Trainer Rajesh Narredu and his trusted knight and sibling Suraj completed Thursday afternoon’s engagements with a cent per cent record that left their fans and followers elated and with pockets full. The duo combined fruitfully on four winners on the trot – Multi Success, Asagiri, Super Sapphire and A Star Is Born. Rather coincidentally, all four were winners over seven-furlong races

A change of strategy on the last named A Star Is Born helped the seven-year-old by Roderic O’Connor out of Angel Dust bounce back to form after a couple of failures. He was the first to jump out in a field of six and permitted Blackstone to call the shots till the straight before taking over the running and hoisting the winning flag without much ado. Three-year-old colt Multi Success (Excellent Art – Phantasmagoric) set the ball rolling for the Narredu brothers while winning the seven-furlong sprint for The Ich Dien Plate. It was a regulation ride in a small field of four. Pacemaker Cortado ran a notable race and will be worth noting for the future. The winning jockey said after the race that Multi Success will travel better over the longer trips.

The withdrawal of Aldila after he bolted prior to the start, meant that the seven- furlong sprint for The Tambourine Man Handicap was also reduced to four runners. Five-year-old dark bay gelding Asagiri (Win Legend-Mannat) was receiving 6kg from the top-weight Casha and that helped him put it across the filly who was on a start-to-finish mission. The Narredus next continued their juggernaut with top-weighted Super Sapphire (Excellent Art – Sapphirine) who won the Tokaido Express Handicap without raising a sweat. The second favourite Zambezi was none too impressive and may have reached the end of his tether.

Trainer Sabeel Shariff’s two runners – I Smell The Danger and Lahina were both backed in the opening race of the afternoon – The Little Beaut Handicap.  Six-year-old mare Lahina (Top Class-Calliope) with Vishal Bunde astride made every post a winning one with top-weighted I Smell The Danger following her all the way. The curtain came down on the day’s proceedings with an edge-of-the-seat thriller that witnessed a three-horse blanket finish involving the trio of frontline contenders – Gimmler, Go For The Moon and Superlative. The last named, a six-year-old dark bay gelding by Roderic O’Connor out of She is Special from the stable of Patrick Quinn prevailed by a whisker with Trevor astride.