With two consecutive victories in Monsoon this year and a stunning performance in The Golconda 1000 Guineas, finishing a noteworthy third behind Vijay Damini and String Along, Laxman Singh-trained Elzaam’s victory in The Mica Empress Cup, run over 2200 metres, looked to be a formality. The filly, facing a moderate opposition of four was sent into the race as ‘money-back’ favourite. Elzaam (Tirol-Shark Games) led throughout the trip but found the top-weighted Vijay’s Angel getting dangerously close inside the last 150 metres and the winning post came to the rescue of the favourite. Jockey P.S. Chouhan had to go for the stick when Vijay’s Angel began to get closer and just scraped through by a neck. Scorching Affair (Brave Hunter-Aunty I) from Deshmukh’s yard, running in the colours of the Bangalore-based owner Mr. Aditya P. Thackersey, surged clear to win The Bhagyanagar Cup.

Apprentice P. Venkat had Scorching Affair in front from the start and kicked on well on the straight to score an encore. Southern Spice and Miracle took the second and third places respectively. Trainer Anupam led in two winners on the day. Bharatnatyam (Dancing Beggar-Groves Iesis) won the lower division of The King Rama Plate in a close finish. Apprentice G. Sai Vamshi kept improving position on Bharatnatyam and by the time the field straightened up had her in front. Keeping his head down, the apprentice kept pushing Bharatnatyam in front and held on by a ‘head’ from the late-finishing One One One. The second winner for Anupam was through the well-backed Jabel Queen (Epicentre-Desert Storm), in the lower division of The Rainbows For Life Plate.

After taking a level jump, Jabel Queen settled back towards the rear for most part of the race, and gradually improved as heads turned for home. Once on the straight, the ‘Queen’ was sighted a winner very early. The turn of foot of Jabel Queen was simply smashing when she swept past the field. Regal View also improved from the rear, to finish second while the long time leader Art Connoisseur finished third. M. Sathyanarayana’s Crown Castle (Epicentre-Ice Castle) was another well-backed horse to justify the favouritism. Biding his time with Bold Brigade on the straight, Crown Castle, ridden by S. Shoban Babu, won readily, in The Ming Dynasty Plate. Chayanandan beat Bold Brigade to take the second spot. L. D’Silva’s Zulima (Steinbeck-Cacophony) looked the best in the paddock and her performance on the track also turned out to be the best, beating the field in the higher division of The Rainbows For Life Plate. Making rapid progress in the final 150 metres, Zulima covered almost eight lengths, from almost seventh position and swept past the field to win by a margin of three lengths.

The long-time leader Vijaysarathi held on to the second spot from Modest Bride and The Himalayas, in a close finish. P.S. Chouhan earned his double in the concluding race of the day, riding Sk. Kassam’s Vijay Lakh (Inner City-Right Fully Equal) to victory in a nail-biting finish. Narwhal had steered clear of Mighty Power inside the final furlong and was looking to wrap it up when Chouhan brought Vijay Lakh with all his might and the two went past the winning post together. The magic eye spotted Vijay Lakh a ‘short head’ in front of Narhwal.