Karthik Ganapathy-trained Regal Command finally figured out the winning formula, notching up just his third victory from a rather eventful 33-race career in the Homi Mody Trophy (2400m), a race for horses rated 80 and above, which headlined Sunday`s Mumbai card. The seven-year-old, known for his impeccable talent in giving his rivals a generous head start before belatedly waking up to the race, found himself in an unusual position—actually in touch with the field, thanks to a three-horse crawl that ensured he wasn`t left with a Himalayan task. Under new partner N S Parmar, Regal Command reeled in Golden Kingdom, the front-running favourite, in the dying strides to land the spoils.

To put things in perspective, neither of the first two finishers had won a race in over 150 days, while Rasputin, the third (and only other) runner in the fray, has been perfecting the art of patience for over 600 days. With such statistics, it was a race where something had to win, even if by default.

As expected, Golden Kingdom was sent on a start-to-finish mission, with Rasputin playing his usual waiting game and Regal Command predictably bringing up the rear. The script remained unchanged till the final furlong, where Parmar decided enough was enough, shaking up Regal Command into action. The son of Saamid, for once, responded with enthusiasm, wearing down a visibly tiring Golden Kingdom, who might have been regretting his early exertions. Rasputin, true to his form, picked up handsome stake money for simply showing up.

Pesi Shroff-trained Celestial barely broke a sweat while cantering to victory in the P D Bolton Trophy (1400m), a race for horses rated 60 to 86. With nothing in the line-up remotely looking like a threat to the hot favourite from the champion`s yard, the race was over the moment they left the gates. Sent off at absurdly cramped odds, Celestial did exactly what was expected—turned the contest into a one-horse exhibition gallop.

Jockey Vivek G took the son of Roderic O`Connor on a start-to-finish joyride, leaving the rest scrambling for minor placings. The only so-called challenger, Singer Sargent faded into irrelevance when the pressure mounted. Meanwhile, Splendido, after a sluggish start, finally found his rhythm in the stretch and managed to edge past Singer Sargent for a very distant second place, while Celestial nonchalantly sailed home by four lengths.

Over in the M D Mehta Trophy (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds, Among The Stars—touted as the favourite thanks to two flashy runs—ended up seeing stars instead, as Narendra Lagad-trained Western Star lit up the track with an impressive gate-to-wire victory. Jockey Mustakim Alam wasted no time in sending Western Star straight to the front, while Among The Stars didn`t show early speed, racing wide and in about the fourth or fifth position.

Western Star built up a healthy cushion but momentarily strayed off course, offering a glimmer of hope to Among The Stars. However, Mustakim Alam course-corrected in time, reloaded, and pulled clear, ensuring there were no last-minute heroics from the supposed favourite. Don Julio plodded on behind the top two to take a rather uninspiring third place.

After an eye-catching second-place finish last time out, Shazaan Shah-trained Esperanza had just one question to answer in the Amateur Riders` Club Trophy (1000m), a race for horses rated 40 to 66: Would she be genuinely tried? The betting ring screamed a resounding YES, as the mare`s odds kept shrinking while the rest of the field failed to attract even half-hearted financial endorsements.

Apprentice jockey Ramswarup positioned Esperanza comfortably in second, letting Fast Approach live up to his name by darting to the front—only to revert to his signature move of fading out when it mattered most. When Esperanza was asked to go, she duly took charge. Despite some erratic wandering, the apprentice showed commendable composure, allowing the Phoenix Tower mare to maintain momentum rather than wrestling her back on track. The result? A devastating five-length victory in a scorching new course record time of 56.513 seconds.

Meanwhile, Misty, returning after a four-month hiatus, did just enough to keep Quicker and Aperol at bay for the runner-up spot, suggesting that he might soon revisit his past glories—assuming he remembers where they were left behind.

If anyone was looking for a miraculous transformation, Imtiaz Sait-trained Bee Magical obliged in the M D Mehta Trophy (Div II) (1000m), a race for maiden three-year-olds. The filly, who was last all the way in her previous outing, finishing more than 15 lengths behind the winner, suddenly decided that racing near the front was a lot more fun.

Under Neeraj Rawal, the daughter of Moonlight Magic tracked Beat The Heat into the straight before casually blowing past her rivals to score by over four lengths, leaving punters wondering what exactly had changed since her last lacklustre effort. Santana Row, finishing with some purpose, managed to edge out Noorie for second, but by then, Bee Magical had already disappeared in a flash.

When a Behram Cama-trained runner attracts serious money, it usually means business, and Uzi was no exception in the Grand Passion Plate (2000m), a race for horses rated 1 to 26. The filly had caught the eye with a commendable third behind Gordon in her last outing, and punters wasted no time in loading up on her chances.

Her owner-mate Northbound did his best to make a race of it, keeping her company until the final furlong, but that was where the chit-chat ended. Once T S Jodha pressed the accelerator, Uzi pulled clear with authority, leaving Northbound to gracefully accept second place. Dianne, meanwhile, had too much to do and could only manage third, running on from the back when the real action was already over.

Races for the lowest class of horses are notorious for producing head-scratching results, but sometimes, even a minefield has a safe path, and that was Pradeep Chouhan-trained Walter in the M M T Pandole Plate (1400m) following the success of Uzi in a similar category. The betting market knew what was coming, and champion jockey Sandesh made sure the script was followed to perfection.

Walter took charge at the right moment, leaving Remy Red to play a rather passive supporting role in second. Meanwhile, Between Friends had to dig deep to keep Dagger`s Strike at bay for third, proving that even in the lowest category, some battles are worth fighting.

After repeatedly flirting with expectations only to leave punters heartbroken, Adhirajsingh Jodha-trained Ghirardelli finally delivered in the Municipal Commissioner`s Trophy (1200m), a race for horses rated 20 to 46. This time, the opposition was just soft enough for him to stamp his authority.

Early on, Manor House and the ageless wonder, Untitled, went toe-to-toe in front. At 12 years old, Untitled seems to have mastered the fine art of racing just enough to avoid retirement—a happy veteran who relishes the thrill of the turf. Manor House, on the other hand, seemed to mistake the home stretch for a scenic detour, veering out just when it mattered.

That was all the encouragement Ghirardelli needed. Storming down the wide outside, he wrapped things up in the final 100 metres with a decisive burst. Wind Dancer, showing a rare flash of enthusiasm, managed to nose out favourite Toscana for second, though neither could muster the speed to trouble the winner.