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The trainer-jockey combination of Hilton Sequeira and Akshay Kumar have proved to be a formidable one and they combine to get a rich haul. The combination was seen to advantage in the 1400 metres Silver Dagger Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 60 to 85, the feature event of Sunday`s races held at Malakpet. Favourite Prince Valiant played truant gave a below par performance.
Akshay Kumar had Staridar along the rails in the front position with Pontius Pilate on his outside disputing the position till entering the straight. Pontius Pilate held a thin advantage before Staridar, under a vigorous ride, asserted his supremacy in the final furlong despite drifting out under pressure. Pontius Pilate stayed on to take the second position of Reno Star who finished with a rush to be an eye-catching third ahead of Agni. Make a note of Reno Star who seems to have struck form and should add to his winning tally this season. Another Sequeira trained Soviet Pride recorded an encore with a late dash from way off the pace to collar the front-running favourite Paso Robles in the closing strides of the race to win the lower division of the race. Akshay Kumar was astride the winner. Trump Girl also showed out when finishing third.
Vittal Deshmukh trained Lightning Bolt was a cut above the rest in the 1400 metres Mossy Bank Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Jockey Trevor Patel rode an unhurried race on the favourite and let the front-runners expend themselves before weaving his passage on Lightning Bolt to come into the reckoning with a furlong left in the race. Lightning Bolt assumed command swiftly and sped away from Esteva who put up a big fight but was found wanting. Blazer was third more than three lengths adrift.
Vittal Deshmukh trained Fire Power trounced the opposition in the 1200 metres Blue Bird Plate, a race for maiden two-year-olds. The progeny of Speaking of Which ran green in the early part of the race but when the colt focused on the race by getting into a good rhythm in the stretch, there was no looking back. Fire Power covered the leeway with giant strides and went on to record an easy win in the hands of jockey Trevor Patel. Siyavash was second ahead of Horse O`War. There were two non-starters in this race while two others, Stunning Force and Akido, cut an erratic course and drifted very wide and raced on the outer sand track.
Mukesh Kumar just about managed to get favourite Spicy Star in front at the finish in the 1800 metres Windscale Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Francis Bacon ran freely in front and led deep into the straight before giving way for Spicy Star to shoot ahead in the final furlong. Spicy Star was hard-pressed by a host of horses out of whom Sweet Melody came from nowhere to miss the berth by a head. Forever Bond was a short head behind in the third position while Advance Guard was a similar margin behind in the fourth spot. Satheesh trained Royal Pal shot ahead with a furlong left in the race from a forward position and managed to win the lower division of the race by half a length over late finishing favourite Balma. Alta Vista was third.
Laxman Singh trained Downtown Gal raced aggressively and stormed clear in the final furlong to win the 1200 metres Brave Dancer Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45 by a widening margin of four lengths in the hands of jockey Ashhad Asbar. Just Incredible occupied the second slot ahead of Different. Vittal Deshmukh trained Colachel Battle produced a scintillating burst of speed on the wide outside to get past Amyra close home to land the spoils at big odds in the lower division of the race.
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Fire Power (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Blue Bird Plate
Royal Pal (Nakhat Singh up) winner of the Windscale Plate (Div-II)
Downtown Gal (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of the Brave Dancer Plate (Div-I)
Lightning Bolt (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Mossy Bank Plate
Staridar (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Silver Dagger Plate (Div-I)
Spicy Star (K Mukesh Kumar up) winner of the Windscale Plate (Div-I)
Sovet Pride (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Silver Dagger Plate (Div-II)
Colachel Battle (Irvan Singh up) winner of the Brave Dancer Plate (Div-II)
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