Trainer Rutherford Alford’s course favourite, Hartnell (Y.S. Srinath-up) scored a decisive victory, over Bharath Singh’s charge, Alldero (Dashrath Singh), in the 2,800m Calcutta St Leger, the prime attraction in Saturday’s eight-event card.
The race was run at a moderate pace but Hartnell, the 17/10 favourite, was held back in a long check while trainer Vijay Singh’s hope, Panchovilla (S. John) made most of the running. The long time leader, having run short of gas, nearing the final turn, Hartnell who had moved up places from the wrong-end of the field, took over to ward off a late challenge from Alldero.

Alldero, who had many an admirers at 9/4 in the seven-horse field, was rusty in his movement. The Multidimensional son failed to keep his early position behind Panchovilla and slid back gradually to the sixth berth but he was the fastest finishing horse in the final 100m when the race was already sewn up and in the custody of the favourite.

Trainer Arti Doctor’s Very Special (Shrikant Kamble) was, in fact, a creditable third as he displaced his staying capability, though rated poorly. The afternoon also witnessed Rutherford’s baby, Sheer Force (Srinath) registering an easy victory over Bharath’s Coup De Grace (Dashrath Singh) and Vijay’s Alyssa (John), a joint-favourite with the winner, in the 1,200m Regal Connection Cup. Net Whizz son led from the start to easily have the measure of Alyssa.

In fact, most of races in the eight-event card were claimed by those who banked on the pillar-to-post tactics.
Vijay’s The Straddle (John), a 4/1 chance in the betting, also adopted the start-to-finish mantra to profit to leave his eight rivals in a wild goose chase on his way to winning the RCTC Riding & Apprentice Jockey School Cup.
Jockey P.S. Chauhan, too, followed the day trend to profit while leading a merry a merry dance atop trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s 7/2 shot Dancing Prince in the lower division 1,100m Robin Hood Handicap.

The story was no different in the upper division of the race; which was picked up by trainer Javed Khan’s Carpe Novtem (app. P. Vikram). Taken to the front, the apprentice put in daylight between the winner and the second placed horse, Avilome Vilome (Shezad Khan), the stable-mate.

Javed’s Rustler (Dashrath) broke the day’s monotony as the 6/1 chance in the betting, was brought with a late run to have the measure of trainer
Harvinder Bath’s Demonstrate (Vikram) and Jaiswal’s fancied runner, Uncrowned King (Chauhan) in the 1,200m Oakmead Cup.
Bath’s another runner, Demonstrate (Vikram), was, however, unlucky to have lost a close battle in the concluding event, the trainer had, however, started his day on a promising note. Bath’s Glorious Run (Shezad) was brought with a late run to beat Rutherford’s City Heights (Kamble) in the 1,400m Sliver Handicap.

The other one who found favour the waiting tactics was trainer James McKeown’s Nobu (Trevor Patel), a 6/1 chance, to a hard-earned victory over Rutherfords’ friendless runner, Gentle Knowledge (app. P. Tajeshwar), in the 1,200m Royal Blue Star Handicap.