Neil Darashah-trained four-year-old bay gelding Clifford (Phoenix Tower-Jolie Rue) was the only favourite which obliged in a card of six races at RCTC on a somewhat ‘turbulent’ Tuesday. Jockey S Zervan rode a copybook race on the public choice in the six-furlong sprint for the 55 Exch Scratch Lottery Handicap. He was the first to jump out from the gates but allowed Eternal Princess to call the early shots. After the turning for home, it was all Clifford. Second favourite Galaticus with Akshay Kumar up was only a shadow of her earlier self as her stablemate Eternal Princess put up an improved performance.

Punters burnt their fingers on this Tuesday afternoon as five favourites failed to oblige in a card of six races. In the opening race, the seven-to-one shot Ticker (David Livingston-Ruthba) from the stable of Jasbir Singh, recorded the first win of his career at the age of five – and he did it in style. He came out of the gates like a scalded cat and jockey Mohit Singh used his inside draw to take the shortest route home. The fancied runners Cristaldo and Eagle’s Flight were never in it though the last named made a late bid to end up third.

In the very next race – The 55 Exch Win Your Luck Cup – Perfect Gentleman was backed to the exclusion of all others and closed at ten-to-six-on.  The four-year-old chestnut showed his reluctance to live up to his name from the outset as he took his time to amble to the starting stalls. The race itself saw Javed Khan – trained Oromelo(Tenth Star – Smokie) win quite comfortably in the hands of leading jockey Neeraj Rawal. The favourite fought for the runner-up berth with Ganadora and ended up a close third. It may be recalled that jockey Arman Khan was fined heavily on this mount when he had his maiden start some time ago, for ‘not making sufficient effort in the straight’. That incident may have been partly responsible for the manner in which punters plastered him prior to this debacle. Nevertheless, there is a chance the ‘Gentleman’ may see the winning post before the season is over.

Trainer Sabeel Sharief and Arman Khan however made amends in the very next race as their eight-year-old chestnut rig DRD (Corporate Jungle-My Mood) won the55 Exch Ball By Ball Handicap start to finish. Italian Gold made a bold bid in the final furlong but fell short. The favourite Kindred Spirit appeared to be outpaced. Though he has a large fan-following at Calcutta, jockey Akshay Kumar failed make his visit worthwhile. His mount Dance Along finished in the ruck as did Diamond Rain in the 55Exch Play And Win Handicap run over a mile. Rank outsider Suparakiga (Lord Admiral – Nasheela)  won this race in dramatic fashion as jockey Hindu Singh brought this ward of Dr Anil Kumar with telling strides in the final 100 metres to land the spoils from a fast-finishing SixtySeven and a somewhat tiring Dubai King. The favourite Trident Star ended up a none too impressive fifth.

Trainer Daniel David’s Dubai Star (Win Legend – Woodberg) brought the curtain down with his second successive victory in the hands of young apprentice Abdul Fazal. Chasing front-running Lucky Nine till the straight, he shot his mount ahead to win comfortably from the favourite Tiger Shark in the 2000m race for the 55Exch Best Odds Handicap.