Fresh off his victory lap aboard Psychic Star in the Indian 1000 Guineas at Mumbai, jockey Vivek G swaggered into Monday`s card like a man on a mission. Vivek piloted Winning Attitude to a confident, almost nonchalant victory in the 1400 metres Wanaparthy Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the main event on a card generously catering to the unsung heroes of the lower divisions. Not stopping at one, Vivek rode home a hat-trick for trainer Leo D`Silva.

Winning Attitude hadn`t quite lived up to her name last time out. On that occasion, Akshay Kumar reportedly described her performance as "hesitant," with the mare playing the field—quite literally—before launching a too-little-too-late rally. However, this time, she showed a different attitude. Vivek parked her in a comfortable fifth or sixth spot while Sopranos hogged the limelight upfront. The moment the field turned for home, Vivek nudged Winning Attitude awake, and the mare responded with a surge that left the rest stranded. She bolted clear in the final furlong. Meanwhile, True Icon came storming from the rear to steal second place from fellow late-riser Park Lane. As for the favourite, NRI Ultrapower, he was so far out of contention that one might have thought he didn`t line up for the start.

In the 2000 metres Sweet Girl Plate, a terms race for three-year-olds and over, punters believed Magnum would have things easy—and they were absolutely right. Trainer Imran Khan sent out Magnum as the short-priced favourite, and jockey Akshay Kumar handled him with all the flair of someone completing a leisurely afternoon jog. Leading freely from the get-go, Magnum kept the rest of the field at arm`s length. Nightmare lived up to its name—for itself, not the winner—rallying late to grab second place, while Barbet, after a brief bout of self-belief, quickly realized that the company was far more refined than expected and settled for third.

If ever there was a race for speedsters, it was the 1200 metres Zoom Zoom Plate. Expectations were riding high on Torchbearer, trained by Vittal Deshmukh, to replicate his last outing`s heroics. Unfortunately for Torchbearer, the only thing zooming was Leo D`Silva`s Calistoga. With Vivek in the saddle yet again, Calistoga flew out of the gates, leaving Torchbearer struggling in his wake. By the time Vivek asked for a little extra, Calistoga was already in another postal code, winning with ease. Torchbearer, meanwhile, probably wished for a shorter race, settling for second, while High Heels made a belated appearance to snatch third.

Over in the Hussain Sagar Cup (Div I), Donald Netto-trained First Lady decided she wasn`t in the mood for company. Jockey Santosh Raj sent her straight to the front and stayed there—much like a kid guarding the last slice of cake. By the time the others realized she was gone, First Lady was skipping home with the trophy. Favourite Vital Sign from Hilton Sequeira`s yard needed a push, shove, and perhaps a motivational speech to get past Sargent for second, while Hoping Star rallied late—a little too late, as always.

Hilton Sequeira, however, wasn`t leaving the day empty-handed. In the lower division, Emperor`s Charm strutted his stuff down the final furlong to win with supreme authority. Favourite Black Dust turned out to be exactly that—dust in the wind. Despite plenty of effort, the favourite looked like he was running in slow motion, finishing a tepid third. Meanwhile, Quality Warrior briefly threatened to make it a contest, but jockey A Prakash squeezed a little extra from Emperor`s Charm, bouncing clear with something to spare.

The day, however, didn`t exactly start like a fairy tale for jockey Vivek. Astride the overwhelming favourite Pacific Heights in the 1100 metres Step Aside Plate (Div I) for maiden two-year-olds, Vivek seemed to have taken the term “catch me if you can” a little too literally. Pacific Heights shot out of the gates as if jet-fueled, pulling six to eight lengths clear while the rest of the field seemed more interested in picking daisies or admiring the scenery.

Just when it looked like Vivek could coast to the post while sipping tea, Nilesh Rawal-trained Gachchhatu decided it was finally time to show up. After apparently spending most of the race inspecting the parking lot (or perhaps doing his taxes), Gachchhatu sprouted wings under jockey Sai Kumar and charged home with such sudden fury that Pacific Heights might as well have been frozen in place. The colt breezed past to win by over two lengths, leaving Vivek—and the punters—staring in disbelief.

As for Arizona Sun, he rolled in third, a good seven lengths behind, probably still wondering what just happened. Vivek`s indifferent ride earned him a “reward” of a few days` suspension, a stark contrast to the glory of his triumph in the Indian 1000 Guineas the day before. The highs and lows of racing—one day you`re a hero, the next you`re holding a suspension notice.

As if to balance the cosmic scales, the lower division saw a complete role reversal. This time, Nilesh Rawal`s Dubai Touch led comfortably with a handy cushion going into the final furlong, leaving most to assume the race was over. But Vivek, perhaps smarting from the earlier shocker, pulled off his best magician act yet. Astride Beverley, he conjured up a burst of speed. Under a relentless drive, Beverley caught Dubai Touch at the wire, winning by a neck and snatching victory from what looked like certain defeat. The trio of Mystical Dawn, Turiya, and Royal Warrior were left watching the front pair duke it out, finishing in close order behind the battling duo.

NRI Dheera came in for one-sided support in the Next Move Plate (Div I), a 1100-metre sprint for horses rated 20 to 45, and lived up to every bit of it. With jockey Kuldeep Singh merely going through the motions, the Netto-trained runner cruised home ahead of a late-charging Mauser and American Flame, leaving the competition gasping in her wake.

The lower division of the race, however, turned into a heart-stopper. Another Netto ward, NRI Skypower, had to dig deep under jockey Santosh Raj to edge out favourite Dali`s Champion by a whisker. The duo engaged in a slugfest down the final furlong, neither giving an inch, but NRI Skypower found just enough in the tank to prevail, while the rest of the field finished in another postal code.