Prasad Raju trained Ave Maria was guided to an emphatic victory by jockey Imran Khan in the 1800 metres Circar Cup, a Category II race, which highlighted the concluding day’s races of the Hyderabad Winter Season. The season officially concluded on Monday but there is an extra day’s racing on Tuesday. For the record, Prasad Raju retained the trainers’ championship while Imran Khan walked away with the same honor for jockeys. Alberton Star who won five races during the season was declared the Horse of the Season.

Hussler had more supporters than Ave Maria. Hussler tracked Air Bender into the straight and surged ahead. However, he was not able to sustain his foray in the front as the progeny of China Visit came through with a powerful stretch run to sail past the front runner with a furlong out. Ave Maria went on to spare three lengths at the finish. Kohinoor Delight was a faraway third.

One is not sure whether the Stipes have any role to play. Since professionals rarely get pulled up, one presumes that the Stipes are there because the rules mandates their presence. Jockey Laxmikanth’s ride on favourite Kuchipudi was highly questionable and if it does not come under critical scrutiny of the Stipes, then nothing else will. He took a slow jump on the favourite and instead of waiting to make his run along the rails, went the widest and then again swung towards the rails and then came the widest of all. Despite his antics, the horse finished about three lengths form the winner Jewel In the Crown who held off the threat of Don Valentino.

Laxmikanth deserves a holiday on either of the two counts: If his was a genuine effort, then he should be stopped from riding for being so incompetent. If he did not make an earnest effort which is the feeling among the knowledgeable race goers, then he should incur the wrath of the Stewards for not permitting the horse to run on merit. The lack of intent was too glaring to be missed.

Prasad Raju’s Green Mist recoded an encore when the filly readily won the 1200 metres Pelican Plate (Div I), a Category II race for horses rated up to 75. Splendid Scot was strongly fancied to win. Green Mist led from the start held off the late rally of the favourite. Tristar pulled it off in the lower division of the race at lucrative odds containing the challenge of favourite Winning Strides who was flat footed by the winner in the final furlong.

Artistic Emperor was backed to the exclusion of his rivals in the Thungabhadra Cup (Div I) and the favourite fought out a stiff battle with the front running Ace High before emerging the better inside the final 100 metres. Easy Touch was backed with conviction to win the lower division of the race but the favourite who was denied a clear run with a furlong out could no better than finish third. Lesser fancied Royal Degree seized the initiative with a furlong to go in the race and then staved off the challenge of Hunting Bay whose late rally went in vain.

Both the divisions of the Gold Sovereign Plate went the way of favourites. Prince of Habashe took charge of the proceedings with two furlongs to go and shaped to win comfortably but he slowed down in sight of the winning post and despite his fading reserves, he managed to win by a whisker over Young Star who charged home with a rush. Despite losing ground at the start, favourite Cabochon had no problem in winning the lower division of the race at the expense of The Parliament.

The biggest upset of the day came in the fourth race of the day, the Super Brave Plate, a race for maiden three year olds where Flowers of Music, with Laxmikanth in the saddle, won from start to finish, just about lasting out to win form favourite Dixie Bell who found foot a wee bit late. Laxmikanth’s riding on Flowers of Music was in total contrast the one he gave on Kuchipudi.