Trainer Vijay Singh’s filly Avarua (Abbeyside-Aymaras) was given a regulation ride by competent low-weight jockey Hindu Singh to land the spoils in the mile-and-quarter race for the MB Medhora Cup at RCTC on Tuesday. Tracking front-running The Stradle till the top of the straight, the 4/1 second favourite had no trouble in pulling away from the field. Trevor  Patel on Dixie Diamond made a bold bid to draw level at the distance post but fell short by just over a length. The favourite Alldero failed to show a glimpse of his past form. The supporting event, The Icelandic Handicap, went Jacobin’s way without much ado as Neeraj Rawal rode a flawless race on the five-year-old by Pentire Celebre out of Artempo. Front-runners like Lady Two and Nextstar were left floundering once Jacobin changed gears in the straight.

Two runners defied their respective penalties and produced encores. They were Raise A Grand and Gimme Credit. The former won her last race over a mile effortlessly and incurred a penalty of 6.5kg for his victory. On this occasion too, Shyam Habbu’s wardby Ravel out of Lothian Lass won in a similar fashion over an identical trip– moving with raking strides in the final furlong after gracing the wrong end of the field for most part. Allowing Uncrowned King and then Pelion to set a fairly fast pace, Shezad Khan planned his strike to a nicety. The other fancied runner in the race – Alyssa – was a poor third.

Robert Gowli’s Gimme Credit (Chevalier-Star Pride) won the upper division of the Alameda Handicap in style. By claiming an allowance of 4kg, apprentice Tejeshwar nullified the 3kg penalty that the seven-year-old incurred for his win on New Year’s Day. With 100m less to run on this day, the speedster seemed to have the race at his mercy from the word go. He made every post a winning one.

The opening race saw fluctuating odds as Rutherford Alford’s two runners found support in the ring. They were Queen’s Kitten and Dean’s Dayle. The odds of Cool Conqueror expanded to 5/1. Apprentice Rupal Singh did well to follow the front-runner Adriatic Sea till the top of the straight and then urge his mount to take over the running.Cool  Conqueror (Kingda Ka-Amount) eventually won the mile-and-quarter race by a widening margin of four lengths. Winner’s Delight was a notable runner-up.

The Prince Blossom Plate over seven-furlongs for three-year-olds only saw a bit of a surprise as Arti Doctor-trained Eastside (Arabian Gulf-Khursaniyah) was powered to an impressive victory by Trevor Patel over Rare Bird. The favourite Ruby Cube failed to impress on this occasion. Jasbir Singh’s Roxor was a good third.

The mile race for the Zarashah Handicap saw the biggest outsider of the day in the form of Basmbini Festa (Royal Gladiator-Markova). The Javed Khan-trained five-year-old gelding was ridden to a narrow victory by leap-year jockey I Khan and hence neglected by all and sundry. Expensive Affair was a good second in what was more or less a blanket-finish with the first five runners separated by just over a length.The curtain came down with Dashrath Singh at his best as he guided Deepak Karki’s Bournville (European-Cindy Lou Two) to a thrilling victory over course favourite Buddyholly. The one for the notebook is Dark Gold who may have found the trip too sharp.