In one of best displays of his artistry in the saddle following his recent comeback, jockey A. Sandesh gave his mount Ashoka a decisive edge when confronted by Akshay Kumar partnered Siddharth in the final stages of Monday’s feature event. That brilliant piece of effort enabled Ashoka to claim the Anab E Shahi Plate from Siddharth in a thrilling finish to the seven-furlong race. No-hopers Baisa and Malaala were both engaged in doing some leg work for future endeavours when they headed the nine-horse field with Donald Netto’s ward Ashoka favourably placed behind them. Srinivas Reddy-saddled Siddharth meanwhile raced in the rear but trying to catch up with the field. When Baisa started to retreat at the bend, Sandesh seized the opportunity to go past Malaala and gave Ashoka (Gusto – Epsilon Orionis) a couple of cracks to gain the upper hand. He then put his head down and went flat out on his mount. Meanwhile, Siddharth found his rhythm and started to close down on Ashoka, who refused to yield when securing a head verdict. Huntingdon ran third after Malaala fell back to fourth.

An identical finish was witnessed half an hour earlier between Sugar and White Pearl in the mile-long Falaknuma Cup where Akshay astride the latter met a similar fate at the hands of the BR Kumar-ridden winner. Hilton Sequeira-mentored Sugar (Dreamfield – Conceptual) raced in the mid-bunch till the last furlong and half as Planet Super led all the way before being collared by the former. Akshay laboured hard to get White Pearl into her stride and the grey filly from K. Satheesh’s yard gained momentum but found Sugar a hard nut to crack as she skipped away to score by half a length. Carnival Lady finished on well to be third ahead of Caraxes.

Devil’s Magic, who had migrated from Bangalore recently and placed in the care of LVR Deshmukh, was another fancied runner who failed to oblige under Akshay’s handling. The only difference on this occasion was that the firm favourite Devil’s Magic was engaged in a fierce duel with G. Naresh-driven Brooklyn Beauty, who refused to budge after taking control of the running shortly after the start. With every stride that the duo fought for supremacy, punters felt that Devil’s Magic would now nail his rival but it proved to be an illusion. Moreover, Satheesh-saddled rank outsider Role Model unleashed a devastating run when shown the daylight by Abhay and came from way back to shock both Brooklyn Beauty and Devil’s Magic in the shadow of the winning post. Role Model (Planetaire – Miracle Of Love), despite shifting out under pressure in the straight, recovered well to find her mark. Brooklyn Beauty’s flared nostrils denied Devil’s Magic the runner-up berth while Barbet ran a tame fourth.

Akshay, however, did steer two favourites, Lashka and D Minchu, to their respective victories during the day. Backed to the exclusion of her rivals, Vittal Deshmukh’s ward Lashka, who was an expensive failure in both her previous outings, finally hit the bull’s-eye in the lower division of the Hyderabadraces.com Cup. Akshay atop Lashka (Dali – Lucky) waited patiently behind Garnet and Divine Connections who set the early pace and made his move in the home stretch. Akshay was made to sweat hard by Garnet before surrendering to her younger rival and Lashka required a few reminders with the whip to gather momentum and put the issue beyond her rivals. Glorious Power finished runner-up in a close finish involving Divine Connection and the unextended Minecraft.

In a hard-fought finish later in the day. Akshay packed enough power in his riding aboard second favourite D Minchu, who overwhelmed favourite Armstrong close home. Saddled by A. Imran Khan in his new role as professional horse trainer and entrusted in the hands of Suraj Narredu, Armstrong came from the wide draw to seize control of the running with G. Sandeep-groomed D Minchu gnawing at his heels all the way into the straight. D Minchu produced a sparkling run when alerted by Akshay and, following a brief tussle, easily had the measure of Armstrong about a furlong away from home. D Minchu went on to score a comfortable victory with Armstrong managing to retain the second place from fast-finishing Wallop And Gallop. Power Ranger finished a faraway fourth.

Top-weighted Winning Attitude (formerly named Cabello) obliged his followers in a close three-way finish in the day’s curtain raiser. Classy Dame assumed her front-running role as usual and stayed in the hunt till Leo D’Silva-schooled Winning Attitude got into his act in the straight and came with a fast gallop to overpower Sucker Punch and Classy Dame in the last 100m. Sucker Punch ended under a length behind the winner and a neck away was late-finishing N R I Ultrapower, who came with a late dash only when the race was in the safe-keeping of Afroz Khan-steered Winning Attitude (Phoenix Tower – Anmol). Classy Dame ended a head behind N R I Ultrapower.

Mikimoto from Netto’s yards, who found enthusiastic support coming his way against favourite Lifes Journey, hit the jackpot when scoring a facile win in the hands of Kuldeep Singh (Sr.). Mikimoto (Dali – Harmonica) took off smartly from the innermost draw and made every post of the five and half furlong maiden event a winning one. Torchbearer was second over six lengths behind the winner with Golden Unicorn and Mountain Touch in close tow. The Suraj Narredu-partnered debutant Lifes Journey from trainer Laxman Singh’s barns made no impact and struggled in the rear throughout.

Indian Sniper (Moonlight Magic – Edith Piaf), who was making his first appearance after a long gap of nearly eight months and having shifted from Laxman Singh’s stable to that of MS Parmar. However, Indian Sniper showed no signs of rustiness as he came with a brilliant run to put favourite Shadow Fax in the shade in the last furlong of the upper division of the Hyderabadraces.com Cup. Apprentice Likith Appu-ridden Shadow Fax tackled the early leader to surge ahead but Indian Sniper came with giant strides when asked for an effort by Mohit Singh and went on to register a convincing win over the favourite with Australia getting a good lung-opener when finishing third ahead of Happy Go Lucky.