Trainer Aashay Doctor’s seven-year-old dark bay horse Raffaello (Excellent Art-Stravella) put in a spirited run in the straight to sail past Galaticus and thereafter stave off late challenges from Dali Swirl and Sir Baffert to lift the Captain Courageous Cup at RCTC on Saturday. Jockey A Ashhad Asbar said after the race that his trainer had said before the race that his runner is a sluggish starter so if you can sit 4th or 5th after the jump-out and make your move in the straight, you will win this race. “I did just that”, added Ashhad. Owner Sumant Dalmiya also praised his trainer for maintaining the older horses in his stable in immaculate condition.

Trainer Rajesh Narredu combined fruitfully with Yash Narredu to fetch home a well-deserved brace of winners – Cashalaika and Star Concept. Yash had to work hard on both these runners to garner top honours but he was particularly brilliant on Star Concept (Win Legend-Conceptual) in the Bruckner Handicap which was a ‘No Whips’ race. Maintaining the five-year-old chestnut gelding in fifth or sixth position while several front-runners fought for the lead, Yash opted for the rails well into the straight  and pegged the trio at the helm back in the shadow of the winning post. It was a spectacular finish on a 5/1 shot.

On Cashalaika (Win Legend – Abnoba), Yash rode a regulation race to hit the front at the top of the straight but had to use the stick liberally on the ten-to-six-on favourite to keep at bay Dancing Queen on whom young apprentice Ankush was doing his best to collar the public choice. It was an impressive run by the second-placed seven-year-old mare who now finds herself in the upper class as does the winner Cashalika.

Trainer Sabeel Shariff has done extremely well with his five-year-old mare Raissa (Roderic O’Connor- Intuition) who defied her 3kg penalty to notch up back-to-back wins. Jockey Vishal Bunde was astride her on both occasions. She was particularly impressive on this occasion as she carried top-weight to a facile start-to-finish triumph. The handicapper has noted that and given her a 6kg penalty. Nevertheless, she may well complete a hat-trick before the season end.

The last two races of the rather warm Calcutta summer afternoon saw fancied runners failing to make the grade as jockeys Imran Chisty and Arul grabbed the limelight. A change of strategy on Rutherford Alford-trained No Worry (Dali – Allee Bleue) saw Imran Chisty bring home the bacon in the mile race for the Zarashah Handicap.
 
Chisty went start-to-finish on the third favourite and staved off a fairly strong challenge from Jahzara who was second in demand. The favourite Snowpiercer who went-start-to-finish in her last effort, raced in the rear on this occasion and ended up an unimpressive fourth.

The upset of the day was in the afternoon’s final event – The Fey Legend Handicap – where unfancied By The Book (Win Legend – Glamorous Approach) made every post a winning one in her first effort over a mile at the ripe old age of seven. All credit to her trainer Neil Darashah. He seems to be a chip of the old block as Darashah senior used to maintain his aged wards in the pink of condition in the seventies and eighties. Notable among them was nine-year-old Yogi Bear who won a seven-furlong race in the highest class! That’s just a little anecdote from an old timer’s notebook who was an ardent follower of the said trainer during the Bangalore seasons in that splendid forgotten era of thoroughbred racing.