The last four races went according to the script at the Calcutta racecourse on Wednesday but it was the first two events which raised concerns for punters. Trainer Vijay Singh and his shining knight in pigskin Christopher Alford notched up well-deserved trebles on an afternoon when punters went home a happy lot – for a change. The day’s main event, The Hilliard Cup, saw the withdrawal of the favourite Star Impact which was quietly being fancied by his connections on the eve of the race.

His withdrawal had an adverse effect on the odds of Vijay Singh-trained Hall Of Glory which crashed to half-money from a healthy 10-to-8-on. The bottom-weight, a natural front-runner, was ridden in check by low-weight jockey Neeraj Rawal as top-weights Nitrous and Rising Hero fought for the lead. After the turning for home, it was a different story as Hall Of Glory was shown daylight for the first time in the race. That he was meeting the highest class was evident as he was unable to break free with the fluency one would expect from the centre’s highest rated three-year-old.

Instead, Rawal had to urge his mount on and stave off a strong challenge from the fast finishing Samarkhand. Now, that Hall Of Glory has been successfully ridden in check, he is likely to be ridden in a similar manner in the 2000 Guineas (a month from now). The chestnut is unlikely to be given a race before that. It will be interesting to see whether the stable’s first jockey Christopher Alford will opt for this youngster in the classics or his stablemate by Placerville out of Shalaya called Record Breaker.

The last named won the Aayush Handicap, a class III affair, effortlessly. Stablemate Auckley was allowed to call the shots till the turn. Thereafter, it was all over bar the shouting. Christopher Alford enjoyed an armchair ride as Record Breaker continued to lengthen his strides and leave the field standing. The horse had summered with distinction at Bangalore after finishing a good second to Hall Of Glory in the Calcutta Million.

Vijay and Christopher’s first winner of the afternoon was Avon Creek – a three-year-old who has arrived from Pune with a fair reputation. Sired by a new stallion Itaquere Power out of the well-performed mare Cover Story, he won the Silver Handicap as he liked. As the opposition was nothing to write home about, he made it a start-to-finish affair without being stretched.

Some optimistic betting on All Diamonds had hiked up the winner’s price to a ‘very playable’ 75 paise. The second favourite was never in it as Swiss King and Secret Hero fought out the runner-up berth. Christopher Alford completed his treble when he piloted Bath-trained Secret Fire to a comfortable victory in the afternoon’s final event, The Treasure Land Handicap. This crack sprinter was always destined to reach the highest class and she did it in style in Christopher’s hands. A clean jump from the gates (the luxury of which she couldn’t enjoy in her earlier races) was sufficient to see her through as she displayed a clean pair of heels to her nine rivals.

As is her wont, Generous Thought was seen to raise a late gallop on the wide outside and will be worth keeping an eye on. Cayenne, a recent import from western India, ended an impressive second and is another one for the notebook. The afternoon commenced disastrously for both punters and Nelson Maseyk. Fancied runners Charulata and Highland Magic appeared to be bystanders as rank outsider from Farley Rodrigues’ yard Reams Of Gold, made it a start-to-finish affair under leap-year jockey Gajender Singh.

The aged Charulata picked up a late gallop to finish runner-up. Jasbir Singh-trained Best Of The Lot, who was travelling up with the front-runner till the straight, veered out dangerously as Nelson Maseyk threw caution to the winds and used the stick with utter recklessness. His mount careered out and caused an inevitable domino effect, resulting in the fall of stablemate Sea Sprite and his jockey (apprentice Md Sameer) who was lucky to escape without injury. Sadly, eager beaver sprinter Sea Sprite had to be destroyed. The irony of it is that Sea Sprite is a natural front-runner who was quite apparently not permitted to run on her merit and paid the ultimate price for it. The one responsible was none other than her stablemate.

Nelson Maseyk has been suspended for eight racedays. There was more misery in store for punters in the second race of the day as friendless Mirror Image, from the Vikash Jaiswal stable, won the Hello Brother Handicap in (quite aptly) brother Vinay’s hands. The favourite Vence was hard-ridden along the rails but failed to match the winner. Another fancied runner Ocean Element was never in it while Harey Putter left all his chances at the gates.