It was a mixed bag. Three second favourites, two top fancies and a couple of outsiders. The result: satisfactory from the punters point of view taking into account that all the three second choices had the required credentials to succeed and were well supported. Leading trainer B Suresh stole the limelight recording a fine treble, while the Narredu brothers, Deepesh and Yash combined effectively to post a double.

Suresh first led in the speedy Soft Whisper, who made every post a winning one in the upper division of the Stockwell Handicap. The five-kilo claimer Ram Nandan displayed good temperament, staying calm and composed all through the 1100 metres dash, while Soft Whisper showed a clean pair of heels to her seven rivals including the strongly supported Sheer Rocks, who lacked the speed to make an impression and eventually finished a poor fourth. Knotty Wonder finished second ahead of Supreme Grandeur, who in the weeks ahead will make her presence felt over an extended trip. 

Next Gutsy after her two straight wins at the Blue Mountains registered a hat-trick, reigning supreme in the Sir Hercules Handicap, the plum event run over a distance of seven furlongs. The in-form Suresh ward shared the top billing with the James McKeown schooled Seminole Wind, who performed below par, while Gutsy in the hands of Brisson stylishly made every post a winning one. Another fancied contestant Miss Allure  from Deepesh Narredu's yard partnered by Yash warmed up late and finished strongly to gain the runner-up berth ahead of Swarga, while Seminole Wind so to say was `gone with the wind' even before the race came on a boil  Gusty it is clear is in peak form and is set to maintain her winning streak, when next saddled. 

The eight to one long shot Zaneta helped Suresh record a grand treble, coming up trumps in the lower division of the Doncaster Plate run over a sprint. Winner of the opening event of the season, not many fancied Zaneta to come good against the topweighted Lebua, who garnered the maximum support and the second in demand at the betting ring, Great Spirit. The Deepesh trainee hit the front and called the shots for most part of the six furlongs trip before Zaneta, who was gracing the wrong end of the field produced an astounding gallop in the `run in'  home to snuff out the challenge of Great Spirit close home. Magical Wave from Krishna's yard finished third ahead of the heavily backed Lebua who ran out of gas at the top of the straight and failed to even save money in place. 

Deepesh and Yash struck through Asio and the pipping hot favourite Zafirah, fresh from her satisfactory Pune campaign. The former comfortably beat the favourite Seattle Blue in the lower division of the Stockwell Handicap and on  the strength of this emphatic performance is set to provide an encore. King Roger from Anil Kumar's yard finished a creditable third and it will not be long before he earns his winning bracket.   

Astride Zafirah in the upper division of the Baron Handicap, Yash really needed to stretch every sinew to gain  the verdict at the shadow of the winning post from McKeown schooled Jahzara piloted by leading Bangalore-based pro Antony Raj. The runner-up at the top of the straight kicked clear and looked set to score before Yash packed punch on Zafirah and the public choice responding gamley to her master's call produced a winning gallop to clinch the issue in the final couple of strides.The topweighted Call Me raced in patches, but to the delight of his supporters who fancied him in place, the Anil Kumar ward managed to edge out Rinello to claim the third spot. 

The lower division of the event also produced a thrilling finish and this time again a McKeown trainee ended up on the losing side, the seven to one shot Salome piloted by Antony Raj going down to the well supported second choice Felix from Anil Kumar's yard. The winner piloted in copybook fashion by the Kolkata-based saddle artiste Hindu Singh stormed into contention in the final furlong and edged out Salome in a thriller. The even-money favourite Aspira making her debut did well to finish third and is likely to shed her maiden status in the months ahead. 

The advantageously placed in at the scales Bertha from Deepesh's yard piloted by Ram Nandan and the Suresh-trained Greenwich who finished a game second behind the stablemate Speculation on the opening day topped the betting board in the Smarty Jones Handicap run over a sprint. Much to the chagrin of the followers of form, both failed in their mission to earn a winning bracket and it was the ten to one long shot Sonic Dash, stablemate of the favourite Bertha who emerged winner. The long shot beat his much fancied stablemate in the final furlong, while Greenwich failed to keep pace all through the six furlongs trip and shockingly finished in the ruck.