The Malakpet racecourse has become the hunting ground for Arjun Mangalorkar’s protégé Salento, who won the Golconda 2000 Guineas (Gr. 2), here on Sunday. Salento had previously claimed the monsoon edition of this event and later triumphed in the monsoon Derby and his latest success also came at Hyderabad thus making it his third regional classic win for the colt which is co-owned by Messrs Arun Alagappan, Rajendran, Joydeep Datta Gupta, Rajan and Gautam Agarwal.

True Marshal bowled along merrily in the front as he set the pace in the eight horse field with La Mirage and All Attraction following him. Salento lay handy in the mid bunch with PS Chouhan ridden the Western India challenger Dyf showing urgency to come and race alongside True Marshal before the bend. With over a furlong and half left for the destination, Dyf was getting close to the leader when Salento uncoiled a stupendous run after being given his head by Antony. YS Srinath piloted All Attraction also threw his challenge but veered out under pressure and almost collided with Dyf when cramped for room as Salento ranged alongside. Salento got the measure of Dyf to assume command with a furlong left from home and Antony packed enough punch in his riding to make good his escape to victory as Akshay Kumar piloted Kancha came menacingly towards him. Dyf ended third and hand Arthur and All Attraction behind. The distance that separated Salento from All Attraction who ended fifth was less than two lengths.

Apprentice Sonu Kumar had a dream debut and rode a brace of winners – the even-money favourite Garnet and longshot Nightmare. Garnet shot to the front as the gates flew open and then repelled Stay Smart’s attempt to snatch the lead in the initial stages of the race. Kumar stepped up the pace astride D Netto trained Garnet (Green Coast – Parade Queen) and the filly sped away to stay beyond the reach of her rivals. Nucleus earned the second place from Coming Home as Stay Smart and Divine Connection dropped back after chasing the winner into the straight. Bangor On Dee couldn’t display his initial speed at the start and was outpaced throughout.

After getting almost an armchair ride to victory atop Garnet, apprentice Kumar got lucky with Nightmare where the stamina of the rookie was supposed to be on test more than that of the G Shashikanth groomed mare. Team Player made all the running from the barriers in the mile and quarter event and surrendered the lead to hard ridden Despang who was in close pursuit throughout. Surya Prakash steered Despang grabbed the lead only to find Just Credible, hot favourite Hoping Cloud and rank outsider Nightmare all three gaining ground on the outside. Akshay failed to get Just Incredible to raise a winning gallop as Mohit Kumar atop Hoping Cloud and Nightmare with Kumar in the saddle wore him down. Nightmare (Saamidd – For Sure) not only surprised Hoping Cloud and the punters but the race commentator as well as Kumar’s final push nosed out Hoping Cloud at the wire.

Before Nightmare shocked the punters, the bay two-year-old colt Siddharth from Srinivas Reddy’s yard exceeded the expectations of the majority and probably his connections too when making a winning debut in the hands of Ashhad Asbar at longer odds. With an educative run under his belt, SSF Hassan schooled juvenile colt Rising Tycoon was backed to the exclusion of his eight rivals in the Step Aside Plate. Rising Tycoon seemed in obliging mood when he grabbed the lead from Siddharth (Excellent Art – Lavender Brown) but it turned out that he had flattered to deceive. With Akshay ridden second favourite Bleue Dali failing to catch the leader, it was Siddharth who produced a flourishing run and breezed past Rising Tycoon close home without Asbar having to exert himself. The favourite even succumbed to the both belated and half-hearted effort of Afroz Khan astride Reigning Beauty and conceded the runner up berth by a neck. N R I Skylab also ran an unextended fourth.

LVR Deshmukh schooled Acrobat scored an overdue victory at the expense of favourite Clefairy, who was supported to win in the hands of Akshay but the Prasad Raju saddled filly disappointed yet again as she left her chances at the gates itself. Ajeeth Kumar kept Acrobat in a handy fifth position as Exclusive Luck showed the way to the field over the seven furlong journey. As the horses chasing Exclusive Luck went off the bridle in the last two furlongs, it was Acrobat who unleashed a brilliant run and went sailing past Ivanhoe, Swiss Girl, Saint Emilion and Role Model who were all struggling to make an impact. Acrobat won convincingly from Ivanhoe who was closely followed by Role Model, Saint Emilion and Swiss Girl.

Returning back to contest over a sprint, G Shashikanth nursed filly Vision Of A Rose ran true to the market’s expectations in the senior division of the Vikarabad Cup. BR Kumar kept Vision Of A Rose in close attendance of Gusty Note who dragged her rider to head the field. Kumar alerted Vision Of A Rose (Strong Suit – Sheikha) in the last furlong to wear down the leader and stretched out to oblige her followers. Cabello ended runner up without any real effort from rookie Ajay Kumar and the same could be said of Above The Law and Different, who ended half-length and a neck behind respectively.

I Am A Superman from MS Parmar’s yard came in for spirited support ahead of My Way Or Highway and the B Nikhil ridden gelding ran true to expectations in the first race of the day. Call Of The Blue and Good Day took turns in the heading the field and it was the latter who brought them into the straight. I Am A Superman got the opening he was looking for when his main adversary My Way Or Highway, ridden by K Mukesh Kumar, shifted out just enough for him to charge ahead as they turned for home. Nikhil rode I Am A Superman resolutely to ward off the threat posed by the joint favourite with a head separating them both at the finish. Survivor ended in the money ahead of Janasu, who was slow at the start.

The four-year-old filly Silk was entrusted to Antony Raj on this occasion by G Shashikanth and she justified the faith imposed in her to help her master accomplish the rare feat of saddling a winning treble. Last-outing winner and first favourite Bellaque embarked on a start-to-finish mission but had the Mukesh Kumar steered Malibu nagging him all the way. Silk meanwhile was lurking behind this duo and waiting to pounce on them. Malibu overpowered Bellaque in the last 100m but was soon collared by Silk (Saamidd – Mini Cooper) in the shadow of the winning post and eventually went down by a neck. The confidence of Antony paled that of Mukesh making all the difference in the end. Bellaque had to console herself with the third place ahead of Lights On.