The visiting South African jockey J.G. Sampson guided Castle Queen to a thumping victory in Thursday`s main event, the 1,200m Arezzo Handicap. The victory brought cheers in trainer Bharath Singh`s camp but the joy was short-lived. Half-an-hour later, the stable`s classic hope, Awesome Indian, failed miserably in an open class race (Class III) race – the 1,100m True Colours Handicap.

In his first season, Awesome Indian had matched strides with top-rated youngsters and the horse was expected to deliver the goods in the hands of an in-form Sampson. Almost an identical story was scripted by another highly rated youngster, a filly named Art Excellence – who also happened to be trainer Vijay Singh`s classic hope. The defeat of two smart youngsters not only sums up proceedings in the afternoon`s eight-event card, it, perhaps, also points to the true potentials of the RCTC`s top rated youngsters who haven`t been doing any better on the outstation race tracks. However, in the lower classes, three-year-olds have been making their mark.
Castle Queen`s handicap advantage over Whispering Wing was clear as the two horses had crossed swords on the Day One of the monsoon season. Despite this, the former`s improved performance in each of her last half-a-dozen runs, compared to Castle Queen`s lopsided career-graph was mainly the reason for the two going to the start as almost joint-favourites.

Sampson rode a copybook race on Castle Queen but it was Spectacular Style, her stablemate, who contributed to the winner`s cause amply as the Burden Of Proof son cut a scorching pace, which totally unsettled the speedy Whispering Wind who even failed to claim the second slot, albeit marginally.

Sampson did his best on Awesome Indian but purists believe the jockey waited too long in fourth, instead of improving his position from the halfway mark, considering the scurry and short RCTC`s home straight. The debate will continue but the fact remains, Royal Dance victory was an authoritative one. Jockey Christopher Alford kept the 6-1 shot in close attendance of the speedster, Thousand Stars, and was quick to send the colt into a three-length lead, no sooner the leader started veering out at the final turn.

Having come into season minutes before the start of the 1,400m Goldliner Handicap, Art Excellence became very unruly and was difficult to be loaded. The 4-6 hot-favourite also lost some ground at the start and jockey Alford could never manage to get the best out of her while she graced almost the wrong-end of the field, throughout the journey.

Glenbervie, a rank-outsider from trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s yard -- ridden by apprentice Md Sameer—narrowly won the race from Countess, another of Sampson`s ride. Kudos to the apprentice who displayed cool temperament and guts on his way to snatching the verdict from a seasoned foreign jockey who controlled the race up-front in the stretch run, after following Horse Raddish and Dazzling Flame till the home turn.

Early in the afternoon, Sampson had helped Bharath`s odds-on favourite, Canquistarose, win the 1,100m Amazing Handicap – a race for three-year-olds. It was a run-of-the-mill victory for the 8-10 favourite who allowed Mission Control and Mafia Chief to call the shots till a furlong from home when Sampson changed gears on the top weighted filly for a two-length-plus victory.

Another youngster who won easily was Must Be Magic, from trainer Daniel David`s stable. In the 1,200m Reliable Handicap, the Eljohar daughter won virtually from the start from three rank-outsiders – Portpatrick, Flirting Eye and Dynamic Move. However, the one who served a notice as an early winner was Regal Classic, a stablemate of the winner. The youngster displayed plenty of speed, matching strides with the winner till almost past the distance post.

The 1,000m Imperial Stride was closely contest between Big Thrillz, Mirror Image and Swiss King. They ran in close attendance and finished in the order named after changing leads till a furlong from home.

India Jones was another spoilsport, upsetting two fancied runners – Smiles and Iora – in the Alvarada Cup for horses in the lowest classes. Jockey B. Mahesh, atop the winner, rode a well-judged race on a horse known to relish longer course.

Mahesh, aboard Focus, the course-favourite was, however, at the receiving end in the 1,200m Rasalas Handicap which was claimed by a less-fancied Saarah Alam. It was a close-finish that separated the two runners but rookie apprentice Md Imran Ashraf complimented ex-jockey Nicky Bird by snatching the verdict from his senior and seasoned trainee. Bird has been retained by the club to train apprentices.