The opening day of the Calcutta cold weather season saw punters and satchel bearers share the spoils as two first favourites, two second favourites and two unfancied runners occupied the winner’s enclosure in a card of six races. The main event – The Hilliard Cup – saw a keen tussle between the course favourite Blackstone and Clifford all the way down the straight. Sandesh on Patrick Quinn-trained Blackstone (Planetaire – Polydences) rode out his mount hands-and-heels in the final furlong to prevail by a narrow margin.  The jockey commented after the race : “ As Clifford was too close to me, I could not use the whip”. The other fancied runner from the Quinn stable – King’s Retreat – was a faraway third and may fare better over an extended trip. Trevor rode him after declaring an overweight of 2kg.

One race earlier, Trevor had piloted Rajesh Narredu-trained Sensational to a fluent victory in The Pretty Woman Handicap run over seven furlongs. It was a difficult ride which was made to look easy by the ace rider. Running in mid-division for a major part of the race till heads turned for home, Trevor had to resort to the whalebone to instil a sense of urgency in the three-year-old filly by Roderic O’Connor out of Miss Mystique. The filly responded well and moved with telling strides past Shez R Star who had assumed command in the home stretch. The disappointment in the race was the piping hot favourite Menjou’s Moustache who was never in the hunt and finished a poor fourth.

Jockey Imran Chisty stunned followers of form when rank outsider Celtic Harlequin (earlier known as Agostino Carracci) pegged back the trio of fancied runners – Leather Back, Kay Star and Bundle of Charm. Trained by Rutherford Alford, the six-year-old by Western Aristocrat out of Portia ran a forward race to sail past front-running Bundle Of Charm in the straight and win comfortablyfrom the late-finishing Leather Back. Rutherford Alford commented after the race that he too was a little surprised as he thought his ward might fare better over an extended trip, but he was not complaining, “ after all a win is a win”.  Indeed so – that is a statement that none in the racing fraternity can argue with in this game of uncertainties.

Imran Chisty guided home B Mahesh -trained Cyrenaicato a smashing victory in the last race of the day – The Piato Handicap run over five-and-half furlongs. After jumping out from draw 11, Chisty had the four-year-old filly by Cougar Mountain out of Cyrene racing in mid-division for most part before coaxing a thunderous gallop out of her in the straight to get the better of Liban and King Roger. The on-money favourite Kaitlan missed the jump-out and looked out of sorts. She ended up a poor fourth and returned lame on her right fore.

The day commenced with AnilKumar-trained Dragon’s Gold getting the better of the fancied pair of Wonderful and Ivanhoe in the Annella Handicap. The six-year-old by Roderic O’Connor out of Lisa’s Kitten was taken to the helm of affairs by Kirtish Bhagat from the word ‘go’ and stayed there all the way though the favourite Wonderful threatened to overhaul him at the top of the straight. It may be noted that the rider of Wonderful declared an overweight of 1.5kg which may or may not have made a difference over the mile trip where the final verdict was a length.

Lady Luck smiled on trainer Sabeel Shariff as he pulled off the gamble of the day with his seven-year-old gelding Lightning Charlie (Surfrider- Royal Princess) in The Gorgeous Handicap. Arman Khan atop the latter headed the field before the distance post but had to contend with a stiff challenge from Elite who ultimately succumbed by a ‘nose’ verdict.