Champion trainer Vijay Singh notched up a popular treble with Fantasia (16/10), Multitude (13/10) and Shivansh (18/10) at RCTC on Tuesday. While the first named was ridden by apprentice Nikhil Naidu, visiting jockey Neeraj Rawal completed a brace with Multitude and Shivansh. Vijay’s other favourite of the day – Sniper – in the fourth race, had to be withdrawn at the gates because of his unruly behaviour. In the day’s feature, The Baqlava Cup, Vijay’s Mutitude (Multidimensional-Haeidi/ Usha Stud) displayed his spark of old with a thumping victory. Brahmachari was a laborious runner-up. Lying a handy second behind pace-setter Amorous White, Multitude sailed away to win easier than verdict. There was a close finish for the minor berths involving Brahmachari, Amorous White and Interstellar. The other runners were never in it. The winner closed at 85/100 after a bout of serious betting in the ring.

The other pair of professionals to complete a double during the day was the Vikash Jaiswal-PS Chouhan combo. Chouhan did extremely well to register narrow victories on Zara Go Zara and Simran’s Choice. The afternoon commenced on a competitive note as there was a three-way contest in the straight for supremacy involving Looking Good, Blaze to Glory and Zara Go Zara (Dancing Forever-Red Millennium/ Hazara Stud). It was Chouhan’s superior handling skills that made the difference as the other two runners were being piloted by whip-less apprentices.

The next race saw Vijay Singh lead in the first of his three winners. The filly Fantasia (Midnight Interlude-Open Ridge) migrated from Mumbai last winter and seems to have settled down at this centre. Apprentice Naidu was up to the task as he rode a copybook race astride her, keeping her fourth till into the straight before making his move and winning handsomely. The day’s third race, The Jeweller Handicap, may well have seen Vijay increase his tally as He Calls The Shots moved with raking strides in the final furlong to fall short by a nose. The winner All Rounder (Rebuttal-Allys Glory/ Hazara Stud), from Aashay Doctor’s yard, was ridden with great gusto by apprentice RS Bhati to break his duck for the season.

Sniper proved to be quite a handful for the handlers in the Bourbon Queen Handicap. He finally dislodged his rider and broke out of the gates and had to be withdrawn before starters orders resulting in all win bets being reduced by 25 %. The favourite by default – Beatles Bible – ran a great race but came unstuck in the final fifty metres as Simran’s Choice (Noverro-Impassion/ Sohna Stud)  made a determined bid for victory on the wide outside.

Jockey Christopher Alford pulled off the day’s major surprise astride the 8/1 shot Kantai ( Ravel-Minnie Mouse) from Bharath Singh’s yard. The fancied runners Fire Opal, Chitrakala and Vrishany failed to match strides with her. The curtain came down with trainer Vijay Singh’s Shivansh (Top Class-Immortal Story/ Mukteshwar Stud) making mincemeat of his seven rivals in the mile race for the Arcade Handicap. Neeraj Rawal rode a regulation race on the well-backed favourite who was available at a decent odds. The one for the notebook is the runner-up Mocha Loca.