Lilly started its season campaign on a winning note while annexing the Welcome Trophy at the Delhi races on Tuesday. The opening day of the Monsoon season (though monsoon has already disappeared from the National capital) turned out to be a memorable one for reinman Mohammed Iftiquar Qureshi, who succeeded in notching up a fine double on debut. Interestingly, a card of six events saw the winners working on the word "go" as apprentice jockeys dominated the proceedings.

Magan Singh-trained Lilly (Duja – Mistica), who had scored a runaway victory just before the end of the last season, was seen toiling hard to maintain the pillar-to-post affair under Qureshi over six furlongs. A series of bids by Sudden Impact went in vain when the saddle slipped away inside the distance. Harkesh was unable to offer any guidance and even fell off the mount while trying to ease him down after the winning post. Qureshi, earlier, tasted his first win through Silver Peg (Western Verse – Raving Beauty) in the Footsteps Plate. Beatrice found the trip a little too sharp and finished an impressive second pushing back Classic N Mystic to the third place.

Arthur Saulez-saddled Pommery caused an upset in the upper division of the Malavika Plate which was the day's opener. The daughter of Barood and Yashyashvini flew out of the block quickly and kept the late-galloper Sam Aldo at bay. Power House, who ran third, should soon be able to raise a winning gallop. The lower division of the plate was at the mercy of Ishwar Singh Parmar's charge First N Impression (Case Law – Tropic Of Fear) who left the ownermate Silver Girl in lurch.

Jovial (Eljohar – Fair Truce) ended his winning drought in the Link House Plate. The Aleem Khan-trained gelding had reached the top class but struggled with form during the previous season. The run against the horses who did not have the calibre to reach where he raced at his prime helped him to prove his merit while making every post a winning one. Stepping into the stablemate victor's boot, Sparkling Gold (Ontario – Argyle Gold) left the lower class field dancing to her tune in the similar fashion. Having had the advantage of racing with the top-ranked horses of the previous calendar and overcoming the notorious behaviour of track appearance made her task easy. She has the capability of completing an encore.