Pesi Shroff-trained Chamonix effortlessly secured victory in the 2800 metres Byculla Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the featured event of Sunday`s Mumbai races. Chamonix, renowned as the country`s best stayer, excels in long-distance races, making his triumph a mere formality each time he competes in such events. This race was no exception, as Chamonix confidently navigated the course, winning by a considerable distance. Golden Kingdom led the way for Chamonix until the favourite took over the running and then completed the formalities.

Jockey Pradeep Chouhan waited for the home stretch before urging Chamonix to accelerate. The talented stayer effortlessly overtook Golden Kingdom, securing victory without being extended. Chamonix, who is sparingly raced, marked his sixth win out of 11 outings. Chamonix looks poised to win the upcoming Gr 1 Stayers Cup in Kolkata next month which eluded him narrowly last year.

In the latter part of the race, Golden Kingdom faced a late challenge from a nine-year-old gelding Truly Epic, a seasoned horse with 53 races to his credit! The two horses crossed the post in a dead heat, and the camera couldn`t separate them. A dead-head for the second place thus ensued.

Narendra Lagad-trained Son Of A Gun entered the 1200 metres Mathradas Goculdas Trophy, a race for horses rated 80 and above, with promising credentials. However, as is often the case in racing, the ones considered strong on paper may reveal weaknesses in their performance. Such was the scenario for Son Of A Gun, who faced a decisive defeat by the less fancied Protector, trained by Faisal Abbas.

In a surprising turn of events, Protector rallied impressively in the final furlong, securing a comfortable win over the overwhelming favourite, Son Of A Gun. Despite having good credentials, Son Of A Gun could not match the late surge of Protector. Interestingly, some trainers, despite their best efforts, may consistently struggle to secure victories with favourites, a phenomenon that is difficult to explain.

Apprentice jockey Bhosale, aboard Son Of A Gun, attempted to challenge the front-running Amazonia by taking a wider path. However, control over the horse proved difficult as the horse veered in aggressively, leading to interference with Amazonia who was along the rails and Cellini. The race concluded with Protector claiming a well-deserved victory, Son Of A Gun finishing second, and late-rallying Cellini and Baby Bazooka, with a late flourish, securing the third position.

An objection was raised by Neeraj Rawal, who rode Cellini, against Bhosale for interference at the final furlong by drifting in, nearly clipping and causing Cellini to lose all chances. As this was a clear case of careless riding bordering on the dangerous, the objection was upheld by the Stewards. Consequently, Son Of A Gun was relegated to the third position, and Cellini was promoted to the second spot.

In the 1200 metres Ibrahim A Rahimtoola Cup, a race featuring horses in the lowest category, the betting trend hinted at a direct competition between Galloping Ahead and Liam. Both horses garnered nearly equal support in the betting ring. However, it became apparent that only one of the two was seriously committed to the race strategy.

Despite the close support in betting, Trevor Patel, riding Galloping Ahead, chose a challenging path by maneuvering through the rails. Unfortunately, this decision resulted in his passage being completely blocked, rendering him out of contention by the final furlong. In contrast, Srinath opted for the wider outside route, effortlessly overtaking the front-running House of Lords in the final furlong for a comfortable victory.

Demetrius made a strong finish from behind, securing the second position, while House of Lords weakened to claim third place. Galloping Ahead, whose chances were significantly hindered by a lacklustre ride from the experienced jockey Trevor Patel, could only manage a fourth-place finish. The absence of intent was evident in the way Trevor Patel responded to emerging situations, reflecting a crucial element missing in his efforts. House Of Lords reportedly burst his blood vessels.

In the 2000 metres Dr I C Nagree Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the long shot Finch, hailing from trainer Vinesh`s stables, emerged victorious. Scaramanga from the stables of trainer Nosher Cama, heavily backed and expected to be the main contender, faced an unfortunate setback as jockey Y S Srinath was unseated soon after the jump out due to an interference by Chat who jumped inwards. Chat took the lead, followed by Alpha Domino and Finch. On the home stretch, Chat retired from the race, allowing Finch to surge ahead and maintain the lead under jockey Saqlain. Despite a strong effort by jockey Neeraj Rawal, Alpha Domino couldn`t accelerate smoothly and settled for second place, with Chat finishing a tame third.

Pesi Shroff-trained Impunity, available at long odds, secured an easy victory in the 2000 metres Trufitt & Hill Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. Eaton Square, trained by Malesh Narredu and the favourite at cramped odds, was withdrawn at the gates on veterinary grounds due to his left foreshoe coming off. Zarafat and Fantastic Flare led the pack, with Impunity, War Hammer, and Verdandi following closely. Jockey Neeraj Rawal guided Impunity to take charge in the home stretch. The progeny of Ampere smoothly surged ahead, leaving Wild Hammer in the second position well before the final furlong. Verdandi ran on from behind, surpassing Zarafat for the third position. Sadly War Hamer collapsed on his way back to the stables and could not be revived.

The experience gained from a previous race had significantly improved the sharpness of the Malesh Narredu-trained Running Star in the 1200 metres Y M Chaudhary Memorial Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. The horses with prior races hadn`t shown notable performances, and the debutants had not stood out in their workouts. Running Star, a progeny of Excellent Art, went to the post as a short-priced favourite.

Jockey Yash Narredu took Running Star to the front without hesitation, and the favourite faced no challenges throughout the race, enjoying a free run in the lead. The filly was pursued by Escondido, Amadeo, Break Point, Gambino, and Marcus, with the latter trailing significantly. In the straight, Running Star continued to widen the lead and crossed the finish line with an impressive margin of eight lengths. Break Point made a commendable rally in the final furlong to secure a suggestive second position ahead of another late finisher Gambino.

In the 1200 metres Municipal Commissioner`s Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45, the betting attention was cantered mainly on Nolan, trained by Shiraz Sunderji, while Fiery Red was the other contender capturing interest, with the remaining horses all at long odds. Fiery Red took an early lead, maintaining it by lengths right from the start. However, as the race progressed, Fiery Red began to lose momentum approaching the final furlong.

Nolan, racing in a handy third position, was then urged on in the straight. With a brisk and determined effort, Nolan easily overtook the front-runner, surging ahead impressively in the final furlong to secure victory by a margin exceeding three lengths. Fiery Red held onto the second position, while Red Merlot slipped to fourth due to a late surge from Attained, who emerged unexpectedly to claim a placing.