Trainer Rutherford Alford`s strongly fancied runner, Hartnell (Ashhad Asbar-up), claimed the prestigious Grand Annual Handicap, over the mile circuit, on Wednesday. The 13/10 favourite had a point to prove, after his last run when he had run into traffic problem during the crucial stages of the race; which he had lost narrowly. The nine-event card also witnessed a complete rule of the trainer-jockey combinations of Javed Khan and Sandesh Akhade, who notched up a priced quadruple of wins.

Once bitten twice shy, Ashhad, perhaps, had learnt a lesson from Anil Bandaal`s mistakes, committed on Hartnell`s last time out. Ashhad was quick to position the Western Aristocrat son up-front from the start, before settling behind Very Special (Hindu Singh); until the final turn. Shooting into the winning lead, Hartnell played the come-and-catch-me-if-you-can game as Pothus (S. John), despite his Herculean impost of 62kg, covered much ground, inside the final furlong, to end-up an impressive second.


The afternoon was otherwise ruled by the trainer Javed Khan and jockey Sandesh Akhade. The pair started their winning run from the second race – the upper division of the 1,200m Right Again Handicap -- onwards. The race was claimed by Rustler who produced an amazing finish from almost the wrong-end of the field. The winner downed trainers Farley Rodrigue`s Tangaloomaa (Imran Chisty), an early leader with Narendra Lagad`s Flight Of Phoenix (Hindu), and Blaze To Glory (Asbar) – trained by Raunak Banerji -- who also walked on the scene quite late.

Sandesh was at his best, winning a very hard-fought race, on Javed`s 7/2 shot, German Guide, won the lower division of the race. Out-paced early in the race, because being poorly drawn in a 10-horse field, Sandesh failed to position the top-weighted horse in a striking range, and thus opting for a waiting race. The strategy paid off as the six-year-old horse covered a good ground, on the wide out, and from the rear, to beat an equally fancied Shafiq Khan-trainee, Sweet Stone (apprentice Ranidan Singh). Sweet Stone, in fact, was being hailed as a winner after taking over the running from the long time leader, Mustang (Md Azharuddin); until stumped at the post.

Javed and Sandesh made three in a row when their filly, Sanvi, coasted home to a decisive victory in the 1,200m Academy Gold Plate, a also a baby race. Sandesh, once again, opted for a waiting race, and on the wide out of the 13-horse field, though was drawn in the middle. Trainer Vijay Singh`s Mercedes (S. John), on the other hand, was drawn decently but at a weight disadvantage of 3-1/2kg. However, the Phoenix Tower filly was first to come out of the pack but was no match for the acceleration unleashed by Sanvi.

A couple of hours later, Javed and Sandesh were back in the winner`s enclosure as their 9/4 favourite, Francina, cashed in on her recent form to pick up the 1,600m Brave Patriach Handicap. Sandesh, on this occasion, decided to chase the long time leader, One Man Army (Russell Xiviers), till the final turn, before kicking away from the field to beat Earnest Ruler (Shailesh Shinde) and a late finishing Top Cat (apprentice P. Vikram). The last named was seen devouring the ground from the tail-end.

Trainer Shafiq Khan, too, had his share of luck on during the afternoon as he notched up a high-priced double. Shafiq`s solidly fancied Warpath (Hindu) delivered the good as a 5/2 favourite in the day`s opener, the 1,200m Easter Parade Handicap. Settled a handy fourth behind Clairvoyance (Shailesh), Ascend (Sandesh) and Aquaticaa (Chisty), Warpath forged ahead inside the last furlong for an easy victory.

Shafiq`s rank outsider, Zephir (apprentice Ranidan Singh), was also an impressive winner of the 1,600m Snow Forest Handicap. Trailing the field, the Rebuttal son was lucky to get a wide opening at the home turn when more the than half of the 12-horse field took a wide turn. Galloping through the offered passage, Zephir stormed away to beat the long time leaders Bull Run and Sushi.

Waiting tactics also paid off in the 2,000m Dynasty Handicap; which was won by trainer Jasbir Singh`s Zandra (Mohit Singh), from Daniel David`s Adamantium (Vikash Tamang). In fact, it was Adamantium race but the two luckless professionals presented it on a platter to Zandra. Both Zandra and Adamantium trailed the field but Mohit decided to take the shortest way home and Tamang took the circuitous route, and thus lost the winning chance which had come their way after months.

Trainer Arti Doctor`s Flamsteed (Neeraj Rawal) won the Romantic Liason Handicap in a blanket-finish, involving Rabda (Dashrath) and Aberfan (C. Alford) among others. Aberdan and Flamsteed were the two leaders in the betting but the former was always under-pressure from Rabda inside the final furlong. The two tiring leaders found the going tough when Flamsteed put his act together.