Trainer Vijay Singh`s Ballantyne found the going easy against his nine rivals, on Wednesday, and won the 1,600m Memorable Day Cup (Div-I). The cracking pace set by Avalanche Star suited the Flitch colt to the hilt as he went about his task, in third, while Alamgir chased the leader, at a safe distance, almost from the start. Ballantyne narrowed the gap and caught up with the two leaders 250m from home and the rest was easy for the 5-2 second favourite, in spite of apprentice B. Mahesh dropping hands, 100m from home. In the same race, Arti Doctor`s Ariela received big support at 7-4 but she only helped Ballantyne`s cause, pushing his odds up. The filly never appeared to in the race with a meaningful chance.

The lower division of the trophy was a mere formality for the Daniel David-trained filly Star Luxurious who decided to take a clean jump out from her allotted gate and produce a purposeful performance. Jockey A. Imran Khan allowed Sea Monarch to dictate the terms till heads turned form home and took off for a five-length cruising win. Sea Monarch hung out to the second berth holding a heavily backed favourite, Flirting Eye, at the post by a shade under a length.

Earlier, Khan had given Daniel`s Touch Of Magic a judicious ride, in the 1,600m Cupid Handicap, to notch up her third successive win. The start-to-finish victory of Touch Of Magic, over Secret Whisper, was an emphatic one and the horse looks good for another one, even over a slightly longer course.

Arti, too, had her day cut out with an early double through Mysterious Star and Bayberry. In the 1,200m Punters Delight Handicap, the Mysterious Star was fully tested by Palme Dor who, in the hands of apprentice Babu Singh, just knuckled under the superior riding skills of jockey P. Kamlesh. Vignet was a good third, without having any scope for shifting out in the stretch run as jockey Surjeet Singh decided to bring her the shortest way home after holding her back in the mid-division. Rithambhra, though up with leaders – Palme Dor and Chagall – till the final turn, was left with no gas to pull on in the stretch run.
Arti`s Bayberry made an impressive debut in the 1,100m Bold Chieftan Handicap, which the Warrshan daughter won from Mandira, an experienced campaigner, and Glorious Invention. The winner, a 5-1 chance, was held back in third behind Mandira and Cuba Libre till a furlong from home before making her winning run. However, Glorious Invention could have beaten the first two horses, had trainer Harvinder Singh Bath`s debutant not taken the home turn miles wide. The Glory Of Dancer son will be heard of soon.

Trainer Pesi Shroff`s Accessor was another one who completed the formality of winning at the cramped odds of 3-8 in the 2,000m Little Lady Handicap. Jockey Christopher Alford settled the Chevalier son four lengths behind the leader Innovator till 800m from home and took off for a shade under six-length victory over Duke Of Windsor who made a simultaneous move from the rear when the winner shot into the lead.

Trainer Pattrick Quinn`s Highland Magic was backed as a good thing in the upper division of the Wansfell Handicap. The even-money favourite led soon after the start but he, perhaps, felt his shoulder approaching the home-turn, which he took six-wide. The horse tried to hang on to the lead but surrendered it inside the last furlong when challenged by Bullet Proof and a late finishing Havana. Belegeuse was a good fifth despite losing a distance at the start.

Mystro cashed in on his track form to win the lower division of the race. Jockey Harish also gave the Vinay Jaiswal-trained horse a judicious ride. He kept Mystro in mid-bunch till the final turn and fourth till the distance post before making shooting into the winning lead, on the wide of the field. The even-money favourite, Knights Emperor led from the start but failed carry on when challenged by the winner and Simply Perfect.