Known to prefer a longer trip, Western Indian challenger Jack Frost, from the stable of trainer Vinesh, sent an early warning to the local lot as he pocketed the seven-furlong race for the Army Cup. The six-year-old was given a measured ride by ace jockey Trevor Patel to land the spoils. Trevor kept the middle distance runner off the pace as front-running Shivalik Storm tried to make every post a winning one. Once in the straight, both the fancied runners, Multitude and Evesham, fought for supremacy. Trevor however had other ideas as he brought the experienced galloper with raking strides in the final furlong to seal the issue beyond doubt. With several other major terms races to come in the months to follow, Vinesh’s ward seems to have thrown down the gauntlet to the likes of Captain Morgan, Colombiana and others. He had won the mile-and-half race for the CN Wadia Gold Cup in Mumbai last March.

Trainer Vikash Jaiswal scored a high-priced hat-trick in the day’s first three races while jockeys Trevor Patel and Imran Chisty notched up a brace each. Jaiswal in a way is a master of his craft when it comes to handicap races. By dropping the handicap to a suitable mark with race runs, Jaiswal gives the green light to his wards when the time is right. On this occasion, he had given a clear indication of his intentions by declaring Imran Chisty on two of his winners – I Me N Myself and My Lady Luck. His other winner Ivy is a front-runner and brother Vinay Jaiswal’s presence was sufficient. Chisty’s hard riding did the trick on both I Me N Myself (Noverro - Sexy Gal / Sohna Stud) in the upper division of the Cheviot Handicap and My Lady Luck (Dancing Forever – Secret Path/ Hazara Stud) in the Tug Of War Handicap. In between these two events, Jaiswal tasted success with Ivy in the lower division of the Cheviot Cup. Major Colours continued to earn his corn bill with another good second finish.  Consistency has been the forte of this aging ward of Farley Rodrigues.

Recent import Sweet Music (Dean’s Kitten-Zahwah) was anything but sweet for punters as the Arti Doctor ward upset the Trevor applecart by sailing past the piping hot favourite Levante close home in the seven furlong race for the Gen AS Vaidya . Memorial Cup. Apprentice Bhati has won two races recently by opting for the rails and that is admirable – fortune favours the brave as they say. Hypothetically speaking, Trevor had the opportunity to close the rails gap but was possibly caught unawares as he was focussed on I Am Legend who was gaining ground on his outside.

Trevor however made amends on his other favourite ride – Eternally (Western Aristocrat-Reforest/ Yeravada Stud) who won the Army Service Corps Cup. Lying a handy third while Malana set the early pace, Eternally shot ahead in the straight and warded off the challenge of top-weight Uncrowned King. The other fancied runner Devotion was never in the frame. This was jockey John’s only ride of the day due to the late arrival of his flight. Of his other rides - Multitude was ridden by Chisty and Drops Of Jupiter by Mahesh.

The Delhi Race Club Cup went Occitan’s way as expected. Her nearest challenger Mocha Locha was a kg out of the scale but for which she may have fared a little better. However, Occitan (Win Legend-Aquitania/ Dashmesh Stud) was travelling smoothly from the outset and jockey Hindu Singh made no mistake on this ward of James McKeown. The curtain came down with a dramatic five-horse blanket finish which saw leap-year jockey Russell Xaviers edge out the others for the top spot while astride David-trained Aquaticaa (Soldier Hollow-Siwah).