Under jockey Neeraj Rawal`s guidance, Chopin engaged in a fierce battle with the favoured Mojito in the 1600 meters Karl Umrigar Trophy, the highlighted event of Thursday`s Mumbai races. Ultimately, Chopin emerged victorious by the narrowest margin. The M.K. Jadhav trainee, Mojito, the crowd favourite, consistently falls just short of expectations. Even when coming tantalizingly close to overtaking competitors, Mojito reveals inherent shortcomings, casting him as a perpetual runner-up.

The trainer has struggled to rectify this trait, leading to consistent letdowns in Mojito`s career. Despite the allure of supporting Mojito, he consistently falls short of expectations, disappointing hopeful fans. Notably, the Karl Umrigar Trophy, dedicated to the memory of the late jockey, has consistently been claimed by Pesi Shroff, his cousin and a renowned champion trainer.

In his last run, Mojito narrowly lost to Dyf, sparking widespread belief in his ability to outpace Chopin. Chopin, following an impressive second-place finish behind Golden Neil in a shorter race was generously quoted in the ring. Jockey Neeraj Rawal positioned Chopin behind Cour De Lion till turning for home before increasing the tempo to snatch the early in the stretch. Mojito, making a threatening run, appeared poised to overtake the front runner but ultimately fell short, losing the race by a narrow margin. Cour De Lion claimed the third position, trailing by about three lengths. Flying Visit, currently out of form, lagged and finished distantly in fourth place.

Geographique had showcased an impressive performance in her recent outing, putting up a resilient fight against Sea The Sun despite reported issues with burst blood vessels. Interestingly, Regal Command initially attracted significant betting, sharing favouritism with Geographique before the latter gained stronger support just before the start of the 2000-meter Radha Sigtia Trophy. Wall Street, winless for 424 days, led the field briskly but yielded to Geographique at the top of the straight. The five-year-old mare surged ahead, securing a comfortable victory over Magneto, who persistently chased throughout the straight. With jockey Neeraj Rawal was astride the winner and he thus completed a quick double for the day. Regal Command who enjoyed strong support in the betting ring, made some ground on the leaders in the straight from the rear position but faltered in the final furlong, finishing a disappointing third, contrary to the confidence displayed by his connections.

Santissimo claimed an impressive victory in the 1000-meter Nadia Mary Homi Wadia Trophy (Div II), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Sanjay Kolse-trained Fast Approach who had finished a close third in his last outing, showed considerable speed, leading by lengths throughout the race. While Fast Approach seemed poised for victory with a commanding lead into the final furlong, Pesi Shroff-trained Santissimo made a remarkable late surge. Santissimo`s blistering run ensured a stylish overtake, leaving Fast Approach to grapple with the consequences of an energetic early pace. Touch of Gold secured the third position in the race. Santissimo appears to be a good type of youngster.

In the M M T Pandole Plate, a 1600-meter race for horses in the lowest category, Gimme secured victory under the training of S S Shah. Despite Silver Steps being the favourite, the Shazaan Shah trainee never gave hope of justifying the support that he got. Lightning Blaze led initially but weakened in the home stretch, allowing Gimme to surge ahead and establish a winning lead by the final 100 meters. Jockey M S Deora steered Gimme to an easy win. Goldiva, often falling short due to slow starts, faced a similar setback in this race despite a strong effort by Trevor Patel, finishing a notable second. Silver Steps secured the third position.

Overcoming setbacks of her juvenile days, New Dimension, the daughter of Multidimensional, showcased peak form with a convincing victory in the 1200-meter Maharaja Sir Pratapsingh Gaekwad Trophy. The Malesh Narredu-trained New Dimension, strongly backed to win in the race for horses rated 40 to 66, lived up to expectations, leaving late-rallying Misty behind. Jockey Yash Narredu positioned New Dimension in the fifth position as Esperanza set a fast pace but faded in the final furlong. Displaying remarkable acceleration in the home stretch, New Dimension swiftly surpassed competitors to secure an easy win over Misty, who made a late surge from the rear. Empower claimed the third position, outpacing Nelson River. Esperanza returned sore from the race.

In the 1000-meter Nadia Mary Homi Wadia Trophy (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds, the anticipated favourites faced early exits. Raise The Stakes, heavily backed in the betting ring, became fractious at the gates and was subsequently withdrawn. The second favourite, Mumtaz, showed little interest in the race, starting slowly and remaining stationary. Dazzling Duchess initially led the field into the straight, with Sanjay Kolse-trained Redouble in pursuit. Taking over the lead with a furlong left, Redouble surged ahead and claimed victory. Villanelle finished strongly, securing the second position ahead of the long-time pace-setter.

Shiraz Sunderji trained Ultimo displayed superior credentials in winning the 1400 meters F K Vakil Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Jockey Saqlain had Ultimo to take charge from the start. The favourite maintained a commanding lead throughout the home stretch, securing victory effortlessly. The late-finishing Koenig claimed the second position, while Treasure Gold finished third. Despite considerable betting support, Lord Fencia, the second favourite, lost touch with the front-runner and faded out of contention during the run for home