Trainer Malesh Narredu`s 14/10 favourite, Silver Beauty (Suraj Narredu-up) had an easy measure of the local champion filly, Interstellar (A. Sandesh) in the first Classic of the cold weather season, the Calcutta 1000 Guineas, on Saturday. The afternoon otherwise belonged to jockey Dashrath Singh who notched up a priced treble.

It was a fast run race and Suraj had his charge guided in a business-like manner while trainer Manvendra Singh 5/2 chance in the betting, Interstellar, was ridden poorly – made to gallop five horses off the fence, in the later half of the mile trip, leaving the jockey to pay the price. Only two lengths separated the winner from the second placed horse at the wire.

Both horses were ridden off the pace as trainer S. Padmanabhan`s, Burnished Gold (David Allan) also in the betting, made most of the running while Vijay Singh`s ward Dysnomia and Pesi Shroff charge, Rainbow Dash, followed in a close order behind. Suraj changed gear approaching the distance-post and Silver Beauty was soon in command as she raced towards the finishing-line with Sandesh finally making a desperate bid, to catch up with leader on the wide out.

The 1,200m Haskell David Memorial Cup, on the other hand, was closely contested between Robert Gowli`s Mellow Fellow (Ashhad Asbar) and Vijay Singh`s Drops Of Jupiter (Dashrath Singh). Mellow Fellow was seen heading comfortably towards the winning-post when Drops Of Jupiter was brought with an electrifying run, from almost the wrong end of the field to snatch the verdict, virtually at the post.

Dashrath was again in the winner`s enclosure as his charge, Suzanna, from Bharath Singh`s stable, fought another close battle and won it, too, in the 1,200m D.R. Gupta Memorial Cup. On this occasion he beat trainer Harvinder Bath`s Mister Majestic, ridden by Neeraj Rawal. Incidentally, Dashrath rode his charge to a pillar-to-post victory this time.

Dashrath-Bharath combinations had started their day on a winning note after their South India reared Serendine delivered the goods, and handsomely, too, in the 1,600m Arabian Rose Handicap. Ridden in a check as Vijay`s 6/4 favourite, The Stradle, and Padmanabhan`s joint-favourite, In The Sunrise (Allan), called the shots but the two horses were no match for the winner who came aside them and simply skated away. Sere dine had provided the professional with his first of the three wins in the afternoon`s seven-event card.

Neeraj, on his part, too, made his trip to the city a fruitful one when he guided Gowli`s The Talisman to an easy victory to justify the horse`s 3/1 odds in the 1,200m Kariba Handicap. Ridden in a check till 250m from home, The Talisman had no problem passing the long time leader, Meet The Legend (S. Zervan), from Runak Banerji`s yard.

Trainer Shyam Habbu was seen in the winner`s enclosure after a long while when he led in a winner, too. The victory of Habbu`s Ship Rock, a rank-outsider, may have hurt most pockets than providing the pleasure to the trainer in the Altimara Handicap. Apprentice Nikhil Naidu partnered the winner as he took the horse to a start-to-finish mission.

The day`s opener, the 1,100m So Amazing Handicap, too, provided a big jolt to the punters. Trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s Jacknife (Sandeep Rajput), new acquisition from the western India, turned out to be a friendless winner in the race.