Rajesh Narredu-trained colt Global Influence (Roderic O’Connor-She) made every post of the seven-furlong race for the HPSL Calcutta Colts Trial Stakes a winning one in the hands of Suraj Narredu at RCTC on Tuesday. Bangalore challenger Ranquelino came with a late charge in the final furlong but fell short by three-parts of a length. The other two runners were outclassed. Suraj confirmed in his post-race comments that the colt will run the Monsoon Derby on October 6. It is quite probable that after this eye-catching second, Ranquelino too will participate in the Monsoon Derby. The victory completed a brace for Suraj as one race earlier he had guided Fancy Nancy (Roderic O’Connor – Remembrance of You) to a fairly comfortablevictory in the Hokaido Handicap. Suraj rode a copybook race as he occupied a box seat behind the pacemaker and shot ahead in the straight, giving the course favourite Raffaello the slip.

Sharing the limelight on this afternoon with Suraj was jockey Akshay Kumar who was felicitated by RCTC for completing a thousand winners earlier this week at Bangalore. Akshay celebrated his achievement by notching up a brace on Tuesday. The first of his two winners was Dandi Satyagraha who bagged the 2000 metres race for the Faith Cup in great style After running in sprints all his life, his new mentor B Maheshrather astutely placed the six-year-old bay gelding by Chevalier out of Salt over a middle-distance on this occasion and it worked wonders for the stable. Akshay had the 4/1 shot racing in the rear of the six-horse field for most part and moved up smoothly at the top of top of the straight to be in striking position. He took charge thereafter and never looked back. The slow pace of the race seemed to help his cause. Akshay completed his brace by guiding home Parvati Byramji-trained Golden Light (Multitude –Skylight Express) to a spectacular victory in the lower division of the Replicate Handicap.The three-year-old bay gelding moved with giant strides along the outer rails in the straight to peg back  Over The Line at the wire. There was a minor mishap at the start as jockeys Vinay Jaiswal and Mohit Singh were dislodged from their respective mounts but neither was fortunately hurt.

The afternoon commenced with jockey R Vaibhav celebrating his first winner of the season astride Rutherford Alford-trained Primo Victoria (Whatsthescript – Agassiz). The four-year-old filly got the better of course favourite Banksy after a keen tussle in the straight. The most dramatic winner of the afternoon was undoubtedly the seven-year-old mare Tender Heart from Vikash Jaiswal’s yard who pocketed the upper division of The Replicate Handicap from Sea Salt Caramel and favourite Kaitlan. After gracing the wrong end of the field for most part, jockey Mohit Singh brought the aged mare by David Livingston out of Al Shababhiyawith a very late run along the outer rails to land the spoils.

The curtain came down to an exciting afternoon of races with leading jockey Yash Narredu guiding home Arti Doctor-trained Main Street (Smuggler’s Cove – Mykonos) to a facile encore. She was taken to the helm of affairs from the word ‘go’ and stayed there all the way. Bibury was a notable runner-up.