Trainer Manvendra Singh`s classy filly, Interstellar (apprentice Hindu Singh-up) bounced back to the winning ways while scoring an upset victory in the 1,400m Bahrain Cup, the main attraction in the eight-event card, on Tuesday, the opening day of the cold weather season. Quoted as a 11/2 chance in the 11-horse field, the filly, in the recent past, had failed on two occasions, including in the Fillies Stakes, having won as many times during the monsoon season.

It was a mere short-neck that separated the Top Class-Eternal Spirit daughter, on the day, from Tweedle Dee, a Bharath Singh-trained colt, ridden by Dashrath Singh. What was more significant about her victory, this time, was the chunks of weight she was conceding to the Colts Stakes winner, Tweedle Dee, who was being hailed as a winner but got stumped virtually at the winning post. Another one who bite the dust was the Fillies Stakes winner, Dysnomia (S. Johan). She was no match for the grey filly who had gone down tamely to the former in Fillies Trial.

There was no hard luck story in the race which witnessed the top-weighted Mystic Romance calling the shots in the company of Cocoanut while Tweedle Dee was third. Tweedle Dee led the field 300m from home and also shaped as a winner; until Interstellar walked on the scene. Interstellar could have won far more easily, had the apprentice not decided to take a circuitous route from the sixth berth. Hindu also made the filly gallop eight horses wide in the final stretch. He is likely to start as a favourite in the 1000 Guineas, about two and half weeks from now.

Equally facile was the victory of trainer Vijay Singh`s Sans Prix (S. John) in the 1,400m Right Ahead Handicap. The highly rated filly, with Classic pretensions, was held back in the early half of the trip before gradually improving. Sent into the lead 350m from home, the 11/10 favourite proved too good for the opposition as she left Bharath`s Aquitania in a wild goose chase.

The afternoon also witnessed a scintillating performance coming from trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s solidly fancied runner, Glory Of Boss (apprentice Akash Rajput) who also did a Interstellar on his way to winning the 1,400m Yeravan Handicap. Backed down from 6`s to 4`s, the five-year-old horse treated his a hoard of youngsters, including the top-weighted Auxilium (Dashrath) with less regards as he galloped forcefully on the widest out in the 12-horse field to with a degree of ease.

In fact the afternoon had a good share of favourites falling like nine pins. To be honest, the script was written in the curtain-raiser itself when two outsiders – Sreeyantra and Abercrombe -- fought out a grim battle for supremacy in the 1,100m Eagle Pines Handicap. Trainer Dipak Karki`s Sreeyantra (apprentice Ranidan Singh), won the race by the skin of the teeth while the 2/1 favourite, Celerino (apprentice Munna Alam), was not far behind.

Trainer Robert Gowli dealt an equally big blow in the following event, the 1,400m Dancing Colours Handicap when his 8/1 chance Uptown Girl (Arman Khan) simply trounced the opposition after allowing the 9/10 favourite, Flamsteed (C. Alford) some leeway in the early half of the 1,400m journey. It is another matter that the favourite, who was making his debut, burst a blood vessel during the running of the race.

Some parity was restored in the third race after Gowli`s 5/2 chance, Gimme Credit (Akash Rajput), posted a business-like victory over Jaiswal`s Dreamz Unlimited, in the 1,100m Birthday Girl Handicap. In the race, trainer James McKeown`s Aaron`s was the one who cornered most of the betting at 14/10 but the Win Legend son was also unlucky to have burst vessel after dictating the terms over Gimme Credit, till about the final turn.

Jaiswal was the saviour for the mid-week crowd as his heavily backed charge War Games (S. John) delivered the goods in the upper division of the 1,100m Kabuki Handicap. It was a one horse-race for the 9/10 favourite from the very start and War Game hardly gave indication of being pressurised by his top-weight of 62-1/2kg on his way to the seven-length victory over a fancied runner, Significant.

Trainer Raunak Banerjie`s judiciously prepared runner, Blaze Top Glory (Anil Bandal) was a medium of a big gamble in the lower division of the Kabuki Handicap. The three-year-old not only justified her 3/1 odds but also delivered the goods as she beat a good opposition in Zacara (S. Zervan) and Stephanie (Dashrath Singh).