G Shashikanth trained Miss Little Angel brought off a big surprise in the 1400 metres A Krishnaswamy Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the feature event of Saturday’s Hyderabad races. Miss Little Angel won in a three-horse finish beating the heavily supported The Image in the closing strides of the race. The quality of racing on offer was run-of-the-mill.

The Image who had run in the Deccan Fillies Championship was racing in a handicap race and was considered too formidable for the opponents. This was reflected in the cramped odds quoted in the bookmakers’ ring. Malala led the field in the straight hotly chased by The Image who managed to forge ahead inside the final 150 metres. The Image shaped to win but was floored by the finishing burst of Miss Little Angel who came home with giant strides to get the nod in the final moments of the race. Miss Little Angel had run a close second last time out but was surprisingly quoted at odds of 20 to 1. Mysterious Angel who was bidding for a hat-trick ran on late to be an impressive third.

Leo D’Silva trained Amyra had things falling in place in the 1100 metres Sandown Park Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Pacific Demand and Kingston were the horses in demand in the ring. The latter jumped wide at the start and took a while to get into a rhythm. Apprentice jockey Jodha was not of much help as Kingston travelled wide into the straight and despite lack of suitable assistance flew home in the end to finish a close third. Amyra had the race firmly in his control taking charge in the final furlong and winning with a measure of comfort. Drd rallied along the inside to beat Kingston for the runner-up berth by a whisker. Almost six horses finished in a cluster for the minor slots. Jodha was able to get Blissful steady in the final furlong and the long shot managed to get going to beat off a strong challenge from City of Bliss to win the lower division of the race. By The Way necked out Bellagio to take the third position.

The heavily supported Arabian Queen from the stables of trainer Srinivas Reddy duly obliged in the 1400 metres Nagarkurnool Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. NRI Blue offered resistance but Arabian Queen shook off her challenge inside the final 100 metres to eventually win by a widening margin of three lengths. Lady Danger saved place money by staving off Gurbaaz.

Laxman Singh trained Philanthropist came in for one-sided betting in the 2000 metres Nelston Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Philanthropist was under pressure throughout the race and never looked a worthy favourite. Vittal Deshmukh trained fancied runner Yesterday looked the likely winner as he led by lengths all the way in the straight only to tire out in the final stages of the race. Stablemate Advance Guard who was in the chase, gathered steam to win with ease in the end. Grand Duke was third eight lengths adrift.

Nilesh Rawal trained Romero who had the benefit of a race run during the Bangalore Summer Season, was backed to the exclusion of the rest in the 1400 metres Twin Cities Plate, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Romero proved too superior as the favourite, in the hands of jockey Suraj Narredu, asserted his supremacy in the stretch, drawing clear in the final furlong to win by a margin of over four lengths. Path of Peace was second with Divine Destiny in the third position another four lengths plus adrift.