Trainer James McKeown`s hot favourite, Occitan (Hindu Singh-up) kept her date with the 1,400m Mandolin Cup, on Saturday – the penultimate fixture of the season -- albeit, after giving some anxious moments to her hoard of backers. The afternoon also witnessed apprentice jockey Nikhil Naidu, the two senior trainers, Vijay Singh and Javed Khan, notching a double apiece. The two winners did help Vijay to consolidate his position at the top of the championship table but Javed`s pair kept him in hunt for more.

Occitan, a Win Legend filly, did have the credentials to go to the start as a hot favourite but her poor coat left lot to be desired. In spite of this, money kept on shooting in the direction of the public-choice.

Occitan, to be honest, had to fight every inch of ground in the home-stretch after being right behind the early leader, Aileen (Mohit Singh), and later in his brief pursuit of the top-weighted Sushi (app. R.S. Bhati). Thereafter, Bharath Singh`s Storm Front (app. Naidu) jumped in to the fray to make her stretch to the fullest for the half-a-length victory.

Trainer Javed Khan`s Beatles Bible (C. Alford) was the other hot favourite, who was considered as home and dry in the Make My Day Plate. However, Burden Of Proof colt had to fight a tough battle with trainer Raunak Banerji`s quietly fancied runner, Big Star (app. Nikhil Naidu), who was a well-performed youngster in his first season but needed this outing.

Early in the afternoon, Naidu, atop Xlite, had helped Javed win the Appolotina Handicap, after the trainer`s better fancied runner, Raqs Sharqi (S. John) was withdrawn before the race, on veterinary grounds. Naidu handled Xlite in a matured manner, having the 9/4 favourite settled behind the early leaders, Royal Concept and Tahmina till 300m from home. Once in the lead inside the last furlong the Sussex filly went about her task without being excessively punished.

Half-an-hour later, John was seen at advantage on Vijay`s Everglow, who claimed the 1,100m Bourbon Queen Handicap. The Top Class filly was badly ridden in her last start. On this occasion, she faced some challenge from the long time leader, Footloose (app. Rupal Singh) and Serendipity (Hindu) but was never in danger of losing the race.

Naidu also helped Vijay win the 1,200m Arapahoe Handicap with Fury, a 9/2 in the betting. The Burden Of Proof filly made her task easy with the start-to-finish tactics, frustrating Hindu atop Manvendra Singh`s equally fancied runner Midnight Magic, ridden by Hindu Singh.
In the same race, trainer Patrick Quinn`s heavily sported Amberside (S. John) performed poorly to place a disinterested fourth as trainer Sarfraz Khan`s Words finished a spirited third.

Trainer Harvinder Bath`s Demonstrate (Shezad Khan), who had been knocking at the doors, finally earned his corn bill while winning the 1,400m Azureus Handicap. The Sedgefield son allowed trainer Farley Rodrigues` Regal and Vikash Jaiswal`s Tibidabo to call the shots till about the distance-post, before shooting into the winning lead to down a heavily fancied Shafiq Khan`s charge, Dark Gold, ridden by John.

The afternoon started with trainer Arti Doctor`s wrong one, Very Special (Ranidan Singh), winning the curtain raiser, the 2,000m Active Asset Handicap. It was trainer Daniel David`s Desert Cat (Ashhad Asbar) who attracted tonnes of money, in spite of the fact that the slated trip was beyond his compass. Desert Cat tried to win the race from the start but the inevitable happened in the final 250 metres when Very Special and Zandra closed in and went past the 2/1 favourite without a fuss.