It turned out to be one good big Eid for punters. Bar Master Way in the opening event, all the fancied contestants at backable prices powered home to the delight of the railbirds and the chief patrons of the game returned home with a spring in their stride and a noticeable bulge in the pockets on Saturday. Surprised close home by stablemate Casteel in his last effort over a mile, the Satish Naredu-trained Champions Way competing in the Nawab M Arshad Ali Khan Memorial Cup made ample amends, edging out the Sulaiman Attaollahi schooled Kalamitsi in a thriller. The winner, it was clear preferred the reduced seven furlongs trip, making every post a winning one in the hands of Suraj Narredu.

The Shroff-trained Eagle Day was fancied most in the principal added attraction, the Brig.RCR Hill Memorial Trophy and the overwhelming favourite, who had benefited most from his last exercise at this centre, produced a sparkling gallop in the hands of the in-form Vivek to zip past Gordon and earn his winning bracket in fine style. Mindful from the stables of Deepesh Narredu managed to save money in place, while a facile last start winner albeit in lower class, Scarlette Lady found this company too hot to handle.

In the next event, the upper division of the Rare Gem Plate run over a sprint, Don Carlos from Sulaiman's yard garnered the mximum support and the top fancy who looked a picture of fitness at the parade ring, showed a clean pair of heels to his nine rivals winning by a widening margin of six lengths and on the strength of this performance is set to provide an encore. Second in demand at the betting ring, Eastern Gold who had produced a couple of eye-catching movements on the trial track failed to display her true potential much to the disappointment of her fair share of followers. The Grey Geranium followed the winner home ahead of Able One.

In the lower division of the event, the well-backed Darrion from the stables of Pradeep Annaiah who lost out to Glaze in her last essay went one better to the delight of the Pradeep camp, romping home in emphatic fashion. Glorious Spectre opened the favourite in this event before money came pouring in on the Prasanna-trained Quebec and smart money did flow in on Darrion. While Vivek had it easy on Darrion, the five-kilo apprentice Darshan did his best to help Quebec gain the runner-up berth ahead of Anchorage, while Glorious Spectre, it was clear was not in the hunt.

The Nevil Devaney-trained Mazal Tov, who had impressed most in his final preparatory gallop topped the betting board in the concluding event, the Manjri Stud Plate run over a sprint and the publc choice readily justified the confidence of the followers of form cruising home nice and easy to help railbirds return home with a big smile. Lesser fancied Dynamic Force followed the winner home ahead of the second favourite Gimmler, while the speedy Lauterbrunnen completed the frame. Mazal Tov can pick up another win if his connections choose to quickly race him again taking into account that he now has touched peak form and is ready to test the best in his age group in the higher class.

On the strength of her impressive showing in her debut, Elysium from the stables of Sulaiman was head and shoulders above her nine rivals in the Ascot Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs and the pubic rage galloped home without raising sweat, justifying  her topbilling with a measure of comfort. Kiss Of Grey followed the smart winner home ahead of the Mumbai raider Machiavellian, who appeared a trifle gross at the paddock and will prove a different proposition after this run under his belt.

In what really was a very open race, the Purshottam-trianed Sunlit Path, who had finished third in his last start was heavily backed to the exclusion of his seven rivals, but the piping hot favourite never could match strides with the eight to one shot Master Way and Princess Jasmine, the former in the hands of Saikumar gallantly hanging on to register a start to finish victory. Double Scotch from Shoban Babu's yard appears to have improved and it will pay to support him when next saddled.