If ever there was a lesson in redemption arcs, Pesi Shroff`s Zuccaro just delivered a masterclass. The same horse who had flopped so badly last time out—causing more head-scratching than a bad haircut—turned into an equine bulldozer at Mahalakshmi on Sunday. With English ace Oisin Murphy in the saddle, Zuccaro not only won the 2000-metre Eclipse Stakes of India, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, one of the highlights of the Derby Day programme, but did so with utter disdain.

The last time Zuccaro graced the track, his performance was so uninspiring that even trainer Shroff had to publicly frown—Trevor Patel`s ride being the primary target of his displeasure. That resulted in the jockey earning a two-day timeout—or as we call it, a short vacation courtesy of the stewards. But let`s not pretend that explains everything. Racing, after all, is full of imponderables—one day a horse is a dud, the next it`s a deity. Either way, Sunday was all about Zuccaro proving he was no one-hit wonder.

The betting market provided a little pre-race drama of its own. Last time out, Imtiaz Sait`s Geographique had obliterated the same field, including our now-celebrated hero. Naturally, he was expected to be a major player again. But punters had other ideas. As Zuccaro became the firm favourite, Geographique was treated like yesterday`s news.

Neeraj Rawal, tasked with steering Geographique, did what he does best—let the race run him rather than the other way around. He took off in front but burnt too much fuel early, ensuring that when the serious racing began, his mount was about as effective as a spent matchstick. Meanwhile, Murphy had Zuccaro perfectly poised, lurking in the shadows like a big-cat predator before pouncing with lethal intent at the top of the straight. The son of Kingda Ka unleashed a finish so explosive that his rivals might as well have been running backwards. He crossed the wire in a jaw-dropping 1 minute 59.45 seconds, breaking the track record and leaving his closest pursuer more than three lengths in arrears.

David Allan-guided Evaldo ran on to grab third, while Geographique—so imperious last time—ended up searching for excuses in the unflattering section of the results sheet.

Whether Zuccaro will take aim at the Invitation Cup in Chennai on the first Sunday of March or be directed elsewhere remains to be seen. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but the mile-and-a-half trip of the Invitation Cup has posed questions that even the most exceptional horses have struggled to answer.

David Allan`s masterful understanding of the Mahalakshmi track—where he often outshines his rivals—was on full display in the 1600-metre Rusi Patel Trophy, a terms race for four-year-olds and over. James McKeown-trained Once You Go Black had been running consistent races but found the winning post elusive. This time, everything fell into place—the race`s tempo, Allan`s forceful finish, and the horse`s late surge combined seamlessly to deliver yet another graded race success for the Win Legend progeny.

Bangalore challenger Siege Courageous, from Prasanna Kumar`s yard, was the strong favourite ahead of Once You Go Black and the improving El Greco, who entered the race riding a wave of back-to-back wins. West Brook set the pace before ceding the lead to El Greco in the homestretch. The Pradeep Chouhan-trained El Greco dug deep, battling hard to repel challenges from Siege Courageous, Dream Alliance, and Mojito. But just as he seemed to have done enough, Once You Go Black—who had been biding his time at the rear—produced a withering run on the wide outside.

Allan`s powerful urgings met a willing response as Once You Go Black swooped down on the front-runners, storming past them to win with a measure of comfort. El Greco held on for second, keeping Siege Courageous at bay for third.

Prasanna Kumar-trained Prokofiev, a colt highly rated by the stable and expected to be a serious contender in the Poonawalla Multi-Million, was the betting rage in the 1400-metre Sir Homi Mehta Breeders` Produce Stakes, a race for three-year-olds. David Allan settled Prokofiev in third before angling out in the homestretch and pressing the button. The Leitir Mor progeny unleashed a dazzling turn of foot, storming clear with authority and still had enough in reserve to stave off the late challenge of Sovereign King and early pace-setter Gunsmoke. Ice Of Fire ran a commendable fourth.

The Keki D Mehta Memorial Million, a race for maiden three-year-olds, delivered a hammer blow to punters as Pesi Shroff-trained Fynbos landed a stunning upset. Stablemate King`s Gambit was the firm favourite, with Diego Garcia also well-fancied. The two engaged in a fierce duel down the final furlong, with Chris Lemaire and Sandesh throwing everything at their respective mounts. Just as Diego Garcia appeared poised to edge ahead, Fynbos, who had been biding her time at the rear until the final bend, swooped down the outside with a wing-flapping charge, securing a decisive victory at 10-1. Dedication, finishing fourth, hinted that he could be a live wire when placed against more reasonable opposition—whenever the connections decide to pull the trigger.

Pesi Shroff`s Constable added another victory to his list, cruising to a dominant win in the 1200 meters Coromandel Gromor Million, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. Relaxed early in the fourth or fifth spot, the bay horse powered his way past the front-runners with ease, under jockey Vivek G`s calm guidance. By the final furlong, Constable was in command, securing a smashing win. Azrinaz, who had stumbled at the start and lost valuable ground, found her rhythm to charge into second, ahead of Ataash. The early pace setters, Cellini and Hall of Grace, faded away by the final furlong.

Malesh Narredu trained big Bay was spot on for the 1200 metres B K Rattonsey Memorial Maiden Multi-Million, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Padmanabhan trained Miracle Star was next in demand. Jockey Yash Narredu managed to hit the front from the wide outside draw and Big Bay stayed put in front and enjoyed a winning lead over the rest by the final furlong. Miracle Star lacked the early speed and found himself in the rear and had impossible ground to cover on the front-running favourite. David Allan drove out Miracle Star relentless and the horse responded brilliantly but the front-runner was too far in front to cover up the entire leeway but nevertheless finished an impressive second. Merlet nosed out Charlie Brown to get the third spot.

Pradeep Chouhan`s The Millenium Force suffered a narrow defeat again, this time to the long-shot Hagibis in the 1400 meters IN Memory of Enabler Million, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Chardikala, backed to the hilt, made no impact at all in this one. Hagibis and The Millenium Force were locked in a thrilling duel in the final furlong, with Hagibis just managing to inch ahead to claim victory by a whisker. King Ke nosed out Scorcese for third.

After waiting for 427 days, Antia`s Nelson River made an emphatic return to the track, claiming victory in the 1200 meters Rustomjee Golden Million Legacy, a race for the lowest-rated horses. Anthony Raj expertly navigated his mount from a handy third position to challenge for the lead in the final furlong. Nelson River held off a late challenge from Betsy to secure the win, with Prince Igor finishing third. Imtiaz Sait trained You, had some support from the punters but faded away when it mattered.