Horse-racing resumed at Malakpet with the inauguration of the monsoon season on Monday and the outcome of the eight-event card was broadly in line with the public’s expectation. One of the fancied runners to oblige the punters was prime favourite Mikimoto, who registered a clinical victory in the Osman Sagar Cup (Div-I). Mikimoto came across one better in her attempt to score her fifth straight on the concluding day of the winter season but the Donald Netto-saddled filly easily achieved her goal on this occasion. Runlikethewind and Best Buddy cut the wind ahead of the eleven-horse field and went stride for stride as Kuldeep Singh (Sr.) settled Mikimoto behind the front-running pair. Coming into the home stretch, Kuldeep released the brakes following which Mikimoto (Dali – Harmonica) went sailing into the lead and simply trounced her opponents. Ragnarok ran on to be a game second behind his stablemate while Miss Maya warmed up late to be third with Hurricane Bay following her home.
 
Jockey Ashhad Asbar got a flying start to his campaign with a lucrative treble, the first of which came astride favourite Dashing Charm in the opening event. Dashing Charm (French Navy – Paprika) stormed into the lead as soon as the gates opened and Asbar had the Vittal Deshmukh-trained filly in control of the running all the way home for her maiden win. Certainty rallied well in the closing stages of the race but fell short by just under a length as Dashing Charm hit the wire. Moonlite Rose was hard-ridden to finish third, a neck in front of Cypress.
 
Gloria was the second winner for Asbar, however, the filly saw support waning for her in the betting ring probably due to concerns about her being drawn the widest in the field of fourteen contestants. But that proved to be no bother for Gloria as she took a good jump from the gates and Asbar had her settled in striking distance of Total Control who seized the initiative shortly after the gates flew open. As Total Control started losing pace in the straight, Gloria moved up resolutely to assume command in the last furlong and half and was never under any threat whatsoever as she provided Deshmukh his second success of the day. Favourite Lifes Journey made no impression on the winner despite trying hard to catch her. Total Control retired to be a faraway third with Sargent heading the procession of horses who were simply out for an airing.
 
Asbar was entrusted with the task of guiding four-year old Lego, who had never figured on the judges’ board during her four career starts. However, trainer G. Sandeep’s ward was confidently backed in anticipation of a winning performance and the filly did not disappoint the moneybags. Asbar allowed Pinatubo to do the initial running as he kept Lego a handy second till the approaching the last furlong and then alerted filly to her task. Lego (Declaration of War – Royal Princess) soon got into her stride to tackle Pinatubo and then lengthened her strides close home to record a comfortable victory. Battle On came through the inner rails to finish runner-up ahead of Pinatubo and Golden Inzio. 
 
Earlier in the day, Netto led in bottom-weighted Born Brave, who won beating stablemate Espionage  narrowly in the dying moments of the six-furlong journey. Espionage took off smartly from the barriers and had a slender lead over Born Brave and Imperia and it appeared that he would kick on further. But Born Brave made his handicap count as jockey Varun drove him relentlessly after the race came to a boil and had the measure of Espionage in the last couple of strides to register his first win at this centre. Imperia stayed in the third spot whilst Calistoga took the fourth place.
 
In the next race, Netto entrusted Varun with NRI High Power, a maiden juvenile filly who was backed down as an on-money favourite in the field of eight maidens. However, NRI High Power lacked initial speed and struggled in the rear as Foxy Girl hit the front while BR Kumar-ridden Catch The Worm came nicely from the outside draw to race on the haunches of the leader. Hilton Sequeira-nurtured Catch the Worm (Gusto – Zellers) ranged alongside Foxy Girl in the last furlong and, after a few reminders from Kumar, quickened well to score an easy victory. Foxy Girl retained the second place from Gusto’s Baby, who found her rhythm late. NRI High Power was outpaced throughout and could do no better than finish a disappointing fourth.
 
Fresh from his success in the solitary outing he had at Bangalore last month, KSV Prasad Raju’s ward Diablo thrashed his opponents convincingly to register his third straight win. Backed to the exclusion of his rivals, P. Sai Kumar-piloted Diablo (Roderic O’Connor – Devoted Eyes) proved his superiority over the field in no uncertain manner as he stormed into the lead soon after the starter’s flag came down and travelled on the bit throughout the six-furlong sprint. Glorious Power ended second ahead of High Heels and Sangreal, who followed her home.
 
In a tantalising finish witnessed in the preceding event, Sai Kumar steered Brilliant Lad from Srinivas Reddy’s yard to narrow win over Dubai Touch. Pacific Heights tried to exploit her initial speed as she broke away from the pack to enjoy a good lead over Dubai Touch, Classy Dame and Zuza when bringing the field into the home stretch. Pacific Heights lost pace as the race came to a boil which allowed Dubai Touch to slip into the lead. Meanwhile, Brilliant Lad (Lord Admiral – Sunflower) weaved his way through the maze of runners ahead and unleashed a powerful run on the outer lane to swoop down on Dubai Touch and oblige his supporters. Dubai Touch held on to the runner-up berth from Perception (earlier named Jolly Jester), who came with a powerful run in the final stages of the race to finish third ahead of Zuza.