Jockey Trevor Patel was in top form as he steered Laxman Singh trained Malaala to a confident victory in the 1200 metres H P Mistry Memorial Cup, a race reserved for the high-flyers rated 80 and above—the feature event of Sunday’s Hyderabad races. It was a jackpot kind of day for Trevor Patel and his loyal fans, with the jockey riding home a profitable treble.

Malaala’s recent second-place finish behind Akido hinted that this six-year-old mare was ready to snap her year-long winless streak. Bettors took the hint, firmly backing her as the favourite. However, in a last-minute twist, some punters rallied behind Satheesh’s Best Buddy, whose reputation for winning at wild odds kept things interesting. True to form, Best Buddy bolted out of the gates like he was late for an appointment, setting a frantic pace far exceeding his natural speed.

Predictably, Best Buddy’s ambitious dash made him easy prey. As the horses straightened for the homestretch, Malaala, biding her time in third, slipped into action. She covered the gap with ease, sweeping past the tiring Best Buddy and cruising to victory with enviable finesse. Last Wish made a spirited late run to snatch second place, while Best Buddy salvaged third, just ahead of stablemate High Reward, who watched the action from a safe fourth.

Leo D'Silva's Worcester looked like the textbook favourite to snatch up the 1200 metres Kinnersani Plate (Div II), a cozy race for those rated 20 to 45. Dropping a category had made Worcester the proverbial "safe bet." But then came the plot twist: cash started flooding in for Morning Mist, a horse trained by Anant Vatsalya that had been meticulously honed with mock races—though it hadn’t seen the race track in over 400 days.

Despite the late hype, Worcester still went to the post as the favourite, though Morning Mist’s odds took a suspicious nosedive. Morning Mist, however, decided to take its sweet time leaving the gate, practically yawning through the start. Jockey Ajeet Kumar, sensing time slipping away, put the spurs to him, pushing for a quick catch-up. But as the horses turned for home, it was clear Morning Mist’s enthusiasm had faded; he might have been out there enjoying the fresh air more than actually racing.

Meanwhile, Classy Dame decided to put on a one-horse show at the front, leading from the start and making it known she wasn’t about to play second fiddle. Worcester, who’d been watching all this with a sigh, decided to make a move as jockey Saqlain finally asked him for every ounce of speed. It was a nail-biting finale, taking the entire stretch for Worcester to get her head in front—just in time. Shadow Baby trotted up from behind to take third, but by then, the story was written. Worcester had scraped by, Morning Mist had barely made a scene, and Classy Dame was probably still fuming at the finish line.

Laxman Singh’s young star, Brilliant Lad, strutted into the 1100 metres Elusive Hero Plate like he already had race in his bag. Making a winning debut, this two-year-old left the competition in the dust, as Suraj Narredu barely broke a sweat in what can only be described as a leisurely afternoon canter to victory.

From the moment the gates opened, Brilliant Lad took the lead, essentially turning the race into his own private showcase. Brilliant Lad stormed home by a staggering eight lengths, leaving Dontbockmyway—who lived up to her obstinate name by not bothering to challenge him—trailing well behind. Foxy Girl, perhaps foxier than fast, settled a few lengths back in third, looking as if she might be pondering better career options.

Whenever jockey Akshay Kumar’s name appears on the race card, punters scramble to grab a piece of the action, knowing he’s got a knack for making even the unlikeliest horses seem like surefire bets. But this time, it was Sreekant-trained Clara who stole all the pre-race spotlight, sparking a betting frenzy that left the rest of the field in “long shot” territory—including Tiger Ruby, a dark horse at a handsome 10-to-1 for the 1400 metres Medak Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45.

The race began predictably enough, with NRI Dheera setting the early pace, leading the field confidently well into the straight. Clara, true to her billing, made her move with flair, breezing past the leader by the final furlong—but then found herself glued to that position, unable to leave NRI Dheera in the dust. Enter Tiger Ruby: lurking at the back like an unnoticed storm cloud, then suddenly unleashing a torrential sprint. She gobbled up ground and left Clara in her wake to seize victory by over two commanding lengths. Tiger Ruby’s victory was a lesson in patience—and a reminder that sometimes, the real threat is the one that sneaks up from behind. Jolly Jester was a non-starter.



Bharath Singh’s Kalki, a horse with a dramatic past and plenty to prove, finally broke his 294-day winless streak in style, shaking off the dust of a rather inconsistent record. After a winning debut, Kalki’s form had dipped, and his recent second-place finish—where he surged from the back—had attracted some scrutiny from the Stipendiary Stewards, who weren’t exactly handing out gold stars.

But this time, the stage was set in the 1200 metres Ch V Lakshmi Prasad Rao Sirdesai Sircilla Memorial Cup, a race for the 40-65 rated bunch. Kalki was backed with renewed confidence, and jockey Trevor Patel guided him with precision. Sitting in fourth as they approached the final bend, Kalki unleashed his pent-up energy in the homestretch, swooping down with the kind of run that had everyone doing a double-take. He blasted past the well-fancied Gatiman and pace setting Rolls Royce to claim an easy win. Gatiman came second, showing some spirit, while the only shake-up in the ranks came from Star Forever, who snuck in just ahead of Rolls Royce to salvage some place money.

In the 1600 metres Bloomer Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, jockey Trevor Patel performed a minor miracle aboard Anemoi, a lesser-fancied runner from Nilesh Rawal’s yard, managing to pip the favourite, Queen Empress, at the post. Planet Super set a brisk pace from the get-go, but the heat turned up in the final stretch as Queen Empress zeroed in, poised to take over the lead. Jockey Akshay Kumar pushed Queen Empress with confidence, and for a brief, shining moment, she surged ahead, seemingly set to justify her status as the favourite.

But just as Queen Empress was sizing up the winner’s circle, Anemoi, who had been plodding along without much fuss, suddenly got the memo. Trevor Patel, in what could only be described as jockey sorcery, coaxed every last ounce of speed out of the reluctant runner. In the final strides, Anemoi found a burst that left Queen Empress looking like she’d hit a wall. Queen Empress had to settle for a second-place finish she surely hadn’t planned on, while Planet Super, after her early heroics, took third. Das, who had gamely stayed within sight of the leaders, seemed to have run out of steam altogether and finished a muted fourth

There was an unusual surge of confidence—and cash—for Sreekant-trained Just Incredible, a horse that hadn’t glimpsed the winning post in over 400 days, as he lined up for the 1400 metres Bhongir Plate. Meanwhile, in a twist of irony, See My Attitude, who was still winless after 15 outings, also found herself heavily backed, thanks to the famed jockey Akshay Kumar hopping on board for A Imran Khan’s stable.

As the race unfolded, Trainer Satheesh’s trusty tactic of sending his horses to the front was in full swing. Lights On grabbed the early lead with Quality Warrior hot on her heels, while See My Attitude stalked the leaders, holding onto a slim hope of breaking her unlucky streak. Behind them, the rest of the field looked like they were on a sightseeing tour, well-spaced out and seemingly in no rush to join the action.

Jockey Saqlain had to put in a Herculean effort on Quality Warrior to seize control in the homestretch, wresting the lead from the pacesetter. But just as Quality Warrior looked like he might have a shot at it, Kuldeep Singh urged Just Incredible forward, and Park Lane, ridden aggressively by Ismail, also stormed up from behind. Quality Warrior ran out of gas just when it mattered, allowing Just Incredible to cruise past, comfortably fulfilling the faith of the betting ring.

In the end, Just Incredible pulled off a confident win, while Park Lane edged out a tired Quality Warrior for second. Lights On, who had burned bright early, fizzled out to settle for fourth. In true underdog fashion, Just Incredible reminded everyone that even a 400-day drought can end with the right odds—and a well-timed charge.

Jockey Akshay Kumar wrapped up his day in style with a tidy double, cruising to victory aboard the favourite, Darling’s Boy, from the stables of Mir Faiyaz Ali Khan. Competing in the 1200 metres Kinnerasani Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45, Akshay kept his tactics refreshingly straightforward.

Tracking pace-setter Inderdhanush into the straight, Akshay then shifted Darling’s Boy into top gear, unleashing a final burst that left the competition watching his tail. Darling’s Boy thundered ahead, winning with ease and giving Akshay a win as comfortable as they come.

Behind him, Winning Attitude tried to stage a late rally, securing second but still a clear distance away from the winner. Star Cruise did his best to keep up but settled for a distant third, trailing the leaders by a noticeable margin.