Punters returned home satisfied on the eve of the Kingfisher Ultra Derby, four firm favourites and a solitary well supported second choice Orenda nailing bold colours to the mast in the eight-event card.

The feature event, the Nawab Arshad Ali Khan Memorial Cup produced a shock result, the 10 to one shot Desperado making every post a winning one in the hands of Arshad Alam, beating the public rage Corfe Castle much to the disappointment of the Hyderabad camp. The short-priced favourite, winner of the Poonawalla Multi-Million in Mumbai was making his maiden appearance this summer after recovering from a couple of bouts of fever. The trainer in no hurry provided the top contender  enough time to recover  and his final mock race was impressive. Corfe Castle on paper looked unbeatable but thanks to leading pro Trevor Patel who rode a over confident race, waiting far too long before he made his final challenge, Corfe Castle just could not accomplish the herculean task and finished second behind Desperado who after establishing a sizeable lead kept going to the delight of Neil Darashah.

After the big shock, three favourites in the next three events provided railbirds a reason to smile. After he was caught napping on Corfe Castle, Trevor astride the favourite Isn’t She Lovely in the D Kumar Siddanna Memorial Cup was a trifle slow at the start but soon brushed up and hit the front in the mile long event. The talented filly who had finished a creditable third in the Fillies Championship Stakes in only her second effort enjoyed the front running role and dictated the pace before she romped home in style. Athena finished on purposefully at end to gain the runner-up berth ahead of Sporting Pleasure while the topweighted St.Pauli Girl took the fourth spot.

Back next, Padmanabhan and Trevor combined again to score in the K N Guruswamy Memorial Trophy through Into The Spotlight. The public choice who looked a picture of fitness at the parade ring justified the confidence of his supporters, producing a winning gallop approaching the distance   post to sail home in emphatic fashion. Justice Angel again finished a creditable second ahead of Ambitious Approach while the Kolkata hopeful Occitan made the frame.

After she beat Bora Bora in a thriller in her last effort, Iris was fancied most in the Mumbai Cup. The fact that Bora Bora earned his winning bracket after that essay nosing out Lady Barrington boosted the chances of Iris. The Irfan Ghatala ward again failed to gain a favourable position early on in the race but like in his last effort unleashed a tremendous final burst to storm home a convincing winner. Regal Music who made the early running with Turf Magic managed to hang on and clinch the second spot from Shades Of Desire.

The Delhi Cup run over a distance of seven furlongs saw Mea Culpa from Arjun Manglorkar’s yard and the Arvind Ganapathy-trained Orenda garner the maximum support. Orenda much to the delight of Arvind Ganapathy who had failed to lead in a winner for over an year came out tops in the hands of Imran Khan. The winner needed to win the race, a second time in the stewards room following a protest by John who partnered Mea Culpa. John objected, pointing out that Orenda while making his run had shifted in and closed the gap on the rails and as a result he needed to check his horse and switch him out and that cost him a certain race. But the fact was that Orenda while shifting in didn’t interfere with the progress of Mea Culpa and at the end was only getting stronger. The stewards did well to quickly overrule the protest.

Earlier, Velocidad from trainer Pradeep Annaiah’s yard came home first in the Admiral Henry John Rous Cup run over a distance of 2000 metres. The winner who had finished second behind the talented filly Cerise Noir in his earlier start was fancied most and Zervan packed punch on the public choice to help him enter the winners’ circle. Velocidad like Orenda needed to win the race again in the stewards room following an objecton lodged by Arshad Alam astride Masada who had finished third in the event. Arshad ccontended that Zervan while making his run shifted in and took his ground and bumped him and as a result his horse lost ground. It was a vaild objection but the fact that Velocidad was moving far better than Masada, the stewards decided to give the benefit of doubt to Zervan and rightly overruled the protest. Nitromax finished second ahead of Masada while Auric Force raced in patches to eventually finish a poor fourth.

In the opening event, Vinod Shinde dropped a bombshell piloting Triggar to a shock victory in the Mysore Cup. The winner paid a handsome dividend of Rs 675 on a tenner at the tote window. And in the concluding event, the 20 to one shot Internal Affair chalked out a pillar to post victory in the Indian Pattern Committee trophy run over a mile. The well supported Aleef who had finished third gained the runner-up berth after the stewards decided to uphold the protest by jockey Jagadeesh the rider of Ultimate Power who had finished fourth against Rajesh Babu on the second placed Amazing Angel.