Trainer Magan Singh Parmar delivered a “doosra”, perhaps unintentionally, in Lady Danger to lift the Bonzer Cup, the prime event in Monday’s compact card of six races which left punters desolate in the end. Lady Danger, who had finished 15 lengths behind winner Calistoga over six-furlongs a fortnight ago, was obviously neglected in the betting. However, it was Parmar’s other runner First Class who, along with Rival, attracted a lot of money in the betting arena after the support for Akshay Kumar-partnered Kenaf evaporated. When the sprint event was flagged off, Happy Soul and Wind Sprite did the initial running as usual with P. Sai Kumar-ridden Rival waiting to make an impact. In the final run-in, Rival had just tackled Wind Sprite in the last furlong when Lady Danger, in response to B. Nikhil’s call, strode out well to overhaul the favourite and kicked away for an upset win. Rival ended second with First Class beating Happy Soul, who was a spent force, for the third place which was no consolation for her supporters. By the way, this Class III event was reserved for horses, who had not won for about a year. However, that was no justification for the eventual outcome.

As if Lady Danger’s shock win was not enough, Parmar delivered another blow to the punters when Catch Me If You Can showed remarkable improvement over her previous effort to claim the day’s concluding race. K. Mukesh Kumar, who was astride the two unsuccessful fancied runners – Colt Pistol and First Class, rubbed salt into the wounds of the losing punters when enabling Catch Me If You Can to taste her maiden success. Planet Super exploited her early speed to head the field of ten and had Glimmer of Hope and Great Giver trying to hunt her down. Catch Me If You Can, meanwhile, moved well from the outer draw to be in close contention of the three front runners. Planet Super controlled the running till the last hundred metres where Catch Me If You Can ranged alongside and had no answer for the latter’s momentum. Catch Me If You Can (Top Class – Take A Risk) won very comfortably, three lengths ahead of Battle On who was unable to raise a fluent gallop at any stage of the race. Planet Super retained the third spot ahead of Great Giver.

Apart from Nonpariel, Swiss Girl and NRI Dheera were the two horses which, to an extent, did not disappoint their admirers despite a drift in their odds. Donald Netto’s ward Nonpariel was backed to the exclusion of his rivals and he was right on the money in the hands of BR Kumar. Mukesh Kumar-piloted The Pious went surging into the lead after the field had sorted itself out shortly after the start and hot on his heels was My Challenge whilst Nonpariel raced close behind. The Pious held on to his lead and warded off My Challenge inside the last two furlongs but shifted out slightly under pressure. Kumar switched his mount towards the inner rails following which Nonpariel (Dali – Bravia) stepped up the pace to overwhelm The Pious about hundred metres from home and drew away to register his second career success. The Pious stayed on to be second ahead of Gloria, who made a late appearance to deny My Challenge the third spot.

Swiss Girl from A. Imran Khan’s barns took a swift start to head the field and made every post of the six-furlong journey a winning one. Entrusted in the hands of jockey Deepak Singh, Swiss Girl (West Virginia – Superb) was hotly chased by Amboseli but the five-year old mare stretched out gamely under the whip to stave off the latter’s threat. Desert Sultan ran thereabouts to be third ahead of Arnaz. Secret Option found a lot of money coming her way but she never raised any hopes at any stage of the race and finished off the board.

G. Shashikanth-groomed and Mukesh Kumar-ridden Colt Pistol came in for sustained support in the betting so much so that NRI Dheera, who was favourite when the odds opened, saw the odds against him climb up. But that did not stop him from Netto’s ward from achieving an encore. Eminency was brushed up to take over the running shortly after the start with Kuldeep Singh (Sr.) easing off N R I Dheera in the second position. Colt Pistol took cover of the frontrunners and raced towards the inner rails in the sixth position. N R I Dheera (Knight’s Tour – Mirfield) made a resolute bid when Kuldeep alerted him and moved steadily forward to tackle Eminency close home, recording a convincing victory over Eminency. Colt Pistol refused to budge when Mukesh made a desperate effort to get his mount to accelerate and the on-money favourite could do no better than finish a dismal third. Classy Dame ran fourth.

Golden Unicorn, who was running on relegation to the lowest class, had finished 20 lengths behind the winner in his last outing last month yet the S. Sreekant trainee received enthusiastic support in the betting. However all that money went down the drain as apprentice Ajay Kumar-steered Golden Unicorn proved no match for Smart Boy, who provided his master Waseem Ahmed one of his rare successes. As the start was given, Most Beautiful showed plenty of speed to sprint ahead with Smart Boy and Golden Unicorn racing close on her heels. BR Kumar put Smart Boy (Shifting Power – Candela) in top gear as soon as Most Beautiful brought the field into the home straight and scampered home for his maiden success. Golden Unicorn made a vain to bid catch the winner and had to settle for the second place. Club Queen’s late appearance fetched her the third place ahead of Most Beautiful.