Fancied runners occupied the winner’s enclosure in all eight races on the opening day of the Calcutta Cold Weather season as railbirds went home a happy lot with their pockets full. Racing was conducted on the monsoon track but  it is reliably learnt that from Tuesday, it will be held on the winter grass track. Crack riders Trevor and Suraj Narredu dominated the proceedings as they shared six of the eight races with Trevor taking the major portion - booting home four horses trained by Aashay Doctor. The other two races saw leap-year jockey Arman Khan and Tejeshwar pull off superb gambles for their respective stables.

The feature event of the afternoon – The Fame Star Cup -saw the on-money public choice Voula (Western Aristocrat – Halaqa) from Aashay’s yard win by less than a length from Golden Hammer. The three-year-old filly is expected to run the 1000 Guineas later this month but this somewhat sub-par performance left the aficionados a trifle disappointed. However, not too much importance should be attached to the verdict as the trainer commented later that as it’s a long season ahead, she was not fully tuned up by him – understandably so. He added that a decision will be taken on her participation in the 1000 Guineas after assessing how well she has weathered this lung-opener.

Trevor set the ball rolling for Aashay with a nail-biting finish astride Magnifico in The Amalita Handicap. The four-year-old colt by Whatsthescript out of Dance The Dream ‘nosed’ out the runaway Stormchaser at the wire  in the mile event. The colt had shifted out under pressure and it was Trevor’s expertise that brought him back on even keel to land the spoils by the proverbial whisker.

Trevor completed his hat-trick with Peaberry (Dali-Poll Promise)who won the upper division of the Sans Pareil Handicap with a degree of comfort from Hyderabad challenger Vinfast. Not happy to rest back on his laurels as is his wont, he added another to his tally when he guided home the four-year-old gelding Live It Love It (Dreamfield-One Life To Love) to a facile victory over much gambled Chelsea in the day’s final event. His followers had a field day as three of the four horses which he booted home were available at lucrative odds (Magnifico 6/4, Peaberry 7/2 and Live It Love It 5/2).

Trainer Vijay Singh had something to cheer  about as his three-year-old filly Dreamflight (Dreamfield-Fly Like The Wind) came into her  own while breaking out of the maiden ranks in great  style - shouldering top-weight and cruising to a seven-and-half length triumph in the mile race for  the Bruckner Handicap, in the hands of Suraj Narredu. Suraj completed his brace when on-money favourite Big Bay (Speaking Of Which – Clementine) from Deepesh Narredu’s yard romped home effortlessly in the 1100 metres scurry for The Retained Asset Handicap.

Sabeel Shariff-trained Star Pride (Samidd-Shivalik Arrow) finally proved his worth as he landed a brilliant gamble for his connections with Arman Khan astride in the day’s opening event. Three notable mock races during the monsoon meeting kept him in fine fettle and he won by a street in smart timing.

Another smart gamble was landed by the BR Reddy stable as speedy City Of Joy (Whatsthescript-Kaimana) with Tejeshwar  astride made every post a winning one in the lower division of The Sans Pareil Handicap.