Trainer Vittal Deshmukh`s charge, Lashka, lived up to the expectations and justified the short odds with a convincing victory in the Gr 3 HPSL Byerly Turk Million, a terms race for three-year-olds, which served as the highlight of Monday`s Hyderabad races at Malakpet. The speedy progeny of Dali had already displayed her winning capabilities on debut, making her the standout choice in the field. The race affirmed this perception as the short-priced horse effortlessly outclassed the opposition.

Lashka closely tracked Glorious Power, another recent winner, well into the straight before jockey Anthony Raj unleashed the favourite`s acceleration. Despite a momentary veer inward, the jockey skilfully managed Lashka, who surged ahead effortlessly while Glorious Power faded out without putting a fight. Lashka clinched the victory by a margin of over two lengths, leaving Star of Night to secure second place while holding off the late charge from debutant Star Forever. Glorious Power, on the other hand, delivered a lacklustre performance, finishing a distant fourth, a notable contrast to the impressive nine-length win in her debut.

Trainer Sreekant trained Truth regained its winning form in the 1800 meters Agostini Plate, a race tailored for horses rated 60 to 85, after failing to break the ice at Kolkata. Anab E Shahi aiming for a hat-trick, the odds were against him due to an over cautious ride by jockey Hindu Singh. Positioned at the rear, Anab E Shahi conceded the lead to others and exacerbated the challenge by taking a wide swing at the turn, resulting in a significant distance to cover against the frontrunners. Despite a strong finish, Anab E Shahi couldn`t make up for the ground lost, and Truth, surging ahead by the final furlong, held on for the win.

Just Incredible set the pace, with High Command, Painted Apache, Huntingdon, Yesterday, Truth, and Anab E Shahi following. Anab E Shahi, positioned on the inside, was shuffled back to the last position due to crowding of the field. If Hindu Singh had chosen the shortest route home, there was a good chance of challenging the favourite Truth, who had the advantage of a quality ride from jockey Imran Chisty and greater racing experience of both the jockey and the horse. Huntingdon secured the third position, trailing by three lengths, while High Command finished a neck behind in fourth place.

Leo D`Silva`s trained horse, Pontefract, gained momentum in the final stretch to catch up with the frontrunner, Shadowfax, who was the favourite. Pontefract secured a lead inside the final 100 metres even as stablemate Silver Lining covered a significant distance in the straight, positioning itself to challenge for victory in the 1200 meters Deccan Prince Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Apprentice jockey Shivansh initially had Shadowfax in the lead, but the horse couldn`t maintain the pace and ultimately succumbed to Pontefract`s winning surge. Apprentice jockey Md Ekram Alam guided Pontefract to triumph by a shade under a length.

Worcester, another horse trained by Leo D`Silva, lived up to the expectations of the betting public by securing a determined victory in the 1400 meters G Vasudev Reddy Memorial Cup (Div II), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Despite Laxman Singh, who has recently faced setbacks with favourites, declaring the twice-failed favourite Proud Mary to be ridden by Trevor Patel, hopes for a change of fortunes were dashed. Trevor struggled to secure a forward position throughout the race, and the highly anticipated runner was outpaced throughout the straight. Worcester, guided to the front by Afroz Khan from a wide outside draw, maintained the lead despite appearing susceptible to a late surge from D Yes Boss, who came close but fell short by a neck. Burgundy Black, who had closely contested with Worcester in the previous outing and won by a narrow margin, put in a strong effort once again, but this time the favourite held firm ground.

In the 1400 meters G Vasudev Reddy Memorial Cup (Div II), a race for horses rated 40 to 65, Vittal Deshmukh-trained Trishul, ridden by jockey Anthony Raj, appeared to be cruising comfortably into the straight. However, it took considerable time for the favourite to overtake the front-running NRI Skypower. Fancied NRI Skypower, with apprentice Shivansh on board, took the lead from the beginning with Caraxes in pursuit, while Anthony Raj settled Trishul in the third position. Despite the initial impression that Trishul would easily surpass those in front, NRI Skypower continued to put up a strong fight even as Caraxes started to fade. Trishul, causing some anxious moments for supporters, eventually picked up the pace in the closing stages of the race, justifying its strong favouritism by winning with a margin of two lengths.

In the 1400 meters G Vasudev Reddy Memorial Cup (Div I), a race designated for horses rated 40 to 65, Laxman Singh-trained Australia, who had attracted significant betting interest, secured a comfortable victory. Despite being disappointing as a favourite in the past, Australia was given a forward run with the less heralded Deepak Singh in the previous outing. Terenga, a horse that had been previously campaigned ambitiously in a classic, returned to a handicap race and garnered more support than Australia. However, the favourite lacked speed failed to warm up sufficiently in the straight, and finished a well-beaten third.

Carlisle initially led the field into the final furlong after the pace-setter Angelita packed up, but the lead was short-lived. Australia, making a move approaching the final bend, steadily gained ground and covered the frontrunners by the final furlong before surging ahead to win by an impressive margin of four lengths. Carlisle managed to hold off Terenga by a whisker to secure the runner-up position.

Determining which of Laxman Singh`s horses can be trusted is not straightforward, as he often opts for top jockeys, but more often than not, they fail to deliver when the public places their trust in them.

In a race that posed a tremendous challenge to pick the winner, the underdog Ampere`s Touch pulled off an exciting victory in the 1200 meters Moment of Glory Plate (Div II), a race tailored for horses rated in the lowest category. Despite being overlooked in the betting ring, Ampere`s Touch surged in the final moments of the race to claim an unexpected win.

The firm favourite, American Flame, attracted attention ahead of D Battle and Eminency. D Battle aggressively led the field and seemed poised for victory, with Eminency and American Flame closing in. Meanwhile, Ampere`s Touch, disregarded in the betting, had some ground to make up. However, jockey N B Kuldeep induced a winning burst on Ampere`s Touch along the inside, and managed to neck out Eminency in a closely contested finish for trainer Nilesh Rawal.

D Battle and American Flame secured the third and fourth positions, with a mere nose and head, respectively, separating these two runners from the runner-up.

B Mukesh Kumar confidently nominated Minecraft to win which was reflected in the betting ring, and the favoured horse lived up to expectations by securing a decisive victory in the 1200 meters Minecraft Plate (Division II). This race, designed for horses rated 20 to 45, saw Precious leading the pack until midway in the homestretch. However, with jockey Aashad Asbar goading Minecraft, the horse swiftly advanced from the fourth position, ultimately dominating the race with a remarkable win by a margin exceeding five lengths. Silver Act claimed the second position, surpassing Rochelle. Precious, on the other hand, weakened and finished in the fourth position.