The brief Monsoon Meeting of 2021 drew to a close on Friday with the running of The Monsoon Cup. Trainer B Suresh’s outstation challenger My Opinion (Dialled In – Love Me Good), sporting the goldie-brown colours of the late MAM, bagged the Monsoon Cup without much ado, though jockey Akshay Kumar had to stave off  a late challenge from bottom-weighted Tudor Hall. Tracking front running Shivansh till the top of the straight, My Opinion did not face any difficulty in taking over the running and head for home. Tudor Hall made up a lot of ground in the final furlong to finish a creditable runner-up.

Aashay Doctor’s Awesome One (Dean’s Kitten-Aim To Achieve), owned by the Sumant Dalmiya syndicate, proved that he is a cut above the rest as he moved with giant strides in the straight after taking the hairpin five wide, to pocket the Betindiaraces International Cup. This, despite shouldering top-weight. The winning mount of Neeraj Rawal was available at 5/1 as the favourite for the race was Silver Bracelet who was edged out for the runner-up berth by friendless Areca Legend. 

The opening race, The Alarico Handicap run over a mile , saw well-backed Nazaakat from Arti Doctor’s yard get the better of  ante-post favourite Free Spirited by over a length. Shailesh Shinde rode the bay filly by Kingda Ka out of Top Romance who was a winner at every post.

The next race, also over a mile, saw the favourite Seasky being left the gates by a distance. The Stipes are convinced it was intentional and have opened up an enquiry. Looks like jockey Sameer Khan is very much in the hot seat at the moment. Trainer Vijay Singh’s Whistle Blower with CS Jodha astride was available at 10/1 but had little trouble in pocketing the race by five lengths from Intellection. 

The three-year-old gelding by Smuggler’s Cove out of Amulet had finished off the frame in a couple of sprints at Mumbai, but the thorough preparation  provided by trainer Vijay Singh  at this centreworked wonders though he was neglected in the ring. This was jockey CS Jodha’s first of two winners for trainer Vijay Singh and his sporting owner Vikram Bachhawat. Jodha’s next winner was the on-money public choice Choegyal  (Tenth Star-Shades Of White) who picked up the Silver Bear Plate without being stretched. Stablebmate Secret Pearl was a far away second.

Trainer Vikash Jaiswal has performed fairly well this monsoon and he did not disappoint his followers on the final afternoon as brother Vinay rode his charge Indian Tiger to a facile victory. The son of David Livingston out of Mullagh, who was available at 5/1, was a little too fast for public choice Ahnika as he made every post a winning one.

The season drew to a close on a happy note for thus far winless trainer B Mahesh whose D Knight Mysore (Letir Mor-Skyelady)made very post a winning one, thanks to apprentice Hasib Alam who kept his nerve when challenged strongly by Harbour Sunrise midway up the straight.

The championship trophies for the season  were on expected lines:
Champion trainer:  Vijay Singh
Champion Jockey: Hindu Singh
Champion Apprentice: Sujit Kumar Paswan
Champion Horse: Oasis (trainer Vijay Singh)
Horse of the season: Eastside (trainer Daniel David)