Zadmal Singh trained Providence had a providential escape to victory in the Smart Chieftain Trophy, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of Thursday`s Mumbai races. Ageless who should have won the race hands down, snatched defeat thanks to a questionable ride by jockey Ashish causing an enquiry to be opened by the Stipes about the way the jockey handled the assignment.

Ageless had the best credentials to win the race and accordingly got strong support to win. Providence who was the next best in the fray, was also well supported but her success depended on the favourite not being at her best. Soon after jump out, Papakura took over the running with Ageless on his outside with Quick Fire ranging up on the wider outside, with the others racing behind in close proximity. Ashish allowed himself to be boxed inside by Quick Fire as he did not hold ground and took a check along the rails. One could not make out on the evidence on tape why he took an exaggerated check. Ashish compounded his problems after dropping back and losing precious ground in persisting on the run along the rails where there was insufficient room. There was no possibility of gap materializing as Papa Kura was dropping back and Quick Fire was ahead of the pack. He could have worked his way out of the mess instead of insisting on making more mistakes. By the time he dropped the horse back and pulled it out, Providence had moved with powerful strides from behind and surged ahead. Though Ageless came home with a lightening run, Ashish could not drive out the horse in the manner of an experienced jockey. Quick Fire was a close third. Whether Ashish rode an incompetent race or otherwise is for the Stewards to take a call but on the evidence of what one saw, it did not leave a good impression about the ride.

Pesi Shroff trained Maleficent was lucky to save the day as the daughter of Ifraaj just about managed to get the better of front running Wind And Stars in the final stride of the 1200 metres Algeciras Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. Wind And Stars who had won her last outing at Pune, was taken on a start to finish mission by apprentice jockey Akshay Gaikwad. The progeny of Noverre refused to budge from her position and enjoyed a healthy lead going into the final furlong. Maleficent had some leeway to cover but the favourite responded well to the urgings, just about getting past the long shot in the waning yards of the race. Maleficent recorded a run of the mill win and she did not win the way the price on her in the betting ring suggested. Alderley Edge put in some good work towards the close and finished a good third.

Whenever a race is populated by horses from trainer Antia`s yard, it is always difficult to predict which way the race will swing because any one of the runners of the trainer can win against the run of expectations. One is not sure whether the trainer himself knows when his horses win or don`t but innumerable times, his horses have shocked the punters and he is wary of leading in his horses fearing public wrath. The trainer had half a dozen horses in the fray with the others going into division one of the Star Princess Plate, a race for horse rated 20 to 46. Veni Vidi Vici produced a powerful burst on the wide outside to go storming clear of the rest in the final 200 metres. Veni Vidi Vici was hailed a winner the moment he hit the front as the others behind were struggling. Fast Future came home with a late effort to edge past Joy of Life and Rocking for the runner up berth.

The upper division of the Star Princess Plate threw a confusing picture with the odds on ante post favourite Sentimental drifting out in the betting ring. There was spirited support for Personify who was running after a layoff of more than a year. There was quiet surge on Phoenix Cat whose odds came down from higher quote to ease at 6 to 1 when the race started. After Then And Now led the field into the straight and packed up, Phoenix Cat who had made steady progress, pounced on the runners with a strong effort which took him past the rest. By the final furlong, the filly was being hailed as a winner as Sentimental who went in chase of Phoenix Cat was not making any impression. The Lagad trainee won the race with a measure of comfort in the hands of jockey Dashrath Singh. Sentimental just about held off Jack Knife for the runner up berth. Aurelio who went miles wide in the straight, finished fourth.

Pesi Shroff trained Heather had no problem in winning the 1800 metres Astana Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Heather hit the front as the field set out for the nine furlong race but got a nice cover as Striking Story took over the running. Heather was eased in the second position along with Flying Dragon and the rest. Jockey Suraj Narredu pushed Heather to quicken on turning for home and the got abroad filly pounced on the front runner and went ahead with smooth acceleration. Flying Dragon came up with a strong challenge only to flatten out in the final furlong. Sabiq found foot and came home with a big from way behind but his effort was too late to cover the leeway that Heather had got in the intervening period.

Karthik Ganapathy trained Saker proved too strong for the field in the 2000 metres M H Ahmedbhoy Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. Surprisingly, Jigsaw came in for sustained support though the colt hadn`t done anything noteworthy in his three runs at Pune. Zervan had Phenomenal Memory lead all the way but the progeny of Glory of Dancer was the first horse beat when pressure came from Saker. Jigsaw who raced in about the third positon was under the pump well before the final bend and had no chance thereafter to be part of the fighting brigade. Saker swept away and established a big lead and won by a widening margin of six lengths over Glorious Opinion while Phenomenal memory held off Jigsaw for the third place in the race which had just four participants.

Kasbekar trained Cut Diamond received noticeable support in the betting ring in the day`s opener, the 1000 metres Alvarita Plate, a race for horses in the lowest class. The five year old mare who hadn`t won in her last 13 outings justified the inspired support with a strong run down the final furlong and recorded her maiden win with ease from favourite Queen of Venus who hasn`t won a race for 1160 days. Polar Zone was third.