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Hilton Sequeira trained Aika Aika Aika who has regained the form of old, recorded a smashing win in the 1600 metres Air Command Cup, a race for horses rated 75 and above, the feature event of Sunday`s Hyderabad races. The progeny of Win Legend had the race sewn up long way for home and going by the quality of her win, she should continue to assert her supremacy.
Aika Aika Aika went to the post as an on-money favourite as judging by her last win, she looked formidable to beat a quality opposition. The confidence was not misplaced as Aika Aika Aika who was brought into strong contention from about the sixth or seventh position at the final bend in the home stretch, she powered her way past the front-runners to record an exciting win. King of Pop and Mr Baahubali had expended their energy trying to outdo each other in front and faded from the scene completely in the final furlong. Alameda, Vijay Viraaj and Time For Fun all made a cavalry charge for minor berths and they finished in the order mentioned. Time For Fun was shuffled to the back of the field soon after jump out as she got squeezed out.
Laxman Singh trained Chase Your Dreams had the best credentials to win the 1200 metres Shivkumar Lal Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 42 to 62. There was expectation that the well performed Amorous White who had already started the season on a winning note could trouble the favourite to the hilt. Amorous White was taken on a start to finish mission by jockey Mukesh Kumar but the progeny of Stern Opinion failed to change gears when Chase Your Dreams essayed a strong challenge in the final furlong after shadowing him all through. Chase Your Dreams skipped clear to win easily from Pentagon who showed surprising zest to finish second best ahead of Amorous White. The last named reportedly splayed a shoe during the race which perhaps could have come in the way of a zestful performance.
The Turf Club Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 26 to 46, produced a dramatic finish with Destined Dynamite who was the last horse to show up in the final stages of the races clinching it by a whisker in a four-horse finish. Favourite Vancouver and Prime Time disputed the issue for a long while in the straight but the race transformed completely in the final 100 metres. Royal Dynamite flew on the wide outside to nose out Shandaar in the final stride of the race. On The Fire and Prime Time occupied the next slots on the frame, a neck and short head separating them from the runner-up. The lower division of the race in contrast was a tame affair as the heavily supported Highly Acclaimed brooked no opposition as he took control of the proceedings with 200 metres left in the race and skipped away from the rest for an easy win. Warrior Supreme finished second ahead of Celtic Queen.
Satheesh trained Ice Crystal came in for spirited support in the 1400 metres Mirza Ghalib Plate, a race for horses rated 26 to 46 based on the five-year-old mare`s noteworthy second earlier in the season. Though Ice Crystal did not take a fair start, she covered places in the straight to edge out the front-running Hunter`s Pride in the closing stride of the race. Last start winner Golden Xanthus beat Dhool Ka Phool to saved place money. Brilliant and Man of the Series were all in serious betting but these horses did not justify the optimism of their supporters.
Lesser fancied Bayrd chased the front-running All Star General into the straight and bounced clear in the final furlong to go beyond the reach of the rest to win the 1600 metres Silverado Plate, a race for three-year-olds in emphatic fashion. Favourite Hope Is Eternal had considerable leeway to cover on the eventual winner and she did not prove equal to the task. Eternal Angel managed to grab the second position from Seven Eleven by a head.
Satheesh trained Sweet Story won the 1200 metres Vikarabad Plate, a race for horses rated up to 30 in a thrilling finish from Run Rey. Sweet Story and Run Rey broke away from the pack in the final furlong and got down to fight to the finish. Sweet Story had the initiative all through the final furlong though the persevering efforts of jockey Hannam very nearly tilted the race in favour of Rubi Rey who went down in the end by the proverbial whisker. War Lady was third.
Satheesh`s other winner of the day also came in a close finish. Composure narrowly held off a determined challenge from Mandy in the 1200 metres Nirmal Plate, a race for horses rated 26 to 46. Jockey Akshay Kumar lost the whip at a crucial stage of the race but he kept riding vigorously without the aid of the whip and the progeny of Mull of Kintyre responded gamely and prevailed by half a length at the finish. Shakespeare was third.
Ice Baby attempted to win the 1600 metres Best of Bold Plate (Div II), a race for horses rated up to 30 by adopting strong, aggressive measures in front. Initially, the front-runner was hassled by favourite Angel Bay who tired out to bow out of contention in the final furlong. Shivalik Arrow steadily bridged the gap inside the distance post in the hands of jockey Ajeeth Kumar and managed to storm clear in the closing stages of the race. Ayur Jyothi ran on to take the third position.
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Aika Aika Aika (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Air Command Cup
Shivalik Arrow (P Ajeeth Kumar up) winner of the Best Of Bold Plate (Div-II)
Composure (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Nirmal Plate
Sweet Story (Nakhat Singh up) winner of the Vikarabad Plate
Bayrd (Deepak Singh up) winner of the Silverado Plate
Destined Dynamite (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Turf Club Cup (Div-I)
Chase Your Dreams (Y S Srinath up) winner of the Shivkumar Lal Memorial Cup
Highly Acclaimed (R J Hannam up) winner of the Turf Club Cup (Div-II)
Ice Crystal (C P Bopanna up) winner of the Mirza Ghalib Plate
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