Only two first favourites obliged in a card of seven events at RCTC on Friday. They were Memphis in the curtain-raiser and Togo in the day’s feature event – The Fortune Cup. Neil Darashah-trained Togo (Fiero-Duma) was guided to a facile victory over second favourite Magnifico in the mile event for The Fortune Cup. The victory gave Suraj Narredu the 2500th win of his career – a milestone rarely achieved by most riders. The prolific rider continued his good work into the next event – The Malpensa Cup run over 2400 metres. Carrying 60kg on her back, Deepesh Narredu-trained filly Black Diamond (Fiero-Adoria) came with a fluent run in the closing stages of the mile-and-half race to get the better of Garth. The favourite Sanaya was the front-runner for most part and may fare better in her next essay.

Deepesh Narredu had earlier led in the outsider of four – Ruling Star – in the 2000m race for The Kamilah Handicap. Stablemate of the winner Golden Warrior was installed as the favourite but could only finish a tame third. Six-year-old bay gelding Ruling Star by Roderic O’Connor out of Sweeping Star was ridden by RS Bhati who had to pull out all stops in the straight to keep at bay bottom-weighted Whirlwind who was moving threateningly in the final furlong. 

The afternoon commenced on a happy note for punters as Javed Khan-trained Memphis (Dreamfield-Cinch) was ridden to a narrow victory over rank outsider Elusive Ranger and front-running Diamond Gold. Elusive Ranger is the one for the notebook after this run. His first run should be ignored. Trainer Vijay Singh was known for his success with youngsters during his years as a champion trainer at RCTC. He used some of that sorcery to fetch home the  honours with Divine Gift in the mile race for the Acrider Handicap in what was his maiden start. The four- year-old chestnut gelding by Deauville out of Mea Culpa  gave jockey Antony Raj a fairly easy ride.  The 6/1 shot followed front-running Schwarzenegger till the straight and took over the running thereafter to win by four lengths from the late-finishing Righteous.

In the upper division of The Violin Handicap, Mukesh Kumar rode a fabulous finish astride Aashay Doctor-trained five-year-old chestnut mare Only Dreams (Dreamfield-Integrate) to peg back the favourite Paulite Warrior close home. Both Global Fashion and Enchanting ran prominently and need to be followed in the near future. The curtain came down with Sabeel Shariff- trained Cash N Run (Top Class-Hallelujah) pulling off an amazing victory by over seven lengths from hapless fancied runners Mrs Brando and Immortal Beauty. Vishal Bunde astride the quietly fancied winner took the turn five wide but there was no stopping the six-year-old after that. Whether he can win again on Sunday after his mandatory penalty is left to be seen.