Jockey A Sandesh astride Arjun Mangalorkar-trained Point To Prove did extremely well to overcome severe interference from bottom-weight Shivalik Sight and lift the Queen Elizabeth II Cup with a degree of comfort at RCTC on Saturday.  It seemed that the fast-finishing Whomakestherules may cash in on the plight of a visibly hampered Point To Prove (Multidimensional – Barooq), but a determined Sandesh went into overdrive at that juncture to pull it off. The favourite Shivansh ended up a bad last after jockey Suraj Narredu failed to settle him behind Shivalik Sight and decided to give him his head. After leading the field into the straight, the top-weight faded out quickly. 

Trainer Vijay Singh continued to rule the roost with yet another treble. Vijay Singh-trained Black Pearl (PlanetaireAlvarita) with Suraj Narredu atop, mauled the opposition with his fourth victory on the trot as he pocketed the Calcutta Million in a common canter.   The best of the rest was Pinatubo while Nova is one for the notebook. Vijay opened his account when his two runners Jaivant and Abhya Gama fought and tooth and nail for the Malaysia Cup. It was Jaivant (Win Legend-Validate) with Suraj Narredu astride who ultimately prevailed. Vijay subsequently completed his treble with six-year-old Lesrel (Mayson-Tarkamara) who bagged the Metropolitan in Sandesh’s hands after collaring the runaway Amorous White.

It was an afternoon when leading outstation jockeys dominated the proceedings. The first six races were shared equally between Suraj Narredu, CS Jodha and Sandesh while the last race of the day saw Trevor Patel bringing home the bacon. Jockey CS Jodha  piloted home the two most difficult winners of the day. The first of these was Shyam Habbu-trained Classico (earlier known as Du Champ). The fashionably bred five-year-old gelding by Multidimensional out of Reflected Glory failed to run to his true potential in his earlier stables but galloped to glory in style at his third home under a new ownership. His fashion of winning the mile and quarter race for the Portugal Cup suggests that there may be more races in store for him if he improves his gate manners -he was a trifle fractious at the starting stalls. Nevertheless, the victory is a feather in the cap of his mentor who now has something to look forward to.

Jodha sealed his brace with a smashing victory astride unfancied Bojangles (Win Legend-Moment Of The Day) in the seven furlong race for the French Cup. The top-weight from Bharath Singh’s yard raised a gallop late in the day to snatch the verdict from Moskova close home. This was quite unlike the winner’s earlier runs where he has been known to cut the wind. This victory of Bojangles with a late flourish means that he may win more races in similar fashion in the near future.This is indeed a heartening feature for the connections.

The curtain came down with trainer Christopher Alford and Trevor Patel combing fruitfully to pocket The Philippines Cup with Eastside (Arabian Gulf-Khursaniyah). Trevor rode a regulation race atop the sprinting filly to collar runaway Fortune Express close home. The latter’s run with 62.5kg on  his back was indeed eye-catching. The Manavendra Singh ward may see the winning post soon.