Vittal Deshmukh trained Consigliori brought off a big upset in the Gr 1 Deccan Derby, the biggest event of the monsoon racing calendar with the fancied duo of Well Connected and Impavid performing way below par at Malakpet on Wednesday. Jockey Ajeeth Kumar who has been riding with great confidence, this season made the best of the opportunity by having the progeny of Air Support lead all the way and enjoying enough cushion to stave off the outstation challengers.

The winner is owned by URBB in partnership with Bangalore based Aditya Thackersey. This is the first Deccan Derby success for trainer Vittal who had earlier saddled Tintinnabulation to success in the Golconda Derby. Deccan Derby thus lived up to the history of producing upsets.

The Deccan Derby was originally scheduled to be held on October 2 but was postponed by two weeks due to a threat of a strike by the syces. The outstation challengers had time to acclimatize to the conditions better and one did not expect things to be any different though Vittal Deshmukh was to say later that the postponement was a great blessing and it gave enough time for Consigliori come back stronger from the last run with the break of 30 days. ''The postponement helped my horse a great deal. I was confident of the ability of my horse, but I was worried that the gap between his last run and the Derby was too sharp. Consigliori will be a different horse in the winter and I am sure he will progress into a formidable contender.

It had rained heavily in the morning and it had a bearing on the underfoot conditions. The penetrometer reading was 5 cms. Consigliori who is bred as a half-brother to the highly-rated Admiralty who had a curtailed career due to a tendon injury after being rated as the best juvenile in his formative year enjoyed an uncontested lead in front with Royal Crystal in the second position a few lengths adrift. Jockey Sandesh preferred to keep Well Connected in the penultimate position ahead of Impavid. Consigliori enjoyed his foray in front and when the fancied duo did not make the expected progress in the stretch, it was clear that an upset was on cards. Consigliori had enough cushion when Royal Crystal gave a chase in the final furlong and held on to win by a length. Impavid ran on to finish third ahead of Well Connected who failed to show the patented burst of speed. In fact, Well Connected played up a lot during the paddock parade and was led out without the jockey in the saddle. The gap between the Fillies Championship and the Derby was 51 days due to the postponement.

Aggressive riding by Akshay Kumar elicited the desired response from the lesser fancied Super Act from the stables of Faisal Hassan who covered enormous ground in the straight to nail favourite Dandy Man in the closing strides of the race to win the 1600 metres Bangalore Turf Club Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. After Story Teller led the field deep into the straight, Suraj Narredu got into the act on Dandy Man who pounced on the front-runner and shot ahead. Dandy Man shaped to win as he had a good cushion when Super Act began to gain ground in the final furlong from way off the pace. Super Act finished powerfully, covered the leeway with menacing strides and managed to get the better of Dandy Man who was desperately looking for the post to come to his rescue. Trainer Srinivas Reddy is finding luck elusive as Dandy Man was the 17th occasion when his horses have found one better. Fancied Barnabas held off Story Teller to get the third position.

However, Srinivas Reddy earlier had a winner through the speedy Mon General who had it easy in the 1100 metres Mrs K Lakshmi Bhupal Reddy Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65 but confined to three-year-olds. Backed to the exclusion of the rest, apprentice jockey Gaurav Singh pushed Mon General to take charge from Konia and extended the lead to a winnable one in the stretch. Linewiler who was detached last, rallied well into the end to be an eye-catching second. Kionia who had won two days ago who had chased the winner from the start weakened to finish third while Celeritas whose odds drifted out dramatically finished a tailed off last.

Kiran Naidu just about managed to guide Warrior Supreme to a neck win over Asteria in the 1200 metres Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Favourite Pentagon failed to live up to expectations as he faded out after leading the field into the straight. Asteria and Warrior Supreme fought out the final furlong with the latter travelling the better of the two but could only win just as the jockey struggled to prevent it from going on Asteria who was along the rails. News O Star once again saved place money.

Galloping Gangster looked good in the 1400 metres Madras Race Club Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The bookmakers were not ready to offer the favourite at a better price. From a fifth position at the final bend, Galloping Gangster made steady progress to have the race well in control. Private Empire came from a long way back, but he had too much ground to cover and had to settle for the second spot. Last start winner Miss Marvellous ran on to edge past Star Envoy to save place money.

Leo D'Silva trained Premier Action recorded an encore in great style in the 1600 metres Royal Western India Turf Club Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Exclusive Blue who had run third to Impavid in the Colts Championship and then subsequently moved form Sequeira's stables to that of Laxman Singh was the betting rage at even money. Close to race time Premier Action came in for sustained betting to close at 4 to 1 from the original quote of 8 to 1. Born Greek and Havelock Cruise did the front-running with Exclusive Blue in about the fifth position while Premier Action was in the rear group. Born Greek went into a useful lead in the stretch but could not sustain it in the final furlong. Premier Action came from way off the pace in the hands of champion jockey Akshay Kumar and stormed ahead to win in splendid fashion. Exclusive Blue warmed up to the task late and could only displace Born Greek from the runner-up berth.

Donald Netto trained Versailles, who is in imposing form, recorded her fourth straight win by easily measuring the opposition in the 1200 metres Indian Race Horse Owners Federation Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 to 85. Suraj Narredu had Versailles in front and the progeny of Green Coast skipped clear in the final furlong for a comfortable win over late-rallying Tootsie Roll. Platts Tour who came in for big support was a disappointing third.

Trainer Faisal Hassan who was finding winners hard to come by right through the season had a profitable day with two of his horses winning at lucrative odds during the day's action. Wood Bridge took over the running within the first furlong and had no problem in storming beyond the reach of the heavily backed Honourable Guest who gave a futile chase to the eventual winner in the 1400 metres Mysore Race Club Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated up to 25. Diesis Dream ran on to place third. Robin Reddy trained NRI Flame came up with a sustained run in the final furlong in the hands of jockey Akshay Kumar and managed to head the long-time leader and favourite Red Snapper in the final stride of the race to win the Division II of the Mysore Race Club Trophy. This was the fourth success for champion jockey Akshay Kumar. Best Friend saved place money by a whisker over Rhine who was poorly handled by apprentice Surya Prakash.

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Mon General (Gaurav Singh up) winner of the Mrs K Lakshmi Bhupal Reddy Memorial Trophy

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Warrior Supreme (Kiran Naidu up) winner of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy

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Super Act (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Bangalore Turf Club Trophy

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Galloping Gangster (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Madras Race Club Trophy

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Premier Action (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Royal Western India Turf Club Trophy

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Wood Bridge (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Mysore Race Club Trophy (Div-I)

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Consigliori (P Ajeeth Kumar up) winner of the Deccan Derby (Gr.1)

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Versallies (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Indian Race Horse Owners Federation Trophy

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N R I Flame (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Mysore Race Club Trophy (Div-II)

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