a fairly lucrative afternoon for followers of money. Vijay Singh’s first winner was Ashi Nangsey (Arabian Gulf-Iberian/ Manjri Stud) who gave Trevor Patel a joy ride to win as she liked. Vijay and Trevor combined fruitfully once more to complete their brace with top-weight Fabienne (Dancing Forever-Noorain/ Hazara Stud) who got the better of Pierce Arrow in their duel for supremacy all the way down the straight. The filly and mare were both under the stick.

James McKeown’s Millennium Glory (Win Legend-Integra / Dashmesh Stud) for whom he had paid a final entry fee of Rs 2 lakh to take a tilt at the Calcutta Juvenile Sprint, where she performed miserably, found her galloping shoes on this occasion to get the better of Levante in the straight and bag The As Ever Plate. Apprentice Nikhil Naidu’s allowance of 3kg undoubtedly helped the small-made filly find her footing. The disappointment in the race was Top Gun who had all the chances but never posed a threat.

 The day’s opener provided the afternoon’s closest finish with Bournville and Jabble fighting tooth and nail all the way down the straight. Superior help from the saddle may have turned the tables on the winner Bournville (European-Cindy Lou Two/ Chhatari Stud) on whom Christopher Alford rode a copy book race to land the spoils. Being a five-and-half furlong race, Jabble ought to have been in closer touch with Bournville after the turning for home. The three-length break is a little too much to make up in Calcutta’s short straight. Further, he drifted out hopelessly to the outer rails to eventually go down  by a short-neck.  

The most facile winner of the day was Arti Doctor-trained Washington (Phoenix Tower – Star Shine/ Manjri Stud) Who gave Mysore champion Prashant P Dhebe a joy ride. The filly made it a one-horse race after allowing Simply Royale to set the pace. The curtain came down with Midnight Star (Gaswar –Minnie Mouse/ Lingwood Stud) bagging Ballet Master Handicap. The Manvendra Singh-trained colt raised a winning gallop in the straight after playing the waiting game in the hands of Hindu Singh.