The 2022 Calcutta Monsoon season started off with a bang for turfites as well as for a young and enterprising apprentice S. Saqlain. The upcoming lad stood tall and also had the best day in his short career while steering home a magnanimous treble on his RCTC debut. A couple of friendless winners, in the afternoon`s six-event card, also kept punters on their toes while as many public choices justified their odds, making it a mixed affair for all concerned.

The main attraction in the card, the 1,200m Independence Cup, was picked up by a friendless, D. Knight Mysore, who happened to be the first winner of Saqlain. The B. Mahesh-trained five-year-old mare, was taken to the front, apparently as a pace-maker for her strongly fancied top-weighted stable-mate, The Flying Eagle (K. Mukesh Kumar). However, the winner grew stronger inside the last furlong the race to score easily, and also sent a clear message to his mentor and others that he hasn`t travelled from the southern state for doing donkey works. In the same race, trainer Shyam Habbu`s Magnite (T.S. Jodha), also a long shot, fought out a close tussle for the minor placings. However, the trio – the favourite The Flying Eagle, the second and third placed Magnite and Vanguard --found the distance too short to their liking. They need to be watched and kept in mind as early winners.

With public support in his favour now, Saqlain gained confidence and attracted strong wagering on Mahesh`s Baaeed in the following event, the 1,100m Sophisticated Lady Handicap. The budding champion won the race, leading from the start, and literally toying with the opposition, leaving the other speedsters like Exotic Queen (Jodha), Cape Tanaros (Nikhil Naidu) etc, a tired lot, well before the race took a serious turn.


Trainer Patrick Quinn`s runner, Thiago – in the concluding event, the Glotik Handicap, had not done anything special in the recent past to attract attention. Even the presence of Saqlain in the saddle, did not invite change in the public mind-set as the horse went to start a 5/1 chance after Javed Khan`s 5/2 favourite, Devushka and Neil Darashah`s Mount View who was a 4/1 chance. Thiago was nowhere in the sight; until Saqlain waved the magic wand, inside the final 150m when brought with an electrifying run to beat Aashay Doctor`s Ember Glow. Saqlain gave another silent message; ‘Ignore me not.`

Neil Darashah trained Queenstown (A. Imran Khan), however, never made a heavy weather of his facile five-length-plus victory in the 1,200m Swatantrata Handicap. In a close chase of trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s Indian tiger (Vinay Jaiswal), 250m from home, the three-year-old took over and was gone, justifying her cramped odds as Doctor`s pair of Star Justice (Naidu) and Roka (Tejeshwar) warmed up late to announce their fitness.

In an open betting affair, the well tuned Chennai import, The Mentalist, made a short work of the opposition to land the 1,100m Alibi Handicap. The 3/1 chance in the betting, ridden by B. R. Kumar, also helped his trainer Suraj Shaw claim his career`s maiden win.

The afternoon kicked off with a 10/1 shocker, Wind Chaser (app. Tejeshwar-up), who lifted the 1,200m Citi Limits Handicap – for the lowly rated runners. The six-year-old, from trainer Manvendra Singh`s stable, was brought well off the pace, inside the last furlong, to floor the early leaders, including the strongly wagered Reagan (A. Imran Khan), and the likes Azai and Legend Returns.