In a dramatic turn of events, El Greco, trained by Pesi Shroff, emerged as the unexpected victor of the 1600-metre The Times of India Trophy at Pune, a race meant to spotlight the media’s vital role in promoting the sport. It was a day where all six races bore the names of media outlets, honoring their contribution to horse racing coverage.

El Greco’s victory was shrouded in unexpected drama. Tehani, the race favorite, had a rocky start; her jockey lost his stirrup at the jump, leaving her trailing from the very beginning. Despite recovering quickly and making up ground, she was forced wide on the final turn, losing precious ground. Undeterred, Tehani unleashed a powerful surge in the home stretch, overtaking her rivals and seeming all but certain to win. But in a breathtaking twist, El Greco, seemingly beaten, managed to thrust his nose ahead at the very last moment. The razor-thin finish left the crowd in shock, with whispers circulating that the horse's owner was far from satisfied with the jockey's efforts.

Tehani hadn’t seen the winner's circle in over 300 days but had been a model of consistency, her recent third-place finish in Bangalore against Santassimo marking her as the one to beat. As the favorite, she was expected to outclass her rivals, none of whom had distinguished themselves this season. Yet, El Greco, a well-supported contender for the mile distance after a preparatory sprint earlier in the season, had other plans.

The race unfolded with Alpine Star setting a brisk pace, closely pursued by Fortunate Son and El Greco, while Tehani languished at the back, her supporters’ hearts in their throats. Jockey Akshay Kumar made a bold move, steering Tehani wide at the final bend, avoiding traffic on the inside. By the final turn, El Greco seized the lead from a tiring Alpine Star, just as Tehani launched her challenge.

With a powerful burst of speed, Tehani quickly closed the gap, drawing neck and neck with El Greco in a duel for dominance. Just when it seemed she would prevail, jockey Saqlain, fresh from a stint in Australia, coaxed a final burst of speed from El Greco, clinching victory by the slimmest of margins. It was a race where luck turned its back on the favorite, leaving the result in question. Alpine Star, the early pace-setter, held on for third, just ahead of Vincent van Gogh. As whispers of discontent circulate, there’s speculation that this race’s outcome could prompt further scrutiny from racing authorities if pressure is exerted on them. Racicng is full of stories and intrigues and nothing is taken at face value

M.K. Jadhav-trained Fighton, who lost a potential victory last time due to a cautious ride by jockey N.S. Parmar, returned to the track with a point to prove in the 1200-metre Racingpulse.in Trophy. This time, with Parmar again in the saddle, Fighton showed his true class as the short-priced favorite, seizing control from the start and dictating the pace with authority. He crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of Malet Spring, the only horse to offer any real challenge, while Lord And Master lagged seven lengths behind in third.

In the 2000-metre Indiarace.com Trophy, Imtiaz Sait’s Big Red lived up to his billing with a commanding performance. After narrowly missing out to The Panther in his previous race—a competitor now bound for the Bangalore Derby—Big Red faced a less formidable field this time. Despite his tendency for slow starts, Big Red, under the guidance of jockey Akshay Kumar, swiftly recovered and positioned himself perfectly. By the final turn, he was gliding with such ease that victory seemed inevitable. As Chat set a brisk early pace, trailed by Giant King, Big Red smoothly took the third spot midway through the race. On the home stretch, Big Red accelerated past Chat and surged ahead, securing a decisive win by five lengths over Eaton Square, with Angelo rounding out the top three without making a significant impact.

The 1200-metre The Hindu Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds, seemed destined to go to either Escape Velocity or Ocean, both of whom come from the stables of trainer Adhiraj Jodha. Escape Velocity was the betting favorite, and jockey Sandesh had him set the pace from the start. With a strong stride and clear determination, Escape Velocity pulled away from stablemate Ocean for an impressive victory. New Yorker followed to finish in third.

In the 1600-metre Mid-Day Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 46, Imtiaz Sait-trained Treat stood out as a class above the rest. Jockey Neeraj Rawal positioned Treat perfectly just behind the pacesetter, Gimme, until the final bend. As the field straightened for home and the frontrunners drifted wide, Treat took advantage of a clear run along the rail. With a powerful surge, Treat moved ahead and comfortably held off the late challenges from Black Thunder and Rush to win as the favorite. Black Thunder edged out Rush by a nose to claim second place.

Narendra Lagad-trained horses have consistently dominated races in the lowest category, and the 1000-metre Race Mirror Trophy for horses rated 1 to 26 was no exception. Moonlight Kiss, who had finished far back in her previous outing, attracted strong support this time, signaling a remarkable turnaround in form. The second favorite, Moment of Madness, took an early lead and set a brisk pace but was no match for the impressive Moonlight Kiss, who surged ahead midway down the stretch and powered away to a comfortable victory. Khaleesi made a late charge from behind to overtake the tiring Moment of Madness, securing second place.