Arjun Mangalorkar trained Spreadeagle showed quantum jump in performance capabilities as he romped home in the Gr 1 Vijay Textiles Deccan Derby, the star event of the Hyderabad Monsoon Season at Malakpet on Thursday. The Deccan Derby has often thrown huge surprises and Spreadeagle’s victory could be put in this category.

There was little to suggest that Spreadeagle would make dramatic improvement but in a field that did not have quality runners, such results are not entirely against the run of expectations. Quite often big races are won by the courage of conviction of running a ward irrespective of its rating and trainer Arjun can justifiably feel proud that he made a decision which proved to be highly rewarding.

Culebra who had run behind Be Safe in the Bangalore Derby was the obvious favourite to win the mega event of the season. However, the race course talk was that there was something amiss with Culebra. The suspicion was confirmed as Culebra raced in distress and was out of contention well before the final turn. Bold Majesty who had the next best credentials ran in patches, jockey Neeraj Rawal unable to keep him on a straight course and the Bangalore contender finished a tame third. The fight if any in the race was confined to the four horses who finished in close order behind the winner, with Supreme Fairy snatching the second spot by a neck from Bold Majesty who in turn was inches ahead of Veloz and Silver Phantom.

Top Commander led the field with Panachecorn, Feliciana, Veloz, Spreadeagle, and Supreme Fairy racing in close proximity while Culebra and Bold Majesty were in rear group. Veloz took over the running inside the final two furlongs and had a good lead going into the final 300 metres as the runners behind were all struggling and took their own time to pick up speed. Spreadeagle who was under pressure, was the only one to show resolution and sprouted wings as it were and bolted away to win pulling up by a widening margin of two lengths to provide jockey Trevor Patel with the first Derby success of his career. The success of Spreadeagle provided his sire Burden of Proof a big classic success in the twilight of his successful career at the Kunigal Stud Farm.

The day’s racing in the earlier part of the day was dominated by favourites till a rude shock was delivered to the punters in the ironically named Turf Authorities Cup, a Category II race over six furlongs. The odds drifted out on Carlton which itself was a surprise given the outstanding credentials of the three year old colt which incidentally also sported the colours of the Derby winner. Jockey Suraj Narredu surprisingly rode the poorest race of his career to convert a sure shot winner into a loser. Only the jockey can explain why he rode the way he did and it is for the Stipes to probe whether there was any special reasons for the same. It would be interesting if Suraj was to report on the race and how he would have described his own effort or the lack of it on Carlton. Suraj sat still on Carlton and very late in the race went to take a narrow passage and then yanked the horse out and dropped him back and circled round the field. This happened in the final 100 metres of the race resulting in Carlton not having enough ground to pull it off. Tejaswini who had lost the race in the Stewards room on the last occasion thus got a gift race as she edged past Beau Ideal to win by ¾ of a length. Carlton was another ¾ lengths behind the runner up.

Sequeira trained Un Un Un completed a hat-trick of wins by easily claiming the 1200 metres Mumbai Cup, a Category II race, with a start to finish dash. C Eleven, another horse bidding for a hat-trick found the favourite too speedy for comfort. Desire was flat footed while Alameda who rallied along the rails could only finish fourth.

Lesser fancied Rubyonrails brought off an upset in the 1000 metres Tanasha Plate, a Category III race at the expense of favourite Amazing Approach. Amazing Approach shot into the lead with a furlong left in the race and shaped to win but was surprised by the late finishing Rubyonrails who packed punch in her efforts in the closing stages of the race. Vijay Sakhi was third.

Donald Netto trained Galiat looked too formidable in the 1400 metres Kolkata Cup, a Category II race quite easily. After being held back in third position as Pacific Star did the pace making, Galiat unleashed a powerful run in the final furlong to go storming clear and win with ease from Santa Monica who covered ground in the straight to finish second.

Ray of Light who is half sister to In The Spotlight has proved to be a sprinter as all her wins have come over sharp trips considering her breeding. Ray of Light shot into the lead within the first furlong and finished well clear of Lips Locking and Yours Truly to claim the 1100 metres Bengaluru Cup, a Category II race.

Netto’s Parushram was driven out by jockey Imran Khan to win the 1600 metres Commanche Cup, a Category III race from Amazing Power who made a strong rally along the rails. Gentle Chief who was prominent till the final bend packed up tamely well before the race came on the boil.

Shezad Abbas Cornwallis was another favourite to oblige in the long list of favourites who ruled the roost till the rude jolt given by Carlton and Spreadeagle. Cornwallis came into prominence in the homestretch and though he slightly drifted out under pressure, nevertheless proved superior to the field in the 1600 metres Chennai Cup, a Category II race. Golden Essence and My Star occupied the next two slots.

Laxman Singh’s Vijay Vidhata completed the quota of favourites by winning the seventh race of the day, the 1400 metres Mrs K Lakshmi Bhupal Reddy Memorial Cup, a Category III race. Vijay Vidhata led all the way and was not tested by any of the runners as she checked in well clear of Green Jewel and Khoshgel.

Sk Kassam’s True Friend overcame the wide outside draw to swamp the opposition in the 1200 metres Bhagyanagar Cup, a Category III affair, the concluding race of the long card of 10 events. True Friend skipped away from the rest in the final furlong to win with ease from favourite Mr Glorious whose inability to quicken at a crucial stage of the race hurt his chances as he had too much leeway to cover in the straight.