Sulaiman Attaollahi`s West Brook, fresh off a confidence-boosting win against Madam Rich (who promptly strutted her stuff with a victory in Pune), left no room for debate in Monday`s 1800-metre Silver Jet Plate at Malakpet. A race for horses rated 60 to 85, this contest was supposed to be the day`s main event – but in the end, it felt more like West Brook`s personal parade.

Arriving at the post as the firm favourite, jockey Akshay Kumar barely had to lift a finger as he guided the Bangalore raider to a textbook, start-to-finish ride. With a relaxed, almost nonchalant elegance, West Brook dictated the pace from the get-go and ran the race in isolation. If anyone was hoping for drama, they had to settle for the scrap over second place, where Hurricane Bay and Fly Me To The Stars fought it out. Fly Me To The Stars managed to steal second in a photo-finish at the post, but by then, the winner had already left the stage.

West Brook had raced on Hyderabad`s turf a few times before, but her previous efforts had only earned her a couple of runner-up ribbons. This time, however, the Western Aristocrat, she was in a more comfortable handicap race and hence assured of a win. Even Akshay Kumar, who normally prefers stalking from behind, couldn`t resist sending his charge straight to the front. With a sharp burst in the final furlong, West Brook extinguished any faint hopes that her rivals might have entertained.

Beyond the top three, it was a case of also-rans. Many in the field seemed more focused on shedding weight than chasing victory. Kuldeep Singh Sr., aboard Hugh Capet, nearly toppled out of the saddle at the start but managed to hang on.

Trainer Anant Vatsalya`s dependable charge, Wallop And Gallop, who has consistently brought home the bacon by regularly finishing on the board this season, treated his connections to a delightful bonus win in the 1600-metre Shiv Kumar Lal Memorial Cup. The race, for horses rated 40 to 65, was expected to be competitive, but Wallop And Gallop had other plans.

Positioned towards the rear early on, jockey Ajeeth Kumar guided his mount along the rails, biding his time as the race unfolded ahead of him. Meanwhile, Divine Destiny, the early leader, began to fade, opening the door for Brooklyn Beauty to take command. But things were far from settled, as a herd of eager competitors were looming large, all vying for their moment of glory. For a brief, nerve-wracking moment, Wallop And Gallop`s chances seemed to be slipping away as Divine Destiny wobbled in front of him like an unexpected roadblock.

Cool-headed as ever, Ajeeth navigated his way out of the traffic jam, and Wallop And Gallop—true to his name—unleashed his signature burst of speed. It looked like favourite Barbet had stolen the race, emerging from the pack and galloping towards victory. But just when the celebrations for Barbet`s camp were about to begin, Wallop And Gallop swooped in, beating the favourite to the post by a slim but decisive half-length. Lady Danger made her presence felt with a strong late run, snatching third place from longtime leader Brooklyn Beauty, in a finish where the top six horses were all within striking distance of each other.

Bharath Singh-trained Kalki may well be earning a reputation as the ultimate tease—always giving hope but never quite delivering. Once again, the three-year-old was tipped for a big performance in the 1200-metre G Sudhakar Reddy Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. However, Leo D`Silva`s Ponterfact had other plans, clinching his second win of the season by fending off Kalki`s late charge in a nail-biting finish.

Ponterfact had the advantage of apprentice jockey Shivansh`s decisive strategy, taking the lead right from the start, while Kalki—unfortunately—became the victim of jockey Abhay Singh`s tactical misstep. In racing, they say you can give weight but not distance, and Kalki found himself paying the price for conceding too much ground. While Ponterfact was setting the pace at the front, Kalki languished at the back, leaving himself with a mountain to climb.

As the race entered the home straight, Ponterfact began to look vulnerable, and Kalki surged forward with striking acceleration. But as always seems to be the case with Kalki, the thrilling burst of speed was wasted on catching up rather than surging ahead. By the time Ponterfact dug into his reserves, Kalki had run out of steam, falling short by a frustrating half-length. Knotty Senorita claimed third, though she was more than three lengths behind the top two.

Jockey Shivansh couldn`t replicate his earlier heroics aboard Leo D`Silva`s Quality Warrior in the 1400-metre Nelston Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. While Quality Warrior launched into a bold start-to-finish mission, favourite Shadow Baby settled in third and second favourite Alcohol Free languished at the back, biding her time.

It looked like a comfortable victory for Quality Warrior, who enjoyed an uncontested lead and powered ahead, building a formidable gap in the final furlong. Even after veering off course and then rolling back towards the rails, the front-runner appeared poised to scrape home for a win. However, as is often the case in racing, the drama was far from over.

Just as Quality Warrior seemed to have things sewn up, Alcohol Free suddenly appeared from the rear with a late rally that was as unexpected as it was electrifying. In the closing strides, Alcohol Free nosed out Quality Warrior at the wire, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Shadow Baby was a rather underwhelming third, never really living up to her billing in a race where the finish stole the show.

After the heartbreak of Quality Warrior losing by a whisker, Leo D`Silva had reason to smile as his charge Windsor delivered a commanding performance in the lower division of the Nelston Plate. Well-backed in the betting market, Windsor proved too classy for the equally fancied See My Attitude, ensuring there were no close calls this time.

Jockey Akshay Kumar played it smart, tracking Swiss Girl patiently into the straight before unleashing Windsor`s final assault in the last furlong. As Windsor stormed ahead, Yash Narredu on See My Attitude threw everything he had into chasing the leader but found himself outgunned in the end, See My Attitude had to settle for a gallant second, unable to match Windsor`s brilliance. Federer followed in third, rounding off in a race that left no doubt about who ruled the day.

A Imran Khan-trained Indradhanush had no trouble living up to expectations in the 1100-metre Nagarkurnool Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. With jockey Ajeeth Kumar at the helm, Indradhanush embarked on a start-to-finish mission, setting the pace early and never looking back. The front-runner skipped clear in the final furlong, cruising to an easy victory over Pancho, while Assured Success ran on to claim third place.

Meanwhile, the betting trend in the 1000-metre Rock of Gibraltar Plate, a race for maiden three-year-olds, hinted at a close battle between Diablo and Arion One. However, the much-anticipated duel turned into a one-horse show, with Ravinder Singh-trained Arion One running away with the race. After Lorven Lov led the field into the straight and quickly faded, both Arion One and Diablo made their moves at the same time inside the final furlong. But the expected clash never materialized—Arion One left Diablo in her wake, powering home by a stunning margin of over eight lengths. Jolly Duster finished second, ahead of a disappointing Diablo, who could only manage third. Akshay Kumar who rode Arion One went on to boot home three winners.