In a dazzling display of speed and skill, Adhiraj Singh's Time And Tide reaffirmed his dominance by conquering the Zavaray S Poonawalla Sprinters Challenge, the pinnacle event of Saturday's Mumbai races. For four-year-olds and over, this term race showcased Time And Tide's unwavering prowess on the track. Fresh off a triumph in last month's prestigious Gr 1 Sprinters Cup at Kolkata, Time And Tide left no room for doubt as he effortlessly surged ahead in the final furlong, leaving his rivals trailing in his wake. Under the expert guidance of jockey Pradeep Chouhan, Time And Tide cruised to victory with ample grace and poise.

Despite the anticipation surrounding the favored Siege Courageous, who had been thoroughly bested by Time And Tide in their previous encounter in Kolkata, it was Market King who made a spirited late charge to claim the second position. Siege Courageous, despite entering the race as the heavily backed favorite, failed to live up to expectations, ultimately settling for third place. Time And Tide's commanding performance once again solidified his status as the reigning champion of the sprinting circuit.

When the starting gates flung open, Son Of A Gun surged from the wide outside draw, and set a blazing pace that left Magileto, Cellini, Time And Tide, and Market King in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Siege Courageous bided its time, lingering at the rear of the pack.

As the race entered the pivotal stretch, Pradeep Chouhan sensed the moment and urged Time And Tide into action. With an amazing burst of speed, the Mukteshwar Stud Farm bred Time And Tide swiftly overtook Magileto, leaving them in the dust by the final furlong. Market King, though initially slow to warm up, rallied with a late surge, ultimately securing a respectable second place, while Siege Courageous, another latecomer to the fray, managed to claw his way to a third-place finish. As the dust settled, Magileto found himself fading into the background, settling for a fourth-place finish. Time And Tide, with his electrifying performance, clocked a fast time of one minute and 08.9 seconds.

Vinesh-trained Galloping Glory displayed remarkable improvement by clinching victory in the Arktouros Million, a 1600-meter race featuring horses in the lowest category. Previously, Galloping Glory had won narrowly with a late surge, but this time, the favoured contender triumphed more convincingly. Adhiraj Jodha's Zarafat, the anticipated favourite, had been expected to outperform Galloping Glory. However, despite Light of Life's customary lead and Zarafat's looming threat, Galloping Glory, positioned third, accelerated in the final stretch, securing a comfortable win over Mariella, who finished second with a late surge. Light of Life once again secured a place, while Zarafat was a disappointing fourth.

In the subsequent Blue Horizon Million race, spanning 2000 meters and open to horses rated 20 to 46, spectators witnessed an unexpected upset as Pesi Shroff's Alexandros defied the odds to emerge victorious, surpassing another outsider, Treasure Gold. Coin Empress secured third place in the competition. Notably, despite being heavily favoured, Multiverse, along with Kimiko and Stunning Visual, failed to make a significant impact, allowing Alexandros to claim victory after 10 attempts to break the maiden ranks.

Coin Empress took the lead, closely pursued by Alexandros, while Treasure Gold, Kimiko, and Multiverse lagged behind. As the race progressed into the final furlong, Coin Empress maintained her position at the front but eventually succumbed to Alexandros' surge, who then pulled ahead. Alexandros had a comfortable lead as Treasure Gold attempted to chase but fell short. Coin Empress managed to hold onto third place as the race concluded.

Pesi Shroff's horses appear to have found their stride towards the end of the season, showing a notable improvement after a lacklustre effort. El Greco, who had been struggling in previous outings, delivered a stylish victory last time and continued his winning streak by triumphing in the 1600 meters Star Fortune Million, a race catering to horses rated 40 to 66, in impressive fashion once again. Jockey Saqlain guided El Greco to seize control within the first furlong, and the offspring of Multidimensional maintained a commanding lead over the competition, effortlessly crossing the finish line ahead of stablemate Fontana, who was vying for a hat-trick. Waikiki, racing nearby, secured third place, also belonging to the winning owners’ connection. Despite being the favourite, Star Prosperity, who had previously secured three consecutive wins, lacked zest, struggling to keep pace with the leaders and faltering well before the race reached its climax. El Greco, offered at generous odds, outshone stablemate Fontana, who had garnered more support in the betting arena.

The age-old wisdom of avoiding the on-money favorites; is a mantra often lost on the eager punters who blindly chase the chimera of guaranteed success. In the world of racing, where dreams of riches collide with the harsh reality of the track, one would think this lesson would be ingrained. Yet, time and again, the allure proves too strong, and punters find themselves grasping at the wings of favorites, hoping they'll soar to victory.

Those who missed out on Pesi Shroff's underdogs at tantalizing odds, only to ruefully back Celestial in the 1000 metres RWITC Multi-Million, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Despite Celestial's short odds, fueled by a promising second-place finish in its previous outing and the prestige of hailing from the champion's stable, the reality proved bitterly disappointing. As the race unfolded, Celestial found itself hemmed in, lacking the speed and space to make a decisive move. Meanwhile, M K Jadhav's Turn And Burn who was handily positioned free from any traffic issues, boldly seized control in the final furlong, leaving Celestial's backers in the dust. Bashar surged to a commendable second place, relegating Celestial to a lacklustre third, its late dash falling way short of redemption.

Prasanna Kumar's Royal Mysore continued his winning streak, notching up his fourth consecutive victory in impressive fashion in the 1400 meters Gromor Million. Setting a record time of one minute and 21.08 seconds, Royal Mysore left the competition trailing behind, with Ataash coming in second. Having previously triumphed twice during the Bangalore Winter Season and once at Kolkata during the Invitation Cup weekend races, Royal Mysore entered the race with considerable support, although Miss American Pie was more favoured to win.

Jockey Trevor Patel relaxed Royal Mysore towards the rear of the group, biding his time as Reminiscence set a fast pace and led into the straight. When the moment called for it, Royal Mysore surged forward with remarkable speed on the wide outside, effortlessly overtaking the frontrunners and leaving Ataash trailing in his wake. Meanwhile, Miss American Pie failed to recapture her former glory, struggling to edge out Reminiscence for the third position by a narrow margin. Royal Mysore seems to be in the form of his life.

The ever-reliable Bubbly Boy from the stables of trainer Malesh Narredu showcased his consistency yet again this season, notching up his fourth victory in the 1200 meters Bay of Angeles Million. In a thrilling display of determination, Bubbly Boy faced down a formidable challenge from Fighton and the favored Portofino Bay.

As the race unfolded, Portofino Bay made a bold move, surging past the front-running Maysara in the final furlong. However, the favoured contender couldn't maintain the momentum against the relentless pressure from Fighton on her inside and the thundering charge of Bubbly Boy from the wide outside. With jockey Yash Narredu at the reins, Bubbly Boy surged ahead with authority, leaving his competitors behind. Despite Fighton's valiant effort, Bubbly Boy proved too strong, clinching victory comfortably. Meanwhile, Portofino Bay, unable to sustain the pace, faded into a disappointing third-place finish.