The three-year old filly N R I Doublepower lived up to the expectations of her connections and her followers to an extent when she gave a rousing performance in the K Mahipati Rao Memorial Golconda Juvenile Million on Sunday. High Command was brushed to seize the initiative from She Can as the field of four, reduced such following the withdrawal of Stellantis, took off for the seven furlong event. Favourite N R I Doublepower (Gusto – Sparkling Crystal) was slow at the jump and raced behind High Command, She Can and Long Lease in the first three furlongs. The G Shashikanth nurtured bay then made rapid improvement to overtake Long Lease and steadily progressed to race alongside High Command and She Can at the bend. Continuing her momentum, N R I Doublepower was driven by Akshay Kumar to tackle the leaders and sailed away for a comfortable win. High Command held on to the runner up berth while Long Lease gave a tame show when finishing third ahead of She Can.

Commanding Knight from KSV Prasad Raju’s yard made it three in a row within a span of just four weeks after scoring his second successive win this season. The winner was ridden off the pace by P Sai Kumar as Star Medal made the initial running and passed on the mantle to Baisa soon after the field straightened for home. Avancia assumed command with little over a furlong away from the wire even as Commanding Knight (Declaration of War – Reflections) was alerted to his task. The bay gelding unleashed a powerful run under Sai Kumar’s whip to overwhelm Avancia nearer home and achieve a hat-trick. Stoic Hero made a late but eye-catching bid to finish third ahead of N R I Fantasy, who never got going despite being prominent in the front bunch.

Trainer K Satheesh, who fields the largest contingent on any given race day at Malakpet, led in a fine treble. Two of his winners, Team Player and Star Medal, did not figure in the calculations of most punters whilst Plethora was lesser fancied than only Its On. Team Player had faded away after a forward run over a mile trip on the opening day but that lung-opener seemed to have stood him in good stead as he kicked on to claim the upper division of the Bhaktawar Plate run over seven-furlongs. The bottom-weighted 15 to 1 longshot Team Player (Decado – Aariya), who was eased into the lead by apprentice Ekram Alam and had Icicle in pursuit, was driven hands and heels to ward off favourite Despang in the closing stages of the race. The runner up may have found himself short of a run and also failed to concede weight to the winner. Miss Marvellous was hard-ridden to finish third while Icicle ended fourth.

Star Medal gave Satheesh a back-to-back double when he stunned Miracle Mary, the shortest priced runner of the day. Apprentice RS Jodha kept Star Medal (David Livingstone – Emeritus) a handy third behind stablemate Challenger and Exclusive Spark who brought the field of nine into the view for the last time. With around two furlongs left for home, Star Medal shot the lead but soon had S Saqlain ridden Miracle Mary breathing down on his neck and both of them went stride for stride with Life Is Good also trying to join the fray. Miracle Mary gained the upper hand for a stride or two in the last furlongs but Star Medal dug into his reserves to wrest back the lead and gain a shorthead victory over the favourite. Life Is Good ran a fair third while the rest of the runners headed by Exclusive Spark trailed behind.

Like Star Medal, the chestnut mare Plethora took toll of another favourite, Its On, to give Jodha his double and provide Satheesh a treble, a feat which he had achieved at this same time last year. The speedy Golden Forza was quickly in front from the barriers and stayed put till the favourite succeeded in overtaking him in the last 100m. Jockey DS Deora made heavy weather of his task as Its On shifted out under pressure with her rider continuing to make the right-handed use of his whip. The favourite zoomed ahead when she raced on an even keel and almost had the race wrapped up. Meanwhile, Plethora (Planetaire – Aariya), after lying in the mid-bunch till the field had straightened, was produced on the outside by Jodha who really worked hard to his get mount into her stride. Plethora stretched out well to give Deora a jolt in virtually her stride. Last-outing winner Blue Label, also sent out by Satheesh, seemed content in watching his stable companion’s success while finishing third ahead of Muaser, who came from far back to end a neck behind.

The Laxman Singh groomed Indian Sniper ran true to the promise shown in his last appearance at Bangalore and shed his maiden status in the hands of Yash Narredu. Backed to the exclusion of his rivals, Indian Sniper (Moonlight Magic – Edith Piaf) raced close on the haunches of Shadow Fax till the 400m-marker and had the race sewn up long way from home after tackling the leader. His stable partner Morning Mist finished on well to take the second place ahead of Only The Brave while Great Giver completed the judge’s frame.

At the start of the day’s proceedings, Deshmukh’s ward Painted Apache carried the public purse on his back and had Trevor Patel steering him to a long overdue victory. See My Spark did the initial running with Thanks in chase. The latter soon overhauled the tiring leader and went surging into the lead. Trevor meanwhile asked Painted Apache (Ampere – Pure Elation) for an effort and the dark bay gelding moved resolutely to go past Thanks for an emphatic win. Wallop and Gallop improved to finish runner up ahead of Sun Dancer, who found his rhythm late, and Thanks.

The concluding event saw rank outsider Cabello’s late rally flooring both Exclusive Luck and favourite Sopranos in the dying moments of the race and provide his master Prasad Raju a double. S Saqlain ridden Sopranos snatched the lead from Ambitious Star at the distance post and was homeward bound. But Cabello (Phoenix Tower – Leonessa), who was at the wrong end of the field and had only I Am Superman trailing behind her, was set alight by apprentice Ajay Kumar just as Sopranos took charge of the running in the straight. Cabello uncoiled a stupendous run and came charging down in the straight to mow down both Sopranos and Exclusive Luck. The two fancied runners, Sorry Darling and Doe A Deer, ran thereabouts and followed them home.