Magileto, Aman Altaf Hussain’s galloping powerhouse, turned the 1200 metres Kakatiya Million, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Monday’s Malakpet races, into little more than a formality. The Mumbai raider was widely expected to boss the field, yet the betting public—forever seeking an underdog fairytale—sent him out at generous odds, instead choosing to pin their hopes on local favourite Ashoka. A rather optimistic gamble, considering Ashoka was returning from an extended vacation and carrying a few physical niggles that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed in a veterinary convention.

In the end, racing logic prevailed. Magileto went about his business with the cool efficiency of a seasoned hitman, while Ashoka found himself at the wrong end of the finish line, perhaps still reminiscing about his 100-day sabbatical.

The Kakatiya Million often serves as a preview for the upcoming Sprinters’ Cup, and Magileto had clearly been dispatched with that in mind. Despite being well-fancied, his odds drifted early—only for the tide to turn dramatically once his owner, a rare visitor to the course due to mobility issues, made a surprise appearance, traveling all the way from Mumbai.

On the track, Ashoka took off like a horse on a mission, with Akshay Kumar intent on stealing a march on his rivals. Magileto, shadowing the leader, looked every bit the professional assassin, waiting for the go-ahead from Trevor Patel. And when the moment came, the response was swift. Patel pressed the accelerator, Magileto breezed past Ashoka without breaking a sweat, and the race was effectively over.

Malaala provided a momentary flicker of excitement with a late charge but found himself a length adrift at the finish, while Mysore challenger O Hansini put in some respectable late work to grab third place.

Meanwhile, in another contest, Star of Night, trained by Hilton Sequeira, proved why class is permanent. Having endured a thankless stint in the Mumbai classics—where finishing third in the Indian 1000 Guineas was the best she could manage—she found herself in far more forgiving company this time around. Sent off at cramped odds, she justified every bit of the market confidence by toying with her rivals.

Jockey Anthony Raj kept things simple, allowing Sugar to cut out the early fractions before pressing the button in the straight. Star of Night responded with disdain, strolling past the pacesetter and disappearing into the distance for an effortless five-length victory. Behind her, Just Incredible just about managed to edge out the belatedly-rallying China Town for second, while Sugar clung on for fourth, possibly wondering what just happened.

Prasad Raju-trained Racing Ruler nearly had a date with embarrassment before pulling off a dramatic last-gasp victory in the 1200m Rising Star Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. For most of the trip, the colt seemed to be channelling a Sunday jogger rather than a racehorse, as NRI High Power—sent off at long odds—grabbed the initiative and dictated terms upfront.

Inside the final furlong, NRI High Power was still cruising, teasing punters with the possibility of an upset. But just when it seemed like an underdog story was about to unfold, Trevor Patel got serious. A late but determined burst saw Racing Ruler surge just in time to deny the rank outsider. Calabasas, always in the mix, was a close third.

Where NRI High Power fell short, her stablemate NRI Triple Power picked up the slack in the lower division of the Rising Star Plate. And fittingly, the "Triple" in the name was well justified—this filly did three things right: stayed out of trouble, avoided the riderless mayhem, and won convincingly.

Konaseema looked good for a while, leading the field into the homestretch, but had the misfortune of encountering Yuvaraj, the equine anarchist. Having dislodged his jockey B R Kumar at the start (perhaps deciding he didn’t need human interference), the free-spirited Yuvaraj ran amok, making life miserable for anyone in his path.

Jockey Kuldeep Singh, however, kept his cool and guided NRI Triple Power safely to the wide outside—where Yuvaraj wasn’t wreaking havoc—and let the filly do the rest. The progeny of Gusto responded with a powerful stretch run, storming clear for an easy win. Mahrosh ran on well to snatch second place, edging past Royal Warrior and Gusto’s Baby, who might need a bit more growing up to match the family name.

Jockey Akshay Kumar made the most of his opportunities, steering two short-priced favourites from Hilton Sequeira’s stables to comfortable victories at Malakpet.

In the 1100m Aberader Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, Shooting Star certainly didn’t leave punters in suspense. Shoolin did the early running, setting the pace and leading the field into the homestretch, but when Akshay decided it was time to get serious, Shooting Star answered in style. Taking the turn slightly wide, the Sequeira-trained runner quickened well and stretched away with ease. Smart Boy and Classy Dame followed in distant pursuit, but Shooting Star had long disappeared into the night sky.

Akshay’s second win of the day came aboard Antidote in the 1600m Sir Bruce Plate, and while this one wasn’t quite as effortless, it was never really in doubt. City Cruise, seemingly in a hurry to get things over with, set a strong pace up front, while Antidote was allowed to loiter in fifth under a patient ride. Deep into the straight, City Cruise was still gallantly holding his own, but once Antidote was unleashed, the race was as good as done. The favourite swept past the leader inside the final 100 meters, sealing the deal with authority. City Cruise, to his credit, fought on bravely to cling onto second place, fending off a relentless late charge from Caraxes, who was determined.

Jockey Mukesh Kumar is having a season to remember, and his ride on Silver Act in the 1600m Raja Bahadur Venkataramana Reddy Memorial Cup (Div I) was another masterclass in patience and timing. Decoy, a horse that has made an unfortunate habit of finding one better, must be wondering what more it needs to do to win a race. After hitting the front in the final furlong and looking home and dry, Decoy was once again left heartbroken as Mukesh produced Silver Act from the clouds with a scorching late run to snatch victory on the post. Golden Gazelle, another who left things a little too late, managed to sneak into third.

In the lower division of the Memorial Trophy, Reigning Beauty, in the hands of jockey Shivansh, delivered a shocker, holding off late challenges from D Minchu and Dali’s Destiny in a tight finish. Tripurari did the early running, but Reigning Beauty swept past the leader deep in the straight. With D Minchu and Dali’s Destiny finally waking up from their mid-race slumber and charging home, the final strides became a thriller. However, Reigning Beauty had just enough left in the tank to reach the winning post, with a mere neck separating the first three finishers.