A large and colourful gathering at the Calcutta racecourse on New Year’s Day saw champion jockey Christopher Alford seal a dramatic hat-trick before going on to win one more (atop Dandified) and making it an even four. Great stamina from the rider but he has to share the credit with trainer Vijay Singh who tuned the horses to perfection before the big day. The afternoon started disastrously for followers of money as the heavily backed favourite Flaming Love in the lower division of the Goodfellas Cup, failed to come out of the gates till the field was well clear.

The mare has not behaved in such manner in the past and it does not need a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the eye of suspicion falls on the rider Srinivas Rao. The stipes can’t prove foul play but the lad doesn’t have that clean a slate. The fact that Rao fancied his ride and publicized that fact on a popular website, does not in any way clear him off the needle of suspicion. Not surprisingly, the owners are mighty unhappy about the whole sordid affair. It’s high time they looked for greener pastures.

The race was won by the second favourite Generosity (Serious Spender-La Joya), owned by Gautam Sengupta and Chiranjit Basu, who was given a clean ride by top-weight jockey Mahesh. He collared the runaway Sea Cat near the distance post for an easy victory. C. Alford opened his account atop Access Point (Inhabitant-Premium Point) in great style. Tracking Ijlal till the bend, he cantered away for a facile triumph. River Divine plodded on to occupy the runner-up berth.

Alford had to work a little harder on Work Force (Placerville-Amnesty Bay) in The Exclusive Virtue Cup. The top-weight was not in any way hindered by his 9-kg penalty for his last win. Owner-mate Avon Creek was ridden off the pace and finished a good second. Crack sprinter Aerator (Oath-Liquid Gold) completed the hat-trick for Christopher in dramatic fashion as he moved with giant strides on the wide outside to peg back the favourite Poles Apart who was all but a winner from the distance post.

Much fancied Cee Four fizzled out after a show of early speed. Aerator was available at 7/2. After a 6.5-kg penalty for his first win this season, Chief Justice (Epicentre-Dukhtar-E-Shama) must be might pleased that his penalties are limited to 4 kg. He has been carrying that to victory without too much trouble. He thus recorded his fourth successive triumph in The Pat Quinn Memorial Trophy. Fancied runners Riding Fantasy and Avesco were never in it.

Trainer Shafiq Khan needs to be commended for this successful run of Chief Justice. Trainer Javed Khan, who is known to have a penchant for securing a double on New Year’s Day, did just that with Charulata (Dancing Bear-Swarang Sundray) in The Vijay Sicka Memorial Cup. The aged mare was given a great ride by Imran Chisty, keeping her covered up till the distance post before splitting the field down the centre.

It also completed a New Year’s double for Gautam Sengupta and Chiranjit Basu. Rather surprisingly, Hillary was installed as the 10-to-6-on favourite in the lower division of The Sound Of Cheers Cup. She was even more surprisingly backed down to 10-to-4-on. Needless to say that she failed to match bottom-weight Arbroath (Hurricane State-Integral) and Art Excellence stride for stride over this six-furlong scurry. Chisty on Arbroath never released the pressure and ultimately won astride the 6/1 shot quite comfortably, thus completing his double. The RCTC Gold Vase was a straight contest between the two horses owned by Dr Vijay Mallya – Cambiasso and Caravaggio.

Though the latter was well placed at the distance post, the former’s class ultimately told. Cambiasso (Razeen-Gourgandine) is under the care of Pesi Shroff. B. Prakash on the winner rode a supremely confident race. Vijay Singh-trained Dandified (Rebuttal-Dondoona) won The Kunigal Stud Stakes in highly impressive fashion. The colt covered plenty of leeway even after being taken six wide and sailed away past Amor Amor who was threatening to make it a start to finish affair.

The winner has more races in store for him. The curtain came down on the long afternoon with Daniel David-trained Island Rhythm (Mischevious Music-Table Dancing) bagging the upper division of the Sound of Cheers Cup at lucrative odds of 6/1. Apprentice Arman Khan did well to gradually improve his position from an outside draw and then collar the favourite Ocean Clipper. The other fancied runner, Oceanaire, came with a late run but a little too late.