Ravinder Singh trained Humanitarian proved too good in the 1600 metres Raja Mahboob Karan Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the feature event of opening day`s races of the Hyderabad Monsoon Season held at Malakpet on Monday. Humanitarian who had summered at Bangalore simply left the field stranded at the top of the straight to win as she pleased by a widening margin of eight lengths. Jockey Akshay Kumar who rode the winner had a rich haul for the day, booting home four winners.

Humanitarian was generously quoted at the bookmakers` ring as initially Princess Daka was reckoned to be a big threat. However, the odds on the latter began to drift even as support for Humanitarian firmed up. Jockey Akshay Kumar kept Humanitarian a handy second behind pace setter Team Plater before pushing the favourite to take charge at the top of the straight. Humanitarian was so superior to the field that in a trice she had the race sewn up a long way from home. Painted Apache ran on to finish second ahead of Superstellar who was another four lengths adrift. It was a hopelessly one-sided contest.

During the early part of the season, the horses which would have summered at Bangalore are reckoned to be more ready than the others irrespective of their performance. This perhaps was the reason why Leo D`Silva trained Windsor was made the short-priced favourite to win the lower division of the Royston Rock Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Windsor had run twice at Bangalore and on both occasions, she had finished down the field. Vittal Deshmukh trained Bash On Regardless showed enough alacrity and speed to shoot to the lead at the jump out with the favourite Windsor in the chase. The latter made no impression as the front-runner kicked on gamely in the hands of jockey Saqlain to eventually win by a widening margin of five lengths. D Right Time ran on from behind to edge out Windsor to take the runner-up berth. Reputations cannot be made on hype but on the track was yet again highlighted the fallacy of backing horses with no credible form. Donald Netto trained Clare was quoted at miserly odds to win the lower division of the race. The favourite obliged but in the manner, she received support in the betting ring. Stablemate Decoy very nearly caused an upset. Decoy who moved with a flourish with a ground saving effort along the rails in the final furlong offered a big challenge to Clare who however reached the safety of the winning post in the hands of jockey Akshay Kumar, sparing a neck at the finish. Only The Brave was faraway third.

Prasad Raju trained Rival who had recorded an impressive win at Bangalore was the strong favourite to win the 1400 metres Firecrest Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. The odds drifted out close to race time as Mumbai import Kings Best came in for spirited betting. Lesser fancied Bangor On Dee showed up early in the stretch and shot ahead even as Kings Best and Rival were making their bids. Rival rolled in as he was hanging in and Kings Best who was making his run in the middle got squeezed between Bangor On Dee and Rival and fell behind. Both Bangor On Dee and Rival fought out all the way in the final 100 metres with the latter managing to put his neck in front at the all important end. Kings Best was third. There were two objections against jockey Akshay Kumar. Jockey Imran Khan who rode the runner-up contended that he was squeezed along the rails and he could not ride out which cost him a certain race. Jockey Ajeeth Kumar said that he had to check his horse in order to prevent him from clipping the horses in front as the space in front closed because of Rival rolling in. The Stewards overruled both the objections.

Leo D`Silva trained Livermore recorded a smashing win in the 1600 metres Falaknuma Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Livermore who had run fairly well against better quality opposition at Mumbai and Bangalore, asserted his supremacy with great deal of ease in the hands of jockey Afroz Khan. After racing a handy fourth till turning for home as Amalfitana set the pace, Livermore cruised past the opposition in the stretch in taking style to win as he pleased by a margin of over seven lengths. Aerial Combat was second ahead of Role Model. Livermore was simply too good for this set.

Life`s Living was a smashing winner for trainer Donald Netto in the 1200 metres Kothagundam Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Life`s Living led from the start and expanded the lead to over eight lengths in the straight. Stoic Hero who was also in the betting had no ghost of a chance as the front-runner had gone away when he began to make his move and had to be satisfied with the runner-up berth, sparing a neck to Saint Emillion. Vittal Deshmukh trained Temptations managed to thwart the challenge of Milton Keynes to win the lower division of the race. Temptations who was backed spiritedly ahead of Happy Go Lucky led in earnest but in the stretch was pressured by Milton Keynes all the way in the final 300 metres. However, the stronger riding of Ajeeth Kumar who had the aid of the whip clinched the issue for the favourite as apprentice Ekram Alam could not get that bit extra riding only hands and heels as he was not permitted to carry the whip. Happy Go Lucky ran on to finish third more than four lengths adrift.

The concluding race of the day, the 1400 metres Anab E Shahi Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category, went the way of the well backed Swiss Girl who led all the way and established a winning lead by the final furlong to win with great deal of ease in the hands of apprentice Sonu Kumar. Jack Daniel and his stablemate Exponent gave a futile chase finishing behind in that order.