When jockey C. Rajendra reported sick following his abject failure to guide Aqua Glow to victory in the opening event, the jockeys replacing him on Mysterious Star and Star Conquest hardly subscribed to the stipulated norms of replacement requiring the substitution be made with jockeys of equal calibre. But the scarcity of jockeys of the calibre of Rajendra was such that the club had no option but to overlook these racing norms. Consequently, the announcement of jockey I. Shaikh being entrusted the responsibility of steering Star Conquest in the Our Select Trophy obviously raised many eyebrows. But apart from the odds against the Altaf Hussain saddled filly going up by 10-15 decimal points, there was no significant disturbance in Star Conquest’s fortunes. Imran Shaikh got nothing less than a joy ride aboard Star Conquest (Alnasr Alwasheek – Star Concert), who brooked no challenge from her opponents who tried to catch her on the wrong foot by making a mad rush to grab the early lead. Forces of Destiny, the recent addition to trainer Adil Dajee’s string, spearheaded this charge with Agha and Samarkhand also making their bit. Star Conquest’s three rivals continued with their chore till Imran decided it was time to shift gears. Star Conquest flew past her adversaries to give her ride the ecstatic feeling which, for a moment, overshadowed the one being experienced by the moneybags. Agha eventually got stronger at the finish to push Forces of Destiny and Samarkhand behind. Apprentice rider D. K. Ashish cornered all the limelight by booting home a treble on the final day of the season. He hardly faced any challenge when partnering favourite Pepe Junior (Cruachan – Ganadora), the candidate sent out by Rehanullah Khan. Unlike on the previous occasion when he was hustled too soon at the top of the bend by C. Ruzaan, Ashish played a waiting game on Pepe Junior. He brought him into contention only when King’s Desire tried to steal a march when the field had straightened for home. King’s Desire flattered till Pepe Junior stripped him of the responsibility. Stunning Star and Spiritual Hymn ran on to finish in the frame. Red Dawn was conspicuous by his absence in the fight but his chances were already discounted in the betting as there was no overtly interest was shown to suggest otherwise. Rising Warrior, apart from ensuring that this race didn’t go void at acceptance stage, was seen doing same spadework for the future. Ashish’s second success came through the chance ride made possible by Rajendra’s sickness. He was designated to discharge his duties astride Shiraz Sunderji trained Mysterious Star (Placerville – Matisse) and he added another victory to his account. Repeating the pattern seen in the betting field during the day, Mysterious Star justified the faith imposed in him by overtaking leader Golden Orra in the final lap of the seven-furlong trip. Socaroro seemed content in playing a minor role and ended third ahead of Star Crusader, who was hampered by his wayward stablemate Pebble Beach in the straight. Robert D’Mellow trained Solid Black had many supporters before the serious money came into play but it waned as time went by. He had apparently misplaced his galloping shoes and ran like a traveller who had lost his way. Opera Royale (Mischevious Music – Zing Thing) provided the icing for Ashish’s celebration. The Adil Dajee schooled filly made full use of her low handicap and to measure Simply Perfect before stretching out to go beyond the reach of Regina. Thundering Hero made a brief appearance in the battle and then receded abruptly. Insearchofsunrise ran fourth but surely has saved her best for some time later when her true potential is likely to be exploited. K. P. G. Appu started the day on a winning note atop Hormuz Antia saddled Queen of the Turf (Major Impact – Untold Story), who simply trounced her opponents after taking charge from Ishtar and Magical Music in the home stretch. C. Rajendra ridden and Imtiaz Sait trained on-money favourite Aqua Glow struggled throughout but ran on to snatch the runner-up spot from an exhausted Magical Music. Appu completed a double when he piloted Subhag Singh trained public fancy Paris Hilton (Warrshan – Peperoni). Paris Hilton was off to quick start and then showed a clean pair of heels to her rivals on her way to her maiden success. Artillery raced close on the haunches of the winner but failed to accelerate and ended up playing second fiddle. Saarah Alam finished third followed by Art of War. Mister Fixit (Diffident – Camouflage), who had a dress rehearsal in the hands of a rookie on Friday, showed his trademark initial speed and showed the way to his rivals. The Zameer Sayyed ridden Mister Fixit from Don Surti’s stables was overwhelmed by Gates of Victory at one stage but the latter veered out under pressure to concede the advantage to his rival once again. Zameer made free use of his whip to earn a narrow verdict. Precision ran on far too late to make any impact but finished a close third ahead of Tearaway.