A three-horse race might sound like a casual morning canter, but the Kumar R Dalal Gold Trophy delivered a nail-biter. The trio ensured a thrilling finish. Imtiaz Sait`s Pride Prince silenced his doubters, holding off Chagall and the favourite Bashir to win the 1600m contest for horses rated 60 to 86. Held on Poonawalla Multi-Million race day at Mahalakshmi, this was one of the most competitive races on the card—even if the field size suggested otherwise.

The betting public, ever the optimists, expected Bashir to cruise home despite moving up in class against street-smart veterans like Pride Prince and Chagall. Sandesh set a sedate pace, possibly hoping for a Sunday stroll, but the real action unfolded in the final 300 meters. Bashir, suddenly realizing that leading a race is more exhausting than it looks, found himself gasping for momentum. As Pride Prince and Chagall stormed in, Bashir`s grip on the lead slipped faster than a buttered jockey. Pride Prince, showing a rare sense of urgency, surged ahead for a comfortable win, leaving Chagall half a length behind and Bashir contemplating life in third place.

Trainer Pesi Shroff`s Gordon had no intention of making things easy for punters in the 2400m Prince Karim Aga Khan IV Memorial Trophy (for horses rated 20-46). He started sluggish, almost as if he wasn`t in the mood, but jockey Ajinkya coaxed him into a handy third place early on.

Floyd set the pace like he was late for an appointment, dragging the field along with Alexandros and Gordon in tow. Meanwhile, Black Thunder was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And strike he did—coming through the shortest way home, looking every bit the winner—until Gordon decided he wasn`t in the mood to be polite. The duo slugged it out, with Gordon proving just that bit tougher at the finish. Alexandros settled for third, while Floyd`s tenacious front-running effort suggests a big run next time, assuming he remembers to pace himself.

If the 1200m Intervalve Poonawalla Ltd Trophy was a movie, it would`ve been an action-packed thriller with an unpredictable ending. Eastern Monarch caused early chaos by playing up at the gates, tossing Sandesh like a rodeo rider, and galloping off solo, leading to his withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Kavya took the cue and bolted like a horse who thought the finish line was in another country. Parmar, in a gutsy display of optimism, kept pushing, and for a good while, it looked like Kavya might just pull it off. But David Allan went to work on Giacomo. With a power-packed finish, Giacomo reeled in Kavya just in time, leaving the early leader wondering what just happened. It`s Game Time took third, while favourite Hazel seemed stuck in reverse, finishing just close enough to stay on the frame but far enough to disappoint punters.

Trainer Hoshidar Daji`s Misty might not believe in fast starts, but she certainly knows how to finish with a bang. The five-year-old mare produced a stunning turn of foot in the 1200m Florrie & Freddy Gold Trophy (for horses rated 40-66).

Jockey Trevor Patel found himself in an unenviable position as Misty dawdled out of the gates and made herself comfortable at the back of the field. Upfront, Star Romance, Fontana, and Decacorn were busy playing musical chairs for the lead. But when the field straightened for home, Trevor went full ninja mode, weaving through horses like a veteran race-day commuter. Misty hit overdrive and swooped past the field to win with ridiculous ease. Timeless Vision followed at a respectful distance, while Quicker lived up to his name—too late.

Credence Turns ‘Mody Money` into a Sure Thing

If there`s one thing punters have learned over time, it`s that when horses owned by Jaydev Mody get backed, they tend to sprout wings. Credence, trained by Shazaan Shah, had finished a distant also-ran in his previous start but decided today was the day to silence the critics.

Credence bolted to the front in the hands of apprentice jockey Siddharth, threw the competition into panic mode, and cruised home unchallenged in the 1200m Dr Goolam E Vahanvati Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 46 having run previously in the higher group. Behind him, a desperate scramble ensued as Maysara, Chelsea, and Escape Velocity fought for the minor places, finishing so close together they might as well have been handcuffed.

Another Jaydev Mody runner, this time trained by Behram Cama, made sure the bookmakers stayed miserable. Storm, backed strongly in the 1400m Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy, a race for horses in the lowest category, made hard work of it but eventually rewarded his supporters.

Sluggish at the start, Storm needed continuous reminders from T S Jodha that there was, in fact, a finish line ahead. Upfront, You stole a march and looked home free, but Storm, spurred on by the sight of the winning post, finally decided to do his job and snatched victory on the line. Continental Drift finished third, while Remmy Red, who had been touted as the one to watch, apparently misread the script and never got involved.