Trainer Vijay Singh’s charge, Ophion (S. John-up) scored a decisive victory in the 1,600m King Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh Cup, the feature event in Tuesday’s card. The afternoon also witnessed John helping the champion trainer reel off a treble: Fury and The Straddle being the other winners who completed their day’s tally.

Ophion, the Abbeyside son, had recently failed as a favourite in the upper class but was brought back to the lower set when the transformation in form followed, along with his improved gate manners. Ophion jumped out with the field but galloped on the wide of the field. The horse was quick to be fourth at the halfway stage and also zoomed into the winning lead 350m from home as the even-money favourite, Mariska struggled to justify her odds before finally giving way to the late finishers Washington, Coley and the long time leader, Sergeant Major.

Half-an-hour earlier, John had to coax Vijay’s 15/20 hot property, Fury, for all the filly was worth to beat trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s My Lady Love (Akash Rajput) on her way to winning the lower division of the 1,200m Adelina Handicap. My Lady Luck was at the helm from the start but Fury was, of course, in the striking range but hardly quickening when asked for efforts. It was purely John’s brute-power which saved the day for numerous backers.

Vijay’s The Straddle, on the other hand, found the target easily in the 1,400m Moon Fairy Handicap. John allowed trainer Richard Alford’s long shot, Citi Heights (Nikhil Naidu) and Shyam Habbu’s Imara (Akshay), to call the shots till about a furlong from home before taking the charge of running and delivering the goods.

Close finish were the order of the day and trainer Manvendra Singh’s 7/1 shot Midnight Star (app. Hindu Singh) was no exception in the 1,200m Star Flame Handicap. The Gaswar filly, too, had to produce her best to have a narrow measure of Vikash’s heavily fancied Simon’s Choice (Akash Rajput) while the fancied Narrendra Lagad’s runner Valentino and Shafiq Khan’s Flanker (app. Ranidan Singh) had to be contend with a tied third slot.

Lagad’s another fancied runner, Spirit Of Trium (Dashrath Singh) also found the going tough against Vikash’s rank-outsider, Jacknife I(Akash Rajput) in the 1,100m Young Lady Handicap. The winner was again brought with a late but effective run to overhaul the field.

Early in the afternoon the junior Lagad’s, Vinay’s, strongly fancied Red Bug (Hindu) had notched up the upper division of the Adelina Handicap with ease. Hindu allowed the favourite Red Bug to chase Indus Prince (Sandeep Rajput) and Timeless Magic (Mohit Singh) till about a furlong but chewed up the leaders thereafter.

Trainer Harvinder Bath’s Power of Freedom (Shezad Khan), too, was ridden in a check behind the long time leader, Kanha (Md Islam) before taken to the front to beat Robert Gowli’s Artegal (Ranidan) who’s progress on the wide out of the field was somewhat disturbed.