Trainer Vijay Singh`s runner Elusive Study produced a courageous performance in the 1,200m Hilliard Cup, the feature event in Saturday`s race card. The top-weighted horse received good support in the betting but this poor start at the gates left his followers with dropped jaws. All seemed lost for the 7-2 second favourite until a furlong and half from the winning post when the horse started to make up lost ground. Elusive Study zigzagged his way up – bisecting leaders Councilofthegods, Steal The Glory and Conquering Love in the process – to finally counter a late challenge from fast finishing Forces Of Destiny, the 7-4 favourite. Jockey C. Alford, who is always known to makes things difficult for himself, partnered the winner.

Alford was, however, man possessed early in the afternoon when he notched up a deserving double for trainer Darius Byramji. It started off with the facile victory of Adamaris in the 1,400m Kariba Cup, which the son of Alnasr Alwasheek win with a degree of comfort. The winner, a 7-10 favourite, was held back in fourth while Italian Beauty adopted runaway tactics while Casabella and Red Typhoon were in chase. However, it turned out to be a no-contest when Italian Beauty ran out of gas and Alford changed gear on Adamaris to frustrate the efforts of jockey C. Ruzaan, atop Casabella.

	Elusive Study (C. Alford-up), winner of the Hilliard Cup, being led-in by trainer Vijay Singh (left) and owner Deepak Khaitan on Saturday atKolkata

Alford, on 13-10 favourite Safari, had to face some challenge from the joint-favourite Noble View in the 1,400m Zeenee Handicap. Noble View called the shots from the start but trainer Daniel David`s classic hope failed to pull it off inside the last 100m of the race when challenged by the 1,000 Guineas favourite, Safari. Noble View, however, looked to be under-done and his run is best ignored. He is still in the reckoning for the 2,000 Guineas.

Pesi Shroff`s Chardin, finally, entered the winner`s enclosure after his numerous failures. Ridden by a rookie apprentice S. Zervan, the progeny of Burden of Proof was, however, continuously under-pressure from the halfway stage of the race while galloping alongside of frontrunners – Sensational Star, Agios Nikolaos and Glenbervie. Once shown the daylight, Chardin played a catch-me-if-you-can game with the late finishing Askarel – a 5-4 favourite.

Trainer Javed Khan`s odds-on favourite Arisaka was a big let down in the 1,100m Royal Double Handicap. Running in the mid-bunch of a 14-horse field, the Flitch filly was never a keen galloper during the course of journey. Zafir, who had a good lung-opener on the opening day of the season, won the race. The Classic Tale colt ran in the shadow of the speedy customer, Thousand Stars, till two furlongs from home before taking off. Daniel`s Super Flash tried to add excitement into the finish, a furlong from home but he found a tough customer in Zafir.

The Ladyisshady, finally, went on to justify that she was no moody a customer. The Lady had a hard run last week which seems to have helped her cause in the 1,100m Moon Fairy Handicap which she won from the start in the hands of Neeraj Rawal who nursed her up-front, in the company of Scorsese and Mystic Force, before kicking away from them.

Flying Jaguar won a made-to-order 1,200m Little Lady Handicap. Shooting into the lead from the start, the Vikash Jaiswal-trained horse never looked back.