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Calcutta: Trainer Vijay Singh’s in-form horse, Multitude (Hindu Singh-up), won yet another race, the 1,400m Mayfowl Cup on Saturday but half-an-hour later the hell broke out, thanks to a disputed close finish in the following race-event, the 1,400m Golden Celebration Handicap. The afternoon also witnessed Hindu Singh doing well in the saddle, with a treble, as apprentice R.S. Bhati and trainers Vijay Singh and Arti Doctor also scored a brace of wins apiece.
Multitude’s victory was on the cards but the 8/10 hot-property had to be stretched to the limit by Malesh Narredu’s Whomakestherules, inside the final furlong. In fact, the trainer could have taken the matter to the stewards’ room as the shifting out favourite hampered Whomakestherule’s path but the sporting trainer accepted the verdict.
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Half-an-hour later, it was Aashay Doctor’s Glorious Leaps (R.S. Bhati), a long shot, who got the judges’ nod over a fancied Richard Alford’s charge Sheer Force, in a desperately close finish for the 1,400m Golden Celebration Handicap. The two horses had flashed passed the post, wide apart, leaving a major section of racegoers believe that the actual winner was Sheer Force who had attracted a solid, closing time, support in the betting ring. The camera, gave the verdict in favouring Glorious Leaps.
The winner was greeted by the followers of Sheer Force with violent protests and flying missiles, and the services of the Mounted Police had to be requisitioned, to control the situation that could have taken an ugly turn.
Hindu started his day with an easy victory of Vijay’s Ruby Cube, in the Running Thunder Handicap. The 6/4 favourite, sporting the famed late MAM’s colours, was held back, on the wide out, behind his stable-mate, Gaurish (Nikhil Naidu) and a fancied Bharath Singh’s charge, Lumenac (app Surjit Paswan), till about the distance-post, before scoring a decisive victory. The three-year-old had had an easy measure of Adhira, last winter despite weight disadvantage. Adhira’s subsequent two wins had argued well in favour of Ruby Cube’s winning chances.
Hindu, atop trainer Harvinder Bath’s 8/1 shot, Gold Bond, cashed in on a below-par handling of the frontline Classic contender, Jaivant, a chance ride for C. Alford, replacing an injured Suraj Narredu. The 12/10 favourite was in a box-seat, along rails, till about 250m from home and also took over the running but, obviously, never got the required a Suraj-like assistance in the saddle in the closing stages of the race. The favourite, lost a close battle with the winner.
Alford, however made amends on Arti’s 5/2 favourite, Communique, winning the 1,400m Archer Handicap with ease.
Bhati, on the other hand, rode a well-judged race to easily land the 1,200 Adreno Handicap for Arti’s Speed Force, beating Vijay’s another fancied runner Marigold (Naidu) who was being hailed as a winner; until 70m from home.
Trainer Shafiq Khan, took over from where he had left off on Thursday, with a start-to-finish victory of a 5/2 favourite, Beatrix (Dhanu Singh Deora), in the 1,600m Bollywood Dreams Handicap.
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Beatrix (Dhanu Singh Deora up) winner of the Bollywood Dreams Handicap
Ruby Cube (Hindu Singh up) winner of the Running Thunder Handicap
Speed Force (R S Bhati up) winner of the Andreno Handicap
Gold Bond (Hindu Singh up) winner of the Chitralekha Handicap
Multitude (Hindu Singh up) winner of the Mayfowl Cup
Glorious Leaps (R S Bhati up) winner of the Golden Celebration Handicap
Communique (C Alford up) winner of the Archer Handicap
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