Pesi Shroff’s protégé Jaandaar continues to amaze the racegoers, he left the spectators spellbound with his performance in the SA Poonawalla Million (Gr.3) on Sunday. Leaving nothing to chance, Vivek G. hit the front with Jaandaar, leaving his six rivals with no say in the mile contest. Whatever hopes the field had when pursuing Jaandaar evaporated the moment the colt entered the straight. Minari was the first one to throw in her towel before taking the final turn, followed by Invincible Force when the leader had slipped away from their grasp. By the time A. Sandesh-ridden runner-up Avener could get into his stride, Jaandaar (Earthlight – Dance Awhile) had sauntered home for his fourth successive win. Rampage and Nebula followed them home. Jaandaar is owned by Mr & Mrs Vijay B. Shirke, Mr Jay Shirke and was bred at Sohna Stud Farms.    
 
Half an hour earlier, Shroff sent out another stylish winner in Zayyan in Sultan Suleiman Plate run over a six-furlong sprint. Vivek had adopted the same catch-me-if-you-can tactics astride Zayyan, hitting the front with the colt while his main adversaries Rivayat and Invictor raced on his tail. On turning for home, Vivek put pressure on Zayyan (Ten Sovereigns – Call Me Sweetheart), who stretched out well to post a comfortable victory over Invictor and Rivayat. Dream Come True ended fourth.    
 
Last-outing winner Little John was the clear favourite to claim the Serum Institute of India Trophy in which the Dallas Todywalla-trained bay gelding triumphed in an emphatic fashion. Akshay Kumar bided his time astride Little John as Black Thunder and Caradoc ran in the front over the mile and a quarter trip. As the three-horse field came into the straight, Caradoc took charge briefly after Black Thunder dropped back. When alerted to his task by Akshay, Little John (Excellent Art – Alpha Centauri) cantered past Caradoc to record an encore. Black Thunder was a distant third.
 
Carrying featherweight on her back and making her first appearance in two months, the Nazzak Chenoy-nurtured Skanda unleashed a devastating run in the dying moments of the six-furlongs journey to snap the winning bid of Neptune in the Suraiya & Masoom Master Salver. Neptune sprinted ahead and led into the straight, with El Moran and favourite Darcy in pursuit. C. Umesh-ridden Darcy tried to overpower Neptune in the final furlong while Admirable and Wind Dancer tried to enter the fray. However, it was apprentice A. Omkar-partnered Skanda (Planetaire – Ice Cube Baby), who came with a devouring run to surprise runner-up Neptune in the last few strides. Darcy ran a close third, half a length in front of Admirable.
 
Aman Hussain saddled a back-to-back double towards the close through Crimson Pirate and Coffee At Eleven. With two unextended runs under his belt after a change in ownership after the Mumbai season, Crimson Pirate was fancied to win in the hands of Trevor Patel in the first division of the Excellent Sorrento Plate. Crimson Pirate (Air Support – Carmine) jumped out smartly from the gates to establish a narrow lead over Mirae and Majestic Warrior until the heads turned for home, then stepped the pace, drawing away from the pack for his maiden success. Majestic Warrior ran second ahead of hard-ridden Flash Mob, who finished a length in front of Beyond Stars.
 
Despite carrying top-weight, Coffee At Eleven proved too good for his rivals in the Mauna Kea Plate (Div-I), a Class IV handicap over seven-furlongs. Ekla Cholo led all the way from the gates and brought the field into the home stretch where Sequential overwhelmed him to lead for about a furlong. Meanwhile, favourite Naledi and Coffee At Eleven both threw a strong challenge at Sequential. The flourishing run produced by Coffee At Eleven (Planetaire – Madeleine) under Sandesh’s vigorous handling floored Naledi close home. Paloma, after a lethargic start, improved well to finish in the money, beating Sequential by a whisker.
 
Veteran Narendra Lagad also achieved a winning brace, starting with Phantasmique in the Excellent Sorrento Plate (Div-II), the day’s curtain raiser. Phantasmique slipped into the lead, while her stablemates Samson and Lightning Blaze were in early pursuit. J. Chinoy astride Phantasmique (Roderic O’Connor – Hunt for Gold) went flat out when Samson threatened to overtake him and the filly held on gallantly by a neck to clinch her maiden victory. High Ground ran third ahead of Prince Igor.
 
Majesticus was ridden well off the pace and raced at the wrong of the field as the rank outsider Regal Warrior made a start-to-finish bid, while Menorca and Key West chased him in the initial stages of the seven-furlong journey. Regal Warrior, surprisingly, refused to give up and appeared to be kicking on though Avante and Appalachian closed in. Majesticus (Gusto – Szable), however, came flying from a hopeless position in the last furlong and a half to frustrate runner-up Regal Warrior, Appalachian, and favourite Avante, who finished in that order close behind. Sanctified, the well-fancied runner from Shroff’s yard, raised no hopes for his supporters and ended seventh for the second successive time.