It was an eventful afternoon at RCTC on Saturday as big guns fell silent while outstation invaders made merry. Leading trainer Vijay Singh drew a blank as did premier horseman Trevor Patel. Trainer B Suresh’s seven-year-old horse Cavallo Veloce (Lucifer Sam-Mink Mitten) from Chennai made a smashing entry into the RCTC record books while lifting The Calcutta Monsoon Sprint without raising a sweat – that too after receiving quite a bit of interference from front running Lesrel midway up the straight. Jockey Imran Khan was confident as ever as he brought his mount on even keel after a brief moment of worry. Cavallo Veloce thus lived up to his name – this being the Italian for ‘Fast Horse’.

Another outstation runner who put her best foot forward on this day was Neil Darashah’s Night Secret (Night Of Thunder – Serenity Star)  who walked away with the mile race for the Winfree Handicap in the hands of Arshad Alam. Permitting Topnotch and Scarlet Witch to cut the wind till heads turned for home, Alam simply pressed the button on the filly and she left the field cold. Justified and Resolute were relegated to the category of ‘also rans’though they occupied the minor placings.

The only professional to record a brace was trainer Harvinder Singh Bath with Adornica and Nova. Installed as the firm favourite in the seven-furlong race for The Great Tribute Handicap, Daring Heart failed to accelerate when asked for an effort in the straight to collar front-running Headboy. It was left to the filly Adornica (Sedgefield-Another Star) in the final furlong as she moved with telling strides in the hands of apprentice Sujit Kumar Paswan to sail past her rivals.

Bath completed his brace when jockey CS Jodha rode an absolute blinder of a race astride the filly Nova (Letir Mor – Sorrento Stell) to run away with the Alvarada Handicap. Lying fifth till the turning for home, Jodha decided to take the shortest route home  and his mount responded brilliantly.

The afternoon commenced with trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s Shivalik Silk (David Livingstone – Al Shababiya) making amends for her failure on the opening day. The favourite Roman was all at sea as he drifted out to the outer rails and lost all his chances after showing some early speed.Jockey Vinay Jaiswal hugged the rails all the way on the winner.

Trainer Shyam Habbu’s Basharat (Star Dan-Amanda’s Queen) won the Desiree Handicap with jockey RS Bhati astride.Lying third behind pace-setter Indian Tiger and fancied favourite Clear Vision, Basharat accelerated down the centre to go away from the field in the last furlong. For her thumping victory she incurred a penalty of 6 kg.

Barring Cavallo Veloce, Christopher Alford-trained Robinson Crusoe was the only male horse to come out on top on an afternoon dominated by the fairer sex. With jockey Shailesh Shinde astride, Robinson Crusoe (Phoenix Tower – Gobelin) bagged the Elistano Plate without too much trouble from Shopify and Appreciate.