Trainer Bharath Singh`s Astaire, ridden by apprentice Mohammed Azharuddin, won the 1,400m Prince Blossom Cup, on Tuesday, the penultimate meeting of the 23-day monsoon season. The reversal of the weight-equation, following their recent clash, worked in favour of Astaire, who had a narrow measure of the odds-on favourite, Shaktiroop. The two-kg riding allowance of the apprentice also contributed significantly towards the victory of the four-year-old horse as it was a mere neck that separated the winner, a 5-2 chance, from the odds on public-choice in the betting.

It was Alcander who made most of the running; until jockey Shailesh Shide lost the control of his charge and allowed it to veer, out nearing the final turn, leaving Shaktiroop to assume the charge of the running, with Astaire in her tow. It was, however, a close battle in the last furlong and the final verdict went against the Srikant-Kamble ridden, Shaktiroop.

The afternoon also witnessed the last winter`s champion filly, Adiella, delivering the goods, in the 1,400m Mr Dancy Handicap, despite her top-weight of 60kg and a long layoff. Shinde, who partnered the Multidimensional-Psychic Flame daughter, from Vijay Singh`s stable, was quite alert throughout the journey, as he rode the filly well off the pace. Reminded of the task ahead, nearing the home turn, the 15-20 favourite hardly gave the impression that the lay off since the winter season had made her rusty. Her victory was faultless.

Vijay`s other two horses, Alarbus and So Regal, however, flattered to deceive in their respective events – the 1,100m Fair Riy Handicap and the 1,200m Alarico Handicap. Alarbus (apprentice Munna Alam-up) tried to steal a march from the start of the race but the horse found the Manvendra Singh-trained debutante, Miraculix, to be a strong galloper, who come the shortest way home to foil the longtime leader`s designs of stealing a march.

So Regal (Shinde-up), on the other hand, was well poised to strike but the 5-2 chance, made a heavy-weather of overtaking another pillar-to-post aspirant, Aithops, until they were passed by a rank-outsider, Pinball Wizard, in the final 150m of the race. The Opportunist colt, suddenly grew wings, and accelerated in the dying stages of the race but the winning post came a wee too early, and the Wizard showing no signs of submissions in his effort to make his trainer Shafiq Khan`s day a fruitful one.

Khan`s three-year-old baby, Simple Simon, also displayed guts and courage while winning the 1,400m Subianca Handicap. Slowly off the blocks, galloping on the wide out, the Ivory Touch daughter, a 2-1 favourite, also shited out in the stretch run on her way to an easy victory over an aged Xavier and the joint favourite, Starrider.

Equally enterprising was the start-to-finish victory, notched up by trainer Richard Alford`s City Heights (Srikant Kamble-up), in the 1,600m Mountain Lily Handicap, The winner, a 7-1 shot, had the course-favourite, Royal Brute (Dashrath Singh) for company for a major part of the journey but the horse maintained his tempo and remained glued to his task.

Trainer Shyam Habbu`s Carnival Point attracted much of the support in the betting but it was the old and trusted galloper, Tasveer, who walked away with the 1,600m La Gitana Handicap. The Jasbir Singh-trained mere (Mohit Singh-up) was ridden in her customary manner – way off the pace and brought into the fray in the final 300m for a facile victory over Massachusettes who made most of the running.