The three-year old filly Earth from the yards of Sanjay Kolse graduated from the maiden ranks with a fluent victory in the Hyderabad Race Club Trophy here on Thursday. Earth (Win Legend – Wind of Soul), who was installed as the overwhelming favourite on the back of her impressive show on debut last month, went straight down to business as the gates opened and gave Trevor Patel an armchair ride as she made every post of the seven-furlong event a winning one. Earth enjoyed a narrow lead over Desert Classic in the initial stages of the race but left the field stranded and she was not fully extended when sailing clear of her rivals in the home stretch. There was a yawning gap of over eight lengths between Earth and her nearest rival Desert Classic at the winning post. Applause, Quicker, Doron and Silver Braid finished in a huddle behind the runner-up.

MK Jadhav-saddled Fortunate Son, who had sort of a lung-opener when setting the pace for his stable-mate winner Exuma over a mile and half last week, earned an overdue bracket in the Aziz H. Ahmedbhoy Trophy. Entrusted in the hands of Prashant Dhebe, Fortunate Son (Roderic O’Connor – Only for Gold) once again hit the front over the mile trip and was never headed at any stage of the race. Own Voice and Raffaello tried to intimidate him in the closing stages of the race but Fortunate Son held on gallantly till the end. Runner-up Own Voice finished a neck ahead of Raffaello while Wall Street was a length away.

The RR Byramji Trophy was one of the few events during the day which was decided through a close finish. Narendra Lagad-groomed Alpine Star seized the initiative soon after the start and was lucky enough to escape the clutches of Opus Dei who, after lying at the rear end of the field till the heads turned for home, almost toppled him close home. CS Jodha-ridden Opus Dei travelled wide into the straight but came with long-ranging strides down the straight only to find the winning post coming a bit sooner than he would have liked. Meanwhile, Alpine Star (Surfrider – Snowing), encouraged by Mustakim Alam, scraped through by a whisker. Favourite Lazarus, who was running after a six-month layoff and for the first time after being gelded, ran on strongly in the straight and was closing in on Alpine Star before Opus Dei arrived on the scene. Lazarus ended a game third and may have needed this run. Second favourite Finch failed to live up to the expectations and ended fourth.

Unlike his stable colleague Opus Dei, Imtiaz Sait-saddled Big Red was successful in snubbing King’s Retreat in the Vallabhdas H. Adwalia Trophy where Pride’s Prince, also saddled by Sait, was the favourite. Top-weighted Balenciaga showed the way to the field and led all the way till being collared by Pride’s Prince and Kimiko in the straight. However, both of them were tackled by King’s Retreat and Big Red. Kirtish Bhagat-piloted King’s Retreat and S. Saqlain-ridden Big Red then went stride for stride in the last half furlong till the latter managed to overpower his rival on the post. Pride’s Prince and Kimiko followed them home.

Saqlain completed a double astride the Faisal Abbas trainee Zukor after a hard-fought battle with Northern Singer. Zukor stayed in close attendance behind Phanta and Northern Singer, who headed the field over the five-furlong scurry, and challenged the latter in the last furlong. Driven out strongly by Saqlain, Zukor (Roderic O’Connor – Queen's Guest) got the better of Northern Singer a few metres away from the winning line. Favourite Fiery Red ran a close third ahead of Sentinel.

An exciting finish was witnessed right at the start of the day when Brahmos from SK Sunderji’s yard, who had never figured on the judge’s board in either of his seven career outings, achieved his maiden success. Light of Life, who was making her fourth appearance within a span of a month, stormed into the lead from the barriers but was fiercely challenged by both Brahmos and Fontana close home. With little under a furlong left for the wire, all the three horses were in line and went hammer and tong at each other. Eventually, it was R. Ajinkya-partnered Brahmos (Phoenix Tower – Sam’s Grindstone) who gained the upper hand in the dying moments of the seven-furlong contest. Half a length away, Light of Life and Fontana were locked in a dead-heat for the second place while High Spirit ended fourth. Favourite Roll The Dice ran a disappointing fifth. Navnath Bhosale switched Fontana, who was lethargic at the start and was racing on the outer flank till the final turn, towards the inner rails. The bay filly was full of running when asked for an effort but Navnath’s attempt to take the narrow gap between the rails and Light of Life proved to be his undoing. Both Light of Life and Fontana jostled with each other just before the winning post and, in the meantime, Brahmos leaped forth. Navnath’s protest against Light of Life’s rider for bumping him found no favour with the stewards.

Cyrenaica was another successful maiden saddled by Sunderji thereby claiming both divisions of the DW Reid Plate. Trevor kept the even-money favourite Cyrenaica a handy third behind Dufy and Lightning Blaze till shortly after entering the straight and then launched his assault. Saqlain-steered Dufy refused to surrender easily and fought bravely till Trevor got Cyrenaica (Cougar Mountain – Cyrene) to surge ahead. Cyrenaica won sparing half-length to Dufy while Lightning Blaze ended in the money ahead of Tarzan. Second favourite Sorrento Secret struggled throughout and ended a poor sixth.