After a long wait of nearly 300 days, Fortune Son, trained by M K Jadhava, showed unwavering determination by leading from start to finish in the 1600 meters Aziz H Ahmedbhoy Trophy. This race, catering to horses rated 60 to 86, stood out as Thursday`s highest-rated trophy event at Mumbai. Jockey Prashanth Dhebe on Fortune Son set a shrewd pace throughout the race. Despite appearing vulnerable in the final furlong, Fortune Son produced the necessary reserves and held off the persistent challenge from Own Voice, ultimately securing the victory with a measure of comfort.

Malesh Narredu, the trainer of Wall Street, perhaps hoped that his horse of breaking a 417-day victory drought. Despite Wall Street`s struggle to replicate that initial winning performance, the four-year-old gelding emerged as the preferred runner. This backing contradicted recent runs that failed to showcase significant improvement deserving of such strong support. On the contrary, Fortunate Son had previously demonstrated promise with a commendable third-place finish to stablemate Exuma over a longer distance, employing a start-to-finish strategy.

Under the guidance of jockey Dhebe, Fortunate Son assumed the lead, maintaining both pace and position throughout the race. Despite a late surge from several contenders in the closing stages, notably Own Voice and Rafaello, Fortune Son prevailed. Own Voice took the second position by a narrow margin over Rafaello. Wall Street, disappointingly, settled for fourth place, not making any substantial progress along the rails in the stretch.

In the 1400 meters R R Byramji Trophy, Alpine Star, trained by Narendra Lagad, dictated the pace from the start and just managed to hold on for a victory, narrowly fending off the fast-finishing Opus Dei, who was the winner in the previous race. The race, designed for horses rated 40 to 66, saw Pesi Shroff`s Lazarus heavily backed in the betting, with Finch as the second choice, while the remainder of the field carried lucrative odds.

Jockey Mustakim Alam confidently took Alpine Star to the front, maintaining a comfortable lead into the final furlong. However, the chasing pack began closing in from behind. Despite Lazarus making significant strides in the straight, the effort was not enough to overtake the frontrunner. Opus Dei, coming from the rear of the group, displayed a threatening surge on the wide outside and crossed the finish line neck and neck with Alpine Star, narrowly missing the win. Lazarus secured the third position, ahead of Finch. Apprentice jockey Mustakim Alam who had been enjoying a good run for the last year completed riding 40 winners with this success and became a full jockey.

The day`s racing commenced with an unexpected turn of events as Brahmos, trained by Shiraz Sunderji, caused an upset in the 1400 meters D W Redi Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 1 to 26. Despite having some racing form, Brahmos wasn`t taken seriously in the betting ring. The favourite, Roll The Dice, trained by Narendra Lagad, was priced at a short value, while the other runners were considered long shots. Fontana was initially anticipated to be a strong contender, but the Pesi Shroff trainee lost significant ground at the start.

Light of Life took the lead, closely pursued by Roll The Dice, while Brahmos held its position in the middle of the pack. Fontana, attempting to recover lost ground, made a brisk move. Apprentice jockey Bhosale guided Fontana along the rails, appearing poised to be a contender in the finish. However, Fontana faced obstruction along the rails, hemmed in by Light of Life. Meanwhile, Botswana, with a clear path, surged ahead and claimed victory by half a length. Light of Life and Fontana crossed the finish line neck and neck. After what looked like an eternity, perhaps the longest time taken in the history of RWITC racing, it was finally announced that there was a dead heat for the second position between Light of Life and Fontana.

An objection was raised by Bhosale, the jockey riding Fontana, against Haridas Gore, who was on Light of Life, for narrowing the gap along the rails after shifting position in the final furlong. The situation was noteworthy because there was no third-placed horse in the race, resulting in a shared second and third place between the two horses. Upholding the objection would have presented a dilemma for the Stewards, as the camera couldn`t differentiate between the two dead-heated horses.

In the absence of a declared third horse, it remained uncertain whether the Stewards had to relegate Light of Life to third position, given that the results did not specify such a position. If Light of Life were to be moved down, it was unclear whether the Stewards could have placed the horse in the fourth position. The apprentice jockeys were represented by trainers Pesi Shroff and Malesh Narredu. Despite a differing view from Chairman Ram Shroff, the majority of the Stewards favoured maintaining the status quo. This situation appeared to be unprecedented, and the decision to preserve the current standings was likely the most prudent.

In a thrilling turn of events, Imtiaz Sait`s trained horse, Big Red, overcame a sluggish start and unleashed a formidable run down the final furlong. In a nail-biting finish, Big Red managed to outpace King`s Retreat in the closing strides of the race, securing victory in the 1600 meters Vallbhdas H Adwalia Trophy—a contest designated for horses rated 20 to 46. Despite another one of Imtiaz`s trainees, Pride`s Prince, being the stable`s favoured choice and receiving considerable backing, Big Red entered the race as a long shot. King`s Retreat held the second spot in popularity with odds of five to one.

As the race unfolded, Pride`s Prince surged strongly in the final furlong, surpassing the front-runner, Kimiko. Meanwhile, King`s Retreat bided time in the middle, and jockey Kritish Bhagat weaved his way for a clear run. Just as King`s Retreat appeared poised for victory after overtaking Pride`s Prince, Big Red, aggressively ridden by jockey Saqlain, made a powerful surge from the outer side. Big Red thwarted King`s Retreat`s aspirations and clinched the win in the race`s concluding stride.

In the 1400 meters Hyderabad Race Club Trophy, Earth, trained by Sanjay Kolse, entered the race as the clear favourite, backed by her impressive second-place finish to Spanish Eyes in the previous outing. This race, catering to maiden three-year-olds, saw Earth living up to expectations and providing a stress-free victory for her supporters, guided to the front by jockey Trevor Patel. Earth maintained a comfortable lead without requiring significant exertion, gradually widening the gap to cross the finish line with a remarkable margin of over eight lengths.

Despite Desert Classic`s persistent pursuit right from the beginning, the front-running Earth steadily pulled away, leaving her competitor trailing. Applause secured the third position. Earth`s performance suggests she is a promising young talent, and her potential bodes well for making a notable impact in the upcoming juvenile millions.

The Greater Mumbai Police Trophy, a race catering to horses rated 20 to 46, run over 1000 metres, the consistently performing runner from trainer Faisal Abbas`s stable showcased a strong performance. Despite a lacklustre showing thus far, Fiery Red received significant backing as the favourite. Phanta took the lead, closely pursued by Northern Singer and Zukor, with the rest of the field trailing behind. As the race approached the final furlong, jockey Saqlain drove out Zukor to make a decisive move, overtaking the front-running horses and securing a comfortable victory. Northern Singer claimed the second position, while Fiery Red, made a late rally to finish in the third position.

Trevor Patel pushed Cyrenaica to the maximum in the 1400 meters D W Reid Plate (Div II), a race featuring horses in the lowest category, aiming to catch up with the front-running Duffy. Cyrenaica, trained by Shiraz Sunderji, garnered overwhelming support from bettors. Saqlain guided Duffy to take an early lead and maintained a steadfast position. Only in the last furlong did Trevor Patel and Cyrenaica summon a determined effort to secure victory, narrowly edging out Duffy in the final strides of the race. Lightning Blaze made a strong finish to claim the third position.