As the curtains came down on the Mumbai racing season 2025-26 on Monday, bettors were spared the agony which they had endured on the penultimate day. Trainer Pradeep Chouhan has had a good run this season and has brought about a sea change in the ability of the horses that came under his charge since he started his career in Pune. Making his debut at the Mahalaxmi racecourse during the previous Mumbai season, Ardakan reeled off three straight victories. Later, during the previous monsoon season, Ardakan made a winning appearance at Pune before suddenly losing his form. Chouhan had two candidates for the Cursetjee Dhunjishaw Salver, of which Your Unforgettable appeared to have a better chance. However, it was his second runner, Ardakan, who won against the run of expectations.

For a change, G. Vivek-ridden Ardakan jumped out smartly from the gates well up with the pace as A. Sandesh sent Earth into the lead, asking his rivals, ‘Catch me if you can’. Ardakan made a forward move as the field turned for home and was ridden fervently by Vivek to draw level with Earth in the last furlong. After tackling Earth, Ardakan held on resolutely to score by a length and a quarter. Your Unforgettable did not have the luck of the race, getting stuck behind Earth and Ardakan when making her bid, forcing Trevor Patel to switch lanes. The filly rallied well to finish on fast, but Ardakan (Excellent Art – Desert Lightning) had sewn up the race till then. She finished a nose behind Earth, while Chagall was faraway behind in fourth.

Chouhan’s gamble to push Youremanorborne into the deep end, pitting her against Class III opponents in the Western India Race Horse Owners’ Association Trophy over a mile and a quarter, paid off. The filly, with just one win in the lowest class under her belt, justified her master’s faith in her ability to stay the trip. Looking Like A Wow made the initial running and was chased by Nostalgia, Caccini, and Youremanorborne. Sandesh-piloted Caccini tried to overpower the leader as the field entered the straight. Prashant Dhebe roused Youremanorborne at this stage and, failing to find the gap behind the leaders, took the shortest route. Dhebe went flat out thereafter to steal a march over his rivals and Youremanorborne (Moonlight Magic – To The Manor Borne) sailed clear to win by a wide margin over runner-up Caccini, while Wings of Fury finished about a length behind but a neck in front of Looking Like A Wow. For the record, Chouhan finished runner-up to Shroff in the leading trainer’s tally, a hard-earned feat indeed.   

As for Shroff’s supremacy, he ended up with 29 winners, the last one being Shaandaar, who claimed the mile-long Astral Flash Plate. The bay colt’s performance, having finished far behind favourite Incredible Luck on debut last month, was a revelation as he gave a sound beating to his rival. Sandesh scrubbed Spectra at the start to set the pace with Golden Eye racing abreast of Shaandaar, who hugged the inner rail. Trevor eased Golden Eye into the lead, while Vivek nudged Shaandaar to make his presence felt, triggering a positive response from the colt. He moved stealthily towards Golden Eye and took a few cracks from Vivek before lengthening his stride. Shaandaar (Deauville – China Creek), bred as full-brother to Kings Gambit, had something in reserve when he checked in two lengths clear of Golden Eye. Incredible Luck ran third ahead of Hermanus.

The three-year-old filly Dream Come True finally came into her own after two unsuccessful starts to win the Blue Pencil Plate despite being involved in some jostling at the start. Meanwhile, Absolute Emperor seized the opportunity to hit the front and disputed the lead with Lucky Diamond until passing the two-furlong marker.  Having regained her composure after the initial setback, Sanjay Kolse-groomed Dream Come True improved steadily to be in the reckoning behind the leaders in the final run-in. Soon, Dream Come True (Win Legend – Skyliner) wore down the leading pair when urged by Sandesh and skipped clear for an authoritative win over late-finishing Sporting Alice. Absolute Emperor stayed in third, while well-fancied Queen Caroline finished fourth after being outpaced in the early phase of the five-furlong scurry.

Veteran Mansingh Jadhav-trained Maratha Lancer gave a solid performance to lift the Brave Hunter Plate, the day’s curtain-raiser. Maratha Lancer showed the way to the field after the race was flagged off until jockey Nikhil Parmar conceded the lead to Yuletide and Jackson just before the halfway mark. Maratha Lancer then took refuge behind the front-running pair and renewed his challenge in the home stretch where he was joined by Trevor-partnered Mighty Hero. Parmar packed enough punch in his riding to brush aside Mighty Hero’s aggression and drew clear of his rival to register his maiden success. Abhyankar and Flash Mob were close behind in third and fourth place.

The Shazaan Shah-saddled 10 to 8 on favourite American Eagle gave no anxious moments to his supporters, showing a clean pair of heels to his rivals in the Busy Lizzie Plate. Yash hit the front with American Eagle (Leitir Mor – Windsor Manor) soon after the gates opened and left his rivals stranded in the final lap of the five-and-a-half-furlong sprint. Rafael was a distant second, while Ensky and Key West followed him home.

Despite Neutralist being endowed with good initial speed, Trevor decided against cutting pace with the speedy customers Storm Cloud, Akitania, and Eastern Monarch. He sat in the fourth position and brought Aman Hussain-trained Neutralist into the contention only after the field was homeward bound in the straight. Neutralist unleashed a brilliant run when encouraged by Trevor and assumed command inside the last furlong and a half. The lead established by Neutralist proved to be enough cushion when Yash-driven Charlie Brown came with a menacing run in the final stages of the race and all but toppled the favourite. Eventually, Neutralist (Planetaire – Nuray) lasted out to win by a nose. Densetsu beat Matisse by a short head to be third.

Champions List:

Champion Owner: Five Star Shipping Co. Pvt. Ltd.

Champion Trainer: Pesi Shroff

Champion Jockey: Trevor Patel

Champion apprentice jockey: Aditya Waydande

Champion apprentice jockey claiming allowing: Aditya Waydande

Champion Stud Farm: Usha Stud Farms