In a competitive up and down summer season, two individuals have dominated and obtained fabulous results. Champion trainer Pesi Shroff among the professionals and sporting owner Arun Kumar, who to his credit has registered the highest numbers of wins as a solitary owner. Pesi Shroff, it appears is roaming around the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) campus with a new heavy duty vacuum cleaner, making a clean sweep of many major plums of the season including the Fillies and Colts Championship Trial Stakes. With no offence meant to the local trainers, it must be mentioned that the champion has made it look as easy as the big bully (Pesi) stealing candy from the helpless little kids. Pesi after winning the first two classics through Margaretta, winner of the Fillies Championship and D'Artagnan, who emerged the best colt, holds a whip hand in the richest Derby in the annals of Indian racing, the Zavaray Poonawalla Derby, winner taking home 2.5 crore in the record total stakes of five core on offer on Sunday, July 12. 

Arun Kumar's strike rate is unmatched among the single owners. He to his credit has led in ten winners including his star performer Alfonsine, who has remained unbeaten this season, recording a superb hat-trick while taking home a couple of big plums and Reiko on Sunday made Arun proud coming up trumps in the Chief Minister's Cup. Steffen and a couple of others have added to his big individual tally making it a summer to remember for this sporting owner. Arun revealed that Alfonsine's next target is the Maharaja's Cup, next Sunday and the top class performer is likely to be pitted against the Pesi schooled Zuccaro and this mouth-watering clash over the traditional distance of 2200 metres will bring in big crowd, the railbirds lining up to gain entry for the big-ticket event. 

"It really will be a good contest and hopefully Alfonsine will win and emerge the `Champion Horse Of The Season', said Arun Kumar. Whatever be the result, the performance equation will not change, Pesi the best winning trainer and Arun the top single owner, this summer season.  

Now narrating what happened on Sunday: The John-trained Reiko brilliantly piloted by Neeraj Rawal won the Chief Minister's Trophy, the plum event in a thriller. The Pradeep Chouhan schooled Dream Seller partnered by Sandesh, Crown Drive from the stables of Mysore trainer B Suresh, Knotty Charmer from leading trainer Prasanna Kumar's yard and the second in demand at the betting ring, Reiko who hit the front were locked in  a grim battle down the straight before Neeraj and Reiko to the delight of Arun Kumar and John gained the day, edging out the Mumbai raider Dream Seller, Crown Drive and Knotty Charmer in a pulsating cluster finish, less than a length separating the first four at the finish. 

Next the Karnataka Sub-Area Cup was claimed by the top fancy Vegatha to the delight of the followers of form, who had pinned their hopes on the filly to complete a hat-trick of wins after her two straight victories at her home-centre (Mumbai). All credit to Chouhan for sending out Vegatha fit and fine and the gutsy filly did the job well, though taking a little time to overtake the Sulaiman Attaollahi schooled Lux Aeterna in the final furlong. Lux Aeterna's stablemate Mahler was better fancied to upset the applecart of Vegatha, but he performed like a dud, posing no threat and eventually finishing down the field. 

Calix was one other from Sulaiman's yard who failed to deliver the goods. Competing in the Littleover Plate for maiden three-year-olds, Calix was slammed in the betting ring and ended a overwhelming on-money favourite quoted at (65/100) after he opened at (18/10). The heavily supported juvenile piloted by Akshay Kumar proved no match to Preview from the stables of James McKeown confidently piloted by top gun Suraj Narredu, who made every post a winning one on the good looking debutant. Sai Princess from the stables of Inayathullah surprised most finishing third and is one for the notebook. 

Trainer Lokanath Gowda, who is enjoying a good run this summer, struck again on River Deep, the in-form winner justifying favouritism in the Tudor Jet Plate run over a sprint. Ashhad Asbar, who partnered River Deep in his last success again produced a copybook race on the winner, who is set to complete a hat-trick of wins if his connections judiciously place him in his next start. The Vishesh schooled Carat Love followed River Deep home ahead of the Dominic-trained Noble Cause. 

The well-backed Michiko from trainer Narayan Gowda's yard and Steely Challenge from the stables of Darius Byramji were the two other prime favourites, who justified their top billing before the six to one shot Imperador from trainer Prasanna Kumar's yard cantered home in the concluding event run over a mile.