Anant Vatsalya`s trusty charge, Imperia, didn`t disappoint, taking top honours in the 1400-metre Prince of Berar Trophy (Div I) at Malakpet. Coming off a minor dip in form after a hat-trick of wins, the progeny of Declaration of War roared back with a performance that left no room for doubt. Backed heavily, Imperia led the pack from start to finish under jockey Ajeet Kumar, who adapted quickly to her front-running style—a change from his usual come-from-behind strategy.

The competitive field saw Lucky Zone positioned as the main threat, but with Imperia blazing forward, challengers struggled to keep pace. Malibu tried to apply pressure early on, pestering Imperia until the final bend. But when Ajeet gave her the cue, Imperia surged, shrugging off her pursuers with ease.

Decoy launched a valiant late bid but was forced to settle for second, unable to match Imperia`s determined gallop. Lucky Zone, meanwhile, found the blistering pace too hot to handle, rounding out in third.

Jockey Mukesh Kumar was in blistering form, notching his fourth win of the day aboard Hugh Capet—a chance ride that turned into a masterclass for trainer Sandeep in the 1400-metre Prince of Berar Trophy (Div II). With an open field, Hugh Capet found himself a popular choice, edging out support even over the last-start winner, Oliver`s Mount. Oliver`s Mount, however, seemed to be in no hurry to start the race and perhaps carried that lackadaisical spirit right through, delivering a tepid performance that had fans squinting just to spot him in the field.

Up front, Maverick led into the final furlong, fending off challenges from Juramento on the rail and Reigning Beauty. But Mukesh Kumar, on a hot streak, had other plans. In a move that`s becoming his signature, he angled Hugh Capet from the inside to the outer lane, and the horse responded with a fierce turn of foot. With a powerful late surge, Hugh Capet breezed past Maverick in the closing strides, securing a hard-fought victory. Fly To The Stars followed in third, with Reigning Beauty trailing close behind. Another spectacular win for Mukesh`s record books!

When it comes to trainer Satheesh`s horses, subtlety isn`t exactly on the menu. His steeds know only one tactic: blast to the front and hang on for dear life, regardless of how far they need to run. Sometimes, the stars align, and these horses actually manage to stay ahead. Ambitious Star, one of Satheesh`s "front-or-nothing" brigade, finally snapped a 300-day winless streak by leading every step of the way in the 1200-metre Recommender Plate (Div II), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Jockey Md Ekram Alam must have thanked his lucky stars that nobody tested his pace too early, letting Ambitious Star breeze along.

By the final bend, Ambitious Star had a decent lead as favourite Newfound Glory took up the chase from fourth position. The favourite covered plenty of ground in the stretch, but Ambitious Star, with a touch of fortune and a bit of grit, hung on by just under a length. Dream To Fly also made a late run, picking up third without troubling the top two.

Favourite Mix The Magic lived up to the hype in the 1200-metre Recommender Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45, with a performance as smooth as they come. Jockey Mukesh Kumar kept things refreshingly straightforward—no theatrics, just pure speed. Mix The Magic took command from the gates, setting the pace while Classy Dame and Sucker Punch followed along, likely wondering if they`d get a chance to catch their breath.

Mix The Magic cruised ahead without breaking a sweat, keeping the lead comfortably all the way to the finish. Classy Dame couldn`t keep up and faded out of the contest, while Una Paloma Blanca, who had bided her time in about fifth, decided to make a late statement. She bolted forward in the final furlong, charging into second place ahead of Sucker Punch. The rest? They seemed more interested in sightseeing down the stretch, barely making a move as Mix The Magic wrapped up a solid, no-nonsense victory.



In the day`s upset, Barbet from Magan Singh Parmar`s stables pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the 1400-metre Sri Shamlal Gupta Memorial Cup (Div II), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Kings Best, the last-out winner and firm favourite, received the lion`s share of support but faced relentless pressure. Jockey Sai Kumar pushed Kings Best to the front, but he was hounded by Mr Perfect the whole way. Meanwhile, Miss Little Angel looked poised to swoop from third, seemingly the next in line to land a winning strike. However, Mukesh Kumar had other ideas; he brought Barbet from the inside rail to the far outside, producing a turn of foot that no one saw coming. Barbet flew past Miss Little Angel with ease, clinching a decisive win, while Kings Best was left struggling for third, well behind the action upfront.

The Magan Singh and Mukesh Kumar duo seemed to be on fire, notching up a hat-trick when longshot Tripurari made jaws drop with a late, electrifying surge to snatch victory in the final furlong. It was a classic thriller, as Tripurari blew past a scrambling trio—Runlikethewind, Only The Brave, and Shadow Fax—right in the last few strides.

Blissful went in as the marginal favourite, but with odds that were more a reflection of blind optimism than genuine confidence, as picking a winner here was anyone`s guess. Blissful, usually a front-runner, couldn`t set the pace, and it was clear the jockey was a fish out of water without his usual lead position. Meanwhile, Runlikethewind took over the reins with jockey Saqlain urging him along, fighting off determined bids from Only The Brave and Shadow Fax.

Then came the twist. Mukesh Kumar, seeing the jam unfolding on the inside, took Tripurari wide, betting on the open ground. Tripurari, with over 300 days of pent-up racing frustration, unleashed a fierce finishing kick, cutting down the leaders in the blink of an eye and finally ending that winless streak. Runlikethewind was second ahead of Shadow Fax and Only The Brave.

Just 21 days after his last triumph, Sreekant-trained Indian Temple delivered another gem of a performance, snatching victory from Brooklyn Beauty in the dying moments of the Sri Shamlal Gupta Memorial Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Despite all logic, Donald Netto`s City of Blessing—winless for a whopping 600 days—went off as the favourite, leaving punters and market watchers scratching their heads.

Meanwhile, quietly fancied Indian Temple played his cards right. Brooklyn Beauty bolted to the front, carving out a decent lead and looked set to take it home. But by the final 100 metres, the five-year-old mare started feeling the heat, and jockey Sai Kumar seized the moment, unleashing a perfectly timed run on Indian Temple. After a brief but thrilling tussle, Indian Temple surged ahead just before the wire, securing a hard-earned win.First Class made a late move to finish third, while City of Blessing, despite being in the mix at the final bend, vanished from contention, leaving fans wondering why it was favoured in the first place.

Prasad Raju-trained Battle On lived up to its name, digging deep to secure a hard-fought victory in the 1400-metre Hidden Bloom Plate. After finishing a close fourth last time out, Battle On faced a sluggish start, lacking that spark off the blocks. But jockey Sai Kumar kept the horse moving, coaxing it into rhythm, even as front-runner Mauser cruised comfortably and seemed on course for the win.

The final furlong turned into a nail-biting duel. Battle On, undeterred by the slow start, surged forward, trading strides with Mauser in a thrilling head-to-head that went down to the wire. In the very last stride, Sai Kumar`s powerful ride paid off as Battle On edged out Mauser for a memorable victory. Deccan Ranger picked up third, while Club Queen and Politics—the two market favourites—faded without much impact.