Trainer Javed Khan and his stable’s trusted knight of the pigskin Chotu Singh Jodha combined fruitfully to fetch home a well-backed double with Vice Admiral and Brahmachari at RCTC on Tuesday. Earlier, Javed had led in friendless Xlite with Ranidan in the saddle. Heavy showers once again lashed the track and delayed the start of the sixth race – The Time Machine Cup - by twenty minutes. On a rain-soaked track, Amorous White was installed as the 2/1 favourite with Brahmachari a close second at 11/4.  As is his wont, One Man Army set a scorching pace till well into the straight. Both Amorous White and Brahmachari made their move near the distance post but under Jodha’s superior handling, the latter travelled the better of the two.

Jockey Hindu Singh also scored a brace but blotted his copybook with a dangerous piece of horsemanship astride Praise Her Gaze which saw him take the favourite Jezabelle out of the race in what seemed like a premeditated manner– a  misdeed for which he was fined Rs 5,000/-.  In the same race, the upper division of  The Select Handicap, the owner-mate of the  guilty party (Tibidabo) was being backed down to near joint favouritism at 3/1. That he finished fourth is another matter. The race was pocketed by rank outsider Xlite (Sussex-Bling) who moved with raking strides in the straight to get the better of Gimme Credit and Shape The Scape. The former is one for the notebook.

Both Dashrath Singh and PS Chouhan failed to fulfil their engagements as they were in mourning for the sad demise of trainer Magan Singh Jodha. Instead of Dashrath, the Bharath Singh stable declared Ranidan astride Gryffindor (Lucifer Sam-Blumarine) in The Vibrant Handicap. Ranidan rode a calculated race to peg back Miidnight Star at the wire.

The afternoon commenced with Manvendra Singh-trained Princess Elena (Top Class-Impulsion) being backed down to even money. The filly had to be hard ridden to get the better of Zara Go Zara who was shaping like a winner at the top of the straight when she sneaked through along the rails and made a bee line for the winning post.

The third race of the day , the lower division of the Select Handicap, saw yet another outsider in the winner’s enclosure. James Mc Keown-trained Rising From Ashes (Win Legend-For An Angel) with apprentice Vikram astride proved too good for public choice Born To Win who was on his  usual start to finish mission before calling it a day about 100 metres from home.

Arti Doctor-trained Fire Opal(Arazan-Zephyrella) was piloted with great gusto by Hindu Singh to land the spoils in the La Gitana Plate.  Romanoff set a good pace despite a hard drizzle but faded out thereafter. The one who challenged the ultimate winner was Expensive Affair.

The  Fairy Heights Handicap  saw six-year-old Vice Admiral (Lord Admiral-Go Out Backwards) installed as the firm favourite. It was Big Star and C. Alford who tried to run away with the race after Outrider had called the early shots, but found  no answer to the strong challenge of the favourite.The race was run in heavy rain. The curtain came down with Nikhil Naidu making the most of his chance ride atop Jester(Ace – Champagne Polka) and bring home the bacon in style. Zandra was a fair second while Bambini Festa disappointed.