The highs and lows in horse racing will test the best. Last week top trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi made a big splash leading in four winners and this week he drew a blank, all four runners from his yard failing to strike it rich including the two hot favourites, Larissa and Skagen. Second in demand at the betting ring, Kalamitsi met a tartar in Ricardo in the Black Caviar Plate, while Basilica, another second choice failed to make the board in the Sports Authority Of India Trophy. That's how the cookie crumbles. Sulaiman, however, it must be mentioned is a tough cookie. And when the going gets tough it's the tough who keep going and Sulaiman will keep leading in the winners forgetting the one bad day at the office. 

On a day a good number of strongly fancied contestants failed to justify their top billing, the ten to one long shot Darrington from trainer Irfan Ghatala's yard shocked the followers of form winning the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, the plum event run over a mile in a humdinger. The half-money favourite Skagen, who had impressed most finishing a game second behind stablemate Xanthe in his maiden career start was a `banker' in most of the permutations and combinations worked out to crack the five-horse puzzle, the big Jackpot. But partnered by leading pro Trevor Patel, Skagen went down fighting in a blanket finish, Darrington piloted by Arvind Kumar edging out the public rage, a `neck' separating the two, while Prince Of Wales was only a `short-head' behind the runner-up. Supreme Success, who leisurely finished fourth will make her presence felt when campaigned over 2000M and above trips and it will pay to keep an eye on this Satish Narredu trainee when saddled next. 

Despite a eight-month long lay-off, the talented Flight On from Prasanna Kumar's yard proved too good for his 11 rivals in the principal added attraction, the Sports Authority Of India Trophy run over a sprint. The connections of Flight On, it must be mentioned were not bullish of the chances of Flight On and that was understandable and sensible taking into account the eight-month absence from racing. But Flight On, who on sheer class towered over his rivals produced a classy effort to come out on tops to the delight of Prasanna Kumar. Mukesh Kumar produced a copybook effort on the winner settling the winner nice and easy in the mid-division before timing his final assault to a nicety. Lesser fancied Small Dreams did well to gain the runner-up berth ahead of Felisa, while Baashha in his attempt to make every post a winning one held on to complete the frame. 

The topweighted Touch Of Grey was fancied most in the Black Caviar Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. But all that the Satish Narredu ward did was take all the good money down the drain shockingly finish second last. Ricardo from Arjun Manglorkar's yard produced a stellar effort to come up trumps ahead of the second favourite Kalamitsi, while Never Give In, stablemate of the winner finished a suggestive third. Touch Of Grey, it is clear is on a slide and it will do a world of good if the railbirds ignore this grey this season. 

Arjun Manglorkar, earlier led in Ilia, the winner of the lower division of the Vidurashwatha Plate run over a sprint. The winner, who opened at (16/10) in the betting ring drifted out alarmingly and had no takers at (7/2) in the end and that was simply due to the fact that big betting came on the Narayan Gowda schooled Higgs Boson backed down from (12/10) to (70/100). The on-money favourite piloted by Angad raced in patches and only finished a tame third behind the runner-up Tyaaraa. Promising apprentice Aleemuddin pushed Ilia to the front soon after the eight runners came under the starter's flag and never looked back, romping home a deserving winner. 

The upper division was claimed by the red hot favourite Goddess Of War, who didn't really need to push herself to score in this mediocre set. Absolute Katrina did well to follow the smart winner home ahead of Dr Ash, while Cascais fancied strongly in place, after being favourably placed at the top of the straight lacked the gas in the tank to stay in contention and quickly retired much to the disappointment of her supporters. 

On the strength of her two promising earlier efforts, second behind Legacy at Guindy and third behind Sunshine and Final Call on the opening day of the winter season, Larissa from the stables of Sulaiman Attaollahi on paper looked hard to down in the Hogenakkal Falls Plate run over a mile, but the short-priced favourite after looking set to score a furlong from home lost out in a cluster finish, the ten to one shot Adelanto from Komandur's yard edging out the runner-up Adornment ad Larissa at the shadow of the winning post in a pulse-pounding finish. 

The Umar Sheriff-trained Master Way was one other, who upset the applecart of the two top fancied contestants, Elveden and Gandolfini in the Hebbe Falls Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. The winner in the hands of five-kilo  claimer Asirvatham stylishly made every post a winning one and on the strength of this impressive showing is set to provide an encore. El Alamein from the stables of Faraz Arshad's yard followed the winner home ahead of Gandolfini, while Elveden only managed to make the frame. 

Assurances from Rajesh Narredu's yard confidently piloted by brother Suraj won the Shimsha Plate in emphatic fashion. The winner after opening at (6/4) was hammered down to (70/100) in the betting ring, while the price on Count Basie from the stables of Komandur drifted out to (15/4) from (7/4). The moment the price on Count Basie went up, the wise punters quickly got into Assurances boat and were rewarded, the strongly backed on-money favourite cantering home, while Count Basie lost out, losing a couple lengths at the jump out from the gates.