It was mixed fortunes for punters on the penultimate race-day of the Calcutta cold weather season on Wednesday. Followers of  jockey Sandesh enjoyed a fruitful afternoon as he completed a popular treble with Dali Swirl, Sporting Trainer and Clever Hans. The last two named were from the stable of Vikash Jaiswal who had a field day – leading in four winners in a card of eight races. His other two winners were booted home by young apprentice Varun from Delhi.

Sharing the limelight with these two professionals were trainer Santosh Rao and jockey Sai Kiran who combined successfully to fetch home the honours with Iron Clad in the day’s main event – The Accomplish Cup. Gracing the wrong end of the field for most part after a tardy start, the five-year-old son of Smuggler’s Cove out of Beldon Hill displayed a splendid turn of foot to sail past his rivals who were trying to wrest the lead in the straight. The favourite Flying Scotsman was a poor third behind Gazinowhile another fancied runner Savvy Chic sadlybled profusely through his nostrils and failed to finish the course.

Trainer Jaiswal set the ball rolling with his seven-year-old speedy customer Indian Tiger (David Livingston – Mullagh) who won 1100 metres race for the Fame Star Handicap in dramatic manner. Apprentice Varun showed great maturity to hold the normal front-runner in check while Eagles Flight chose to call the shots. He made his move inside the distance post and came up trumps.  Jaiswal’s second winner was with top-weight Sporting Trainer (Chinese Whisper – Mount Rushmore) on whom Sandesh packed a powerful punch along the rails to grab a four-horse blanket finish featuring Flamingo Road, Cuban Pete and Italian Gold –who finished in that order in the Amalita Handicap. 

Varun was back in action in the next race – The Star Style Girl Cup.  Seven-year-old Historic (Carnival Dancer – Pebble Beach), aided by Varun’s 3kg allowance, got the better of the course favourite Regency Gold who was the medium of a large gamble. Had an able apprentice been atop the heavy-weight carrying 61kg in lieu of Shelar (who has yet to win a race at this centre), then the story may have been different. But then, the opening odds may not have been so attractive. The pair of Jaiswal and Sandesh combined once again the day’s final event to bring the curtain down with Clever Hans (Gusto – Avision) who won the mile race for The Treasure Land Handicapafter a brief tussle with Felix in the straight. The win also completed a treble for Sandesh who had earlier bagged the  Nikita Handicap (a ‘no whips’ race) while atop the favourite Dali Swirl (Roderic O’Connor – Pandora). Though several lengths behind at the turning for home, the winner outclassed Bundle Of Charm in the straight to win effortlessly.

Along with apprentice Varun, apprentice Abdul Fazal was in the limelight with a high-priced brace. He made the mile race for the Haunting Memories Handicap his own with a start-to-finish effort atop Shafiq Khan-trained Magnite (Western Aristocrat – Scarlet Empress). Public choice Sun God was over-whipped by Sujit Paswan to finish second. Paswan was in the focus of the stipes thereafter also. He was fined a whopping Rs 50,000/- for the soft handling of Almas in the mile race for The Averoff Handicap. Incidentally, Almas hails from Jaiswal’s stable. The race was won by 15/1 shot Dubai Dunes – an eight-year-old by Leitir Mor out of  Black Magic Woman – hailing from the yard of opportunistic trainer Daniel Davidwho has faredrather well this season with his relatively small string of aged runners. Kudos to him and his apprentice Abdul Fazal for utilising handicaps and allowances so effectively!