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Trainer Vishal Gaikwad`s firm favourite, Kings Canyon (Neeraj Rawal-up) claimed the 1,100m Police Commissioner`s Cup, albeit in the blanket-finish, on Saturday. Half-an-hour earlier, Neeraj had partnered Bharath Singh`s Arya`s Pet to an easy start-to-finish victory in the lower division of the 1,200m David Jacob Cup. Neeraj`s day had begun after the Javed Khan-trained Baccardi had gone kindly for the champion rider early in the afternoon.
In fact, the afternoon also witnessed a good number of professionals -- trainers Arti Doctor, Javed Khan and Vijay Singh and jockey S. John -- notching up a double apiece. Vijay, in particular, had a satisfying day, having saddled winners for his new out-station owners.
Kings Canyon, the 11/10 favourite, made a short-work of the opposition, with a pillar-to-post win. However, it wasn`t an easy task this time as he found the going tricky inside the last furlong when Farley Rodrigues` Taangalooma (Imran Chisty), Bharath Singh`s Aquitania (Dashrath Singh), Raunak Singh`s Meet The Legend (S. John) and Robert Gowli`s The Talisman (B. Mahesh) all made the Jeremy son stretch, depriving him the luxury of reeling off another win, his third, in a comfortable manner. It was all shorts-heads that separated the favourite in lively spectacle at the wire.
A cursory glance at the nine-event card may have signalled ‘a dull day` but the excitement was painted all over from the start. Consider Jacobin`s case. With jockey S. John having to declare 4-kg over-weight on Vijay`s baby, Jacobin, the got-abroad colt did a mini-Mithayus on his way to romping home with the upper division of the 1,200m David Jacob Cup. In the same race, Rodrigues` Amejojoo was a promising second, and a coming winner.
The lower division of the trophy was claimed by Bharath Singh`s long shot, Arya`s Pet (Neeraj), who made her own running to beat a heavily fancied colt Hartnell (Ashhad Asbar) from Rhutherford Alford`s stable. Hartnell lacked early speed but came with a strong run in the home stretch. The horse is bound to show much improvement and needs to be watched.
The victory of Vijay`s other charge, Aragon (S. John), was also a business-like one. The trainer`s new gain from western India, also subdued a good set of improving youngsters in the 1,400m Sentouki Handicap. The fact that the China Visit son was returning to the race track after exactly five months, it was quite a creditable performance. In the same race, jockey Shehzad Khan had problems settling trainer Javed Khan`s filly Francina in the early half, else she would have finished much closer to the winner.
Javed, however, had a windfall, by way of saddling his two long-priced winners – Baccardi (Neeraj) and Cronos (Mohit Singh) -- in their respective events, the division one of the Pentire Handicap and the Chase The Sun Handicap – both over 1,200 metres. Baccardi has been knocking at the door but Cronos was a real surprise packet.
The other one who sprang a surprise win was trainer Arti Doctor`s Swaraj (apprentice R.S. Bhatti), a newly acquired horse from western India. The West Virginia son fought a grim battle with his ex-upcountry compatriot, Aamerican Agatta (Hindu Singh), to stump the mare right at the post in the lower division of the Pentire Handicap.
Arti`s 7/2 chance in the betting, Taygetus (C. Alford), was, however, a facile winner of the 1,600m B.K. Poddar Cup, having an easy measure of the 9/4 favourite, The Straddle (John). The favourite may have found the mile circuit a bit taxing and he may repay following over a slightly shorter trip.
The day`s opener, the 2,000m Romantic Notes Handicap, was claimed by trainer James Mckeown`s 7/1 shot Mizuno (B. Mahesh) who was systematically brought down at the weights for a smart but quiet gamble.
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