In a stunning turn of events, Prasanna Kumar, the dominator of feature races this season, added yet another prestigious victory to his impressive portfolio. His charge, Siege Courageous, gallantly held off stablemate Royal Mysore to claim the Gr 3 Yohan Z Poonawalla Turf Club Cup—a highly anticipated terms race for four-year-olds and over—at Saturday’s Pune races. Royal Mysore, who was on the brink of a remarkable sixth straight win, left his supporters disheartened as he appeared a tad too late on the scene, allowing Siege Courageous to maintain his lead and dash to victory. Royal Mysore overhauled Sprinter’s Cup winner Time And Tide, to gain the runner-up berth.

Royal Mysore entered the race as the favorite, but the competition was fierce, with stablemate Siege Courageous and Time And Tide also receiving strong backing. The classic winner, Knotty Charmer, was not to be overlooked either, given his impressive track record. Prasanna Kumar had a trio of formidable contenders in the race, with only Time And Tide posing a potential challenge, despite his successes being limited to shorter six-furlong sprints.

The race unfolded with the speedy Golden Neil setting the pace, closely followed by Magileto, while Time And Tide took position just behind the leaders. Royal Mysore, along with Knotty Charmer, lingered towards the rear. As Golden Neil led the field into the final stretch, Siege Courageous, back after a dominant win at the Suresh Mahindra Multi-Million race in Kolkata, surged ahead under the command of jockey Anthony Raj. He quickly established a solid lead, even as Time And Tide made a valiant effort, only to run out of steam. Meanwhile, Royal Mysore covered an astonishing amount of ground in the closing stages but fell just short of overtaking Siege Courageous. Had the gap been slightly narrower, Royal Mysore might have clinched the victory, but it was Siege Courageous who triumphed on this occasion, much to the thrill of his connections. Golden Neil stayed on to complete the frame while Knotty Charmer appeared to need this run.

Imtiaz Sait trained Christophany who has been consistent races was backed with fair degree of conviction to prevail in the 1200 metres Western India Race Owners’ Association Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. The favourite though was M K Jadhav’s Fighton but form inconsistency that plagues the horses from this stable saw the money being misdirected as the favourite could only finish fourth. Jockey Neeraj Rawal kept Christophany in a handy third or fourth position as Superimpose and Majestic Warrior set the pace till turning for home. Christophany found the gap between these two front-running horses on turning for home and them stormed to a decisive lead in the final furlong. Julius came up with a belated challenge from the rear of the field to take the second position ahead of Art Collector with Art Collector finishing third ahead of the favourite Fighton.

Jockey Mustakim Alam masterfully piloted Alpine Star to a determined victory in the 1800 meters Rajaram Chatrapathi Trophy, a contest for horses rated 60 to 86. Alpine Star thrives when allowed to dictate the pace, and this race was no exception. Trained by Narendra Lagad, known for his strategy of producing start-to-finish winners, Alpine Star seized the lead early, with Mustakim ensuring he stayed firmly in control. The race wasn't without its drama, as favorite Vincent Van Gogh made a valiant attempt to wrest the lead away. But Alpine Star, showing true grit, dug deep to fend off the challenge, crossing the finish line with a comfortable margin. Meanwhile, Flaming Lamborghini surged late to claim third, just ahead of King Louis.

In the 1200 meters Dancing Prances Trophy, a race for horses rated 80 and above, Aman Altaf Hussain’s Snowfall eked out a thrilling victory. This win didn't come easy—Snowfall had been a troublesome contender in the past, causing its previous jockey Sandesh to face suspension and even changing stables, winning a race under Rajesh Narredu in Kolkata. Now under the care of Aman Altaf Hussain, Snowfall, ridden with precision by Akshay Kumar, managed to outlast a fierce battle with the front-running Cellini. Cellini, who led from the start, fought valiantly but couldn't hold on, while Slainte, coming from the back of the pack, made a strong late bid but fell just short, finishing a neck behind the winner. Cellini, after a brave effort, weakened to third, with mere necks separating the top three finishers.

Hoshidar Daji’s Brave Beauty has made a habit of defying the odds, and she did it again in the 1400 meters Western India Trainers Association Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 46. In a field where the favorites faltered, Brave Beauty, initially trailing at the back, swung wide at the final turn. With jockey Sharukh Khan urging her on, she unleashed a blistering turn of foot in the final two furlongs, surging ahead to seize control. Though she drifted off her line in the closing stages, Brave Beauty had enough in the tank to fend off a late charge from The General. Galloping Ahead, in a photo finish, edged out Kinzal for third place.

In the lower division of the Western India Trainers’ Association Trophy, Zuccaro, trained by Pesi Shroff, made a triumphant return after more than 200 days on the sidelines, clinching victory at generous odds. Zuccaro, who was biding his time at the rear until the final turn, found a gap on the inside and made his move. With jockey Vivek G. in the saddle, he easily overhauled the front-running Metzinger to win impressively. Pride’s Prince, one of the heavily backed contenders, had a troubled start but finished with a flourish, narrowly missing out on the runner-up spot.

Imtiaz Sait's Regina Memorabilis captured the 1600 meters Indian Association of Equine Practitioners Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds, in impressive fashion at a rewarding price. Arise And Shine set the pace and led the field into the final furlong, but it was Regina Memorabilis who unleashed a powerful surge to take command. With a decisive burst of speed, she opened up a lead that proved insurmountable, holding off a late bid from Applause to secure the victory. Arise And Shine managed to hold on for third, while the well-supported Mysterious Stranger, after staying in contention early, faded in the final stages. The other fancied runner, Attaturk, delivered a disappointing performance.

Meanwhile, Nazak Chenoy’s Precioso lived up to the hype in the 1200 meters Jockeys Association of India Trophy, a race for horses in the lowest category. After a promising forward run, Precioso finished with a flourish, snatching victory from favorite Prince Igor in the dying moments of the race. Red Dust made a late charge to claim third, but it was Precioso who stole the spotlight, delivering on the promise that had surrounded him.