Trainer Vijay Singh and his stable-jockey, Hindu Singh, almost cleaned the Wednesday`s – the opening day of the monsoon Season`s -- six-event card. The four races each of the two champions bagged were the public choices but were claimed with stamps of authority, leaving the sizeable race crowd as a happier lot. More importantly, the likes of Jake and Galen, the top-rated youngster of last season, not only benefitted by their lung opening efforts, they also earned the much needed winning stakes.

Jake, the shortest priced runner on the day, needless to say, won by a yawning margin of five-plus lengths as he virtually made it a start-to-finish affair in the 1,100m Brown Wolf Handicap, leaving his stable-mate, Dandi Satyagraha in a futile chase, despite the latter`s 5-kg weight advantage. So much so, Mr Dandi also had to use the muscle-power of jockey R.S. Bhati to keep the top-weighted Kimaya at bay while the Win Legend`s son, the half-money favourite , was being eased up way before the all important post.

Judged by the margin yard stick, Galen`s victory, in an identical set vying for the 1,200m Sreepriya Handicap, was no match. But his winning effort was quite facile, considering that this Win Legend progeny was ridden in a long check. Also a serious contender for the forth-coming Classics, the 13/20 hot favourite, Galen, just needed a reminder or two, inside the final furlong before taking an easy measure of the tiring longtime front-runner Resolute, a stable-mate, and also of the spirited performer Atom, from Aashay Doctor`s yard.

In-between the two wins of youngsters, Vijay-Hindu combo had also claimed the 1,100m Aerona Handicap, for horses in Class II. It was the sheer speed and fitness of the Hyderabad-migrant, Sitara, that upset the rhythm of the opposition, that also included the five-year-old mare Dandi March, who happened his stable-mate. The winner, an Arazan mare and the 13/10 favourite, was at a narrow advantage until the home turn but was gone, skating away in a trice thereafter to record the longest margin of victory in the day`s card.

Surprisingly, the other speed merchant, Cletus, in the concluding event, the 1,200m Goldliner Handicap, was ridden in a check for his four-length victory over Manvendra Singh`s Mystic Star (Shezad Khan). The later was also in the money but the expanding, 2/1 odds of Cletus hardly worried her backers.

Cletus, a David Livington son was held back behind Mystic Star, Script and Rare Bird but switched course and the gear 250m from home to advertise his superior class. A far away third in the million, Cletus is expected to win more races over the identical sprints.

Favourites bit the dust until the Vijay-Hindu took over from the third race onwards. In the opener, the 1,100m Reliable Handicap, trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s 12/10 public choice, Shivalik Silk (Vinay Jaiswal) proved no match for the Javed Khan`s fitter and speedy Zodiac Prince (app Prathvi Singh). Trainer B. Mahesh`s D. Knight Mysore was another one to let down as a 5/4 favourite in the following event, the 1,100m Thrifty Allan Handicap. The race was won by Daniel David-trained Eastside (Azharuddin), a long-shot.

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Zodiac Prince (Prathvi Singh up) winner of THE RELIABLE HANDICAP

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Eastside (Md Azharuddin up) winner of THE THRIFTY ALLAN HANDICAP

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Jake (Hindu Singh up) winner of THE BROWN WOLF HANDICAP

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Sitara (Hindu Singh up) winner of THE AERONA HANDICAP

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Galen (Hindu Singh up) winner of THE SREEPRIYA HANDICAP

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Cletus (Hindu Singh up) winner of THE GOLDLINER HANDICAP

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