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Trainer Mavendra Singh`s 8-1 shot Elusive Hurricane, ridden by apprentice Azharuddin, recorded a back-to-back victory over the course-favourite, Lanner Falcon, to win the 1,400m Saddle Up Cup, Tuesday`s feature event. The end-season surprises were expected to pop-up as the season is into the last quarter but the timing of their emergence appeared to be a bit too early. The afternoon, was in total grip of the long priced winners as favourites cut a sorry picture in most of the seven-event card. Trainers Arti Doctor`s Bold Legacy and Vijay Singh`s Flavius, were the only two public choices who delivered the goods. Arti went on to saddle a double when her long-priced winner, Flourishing Move (apprentice Ranidan Singh), won the concluding event, the 1,400m Anzello Handicap. Jockey P. Kamlesh ,too, had his share of success as he notched up a brace of wins.
The revised handicap, in the day`s feature, hardly favoured Elusive Hurricane who had scored a narrow victory over Lanner Falcon (P. Kamlesh-up) in their recent clash. The changed riding tactics, had, perhaps, done the trick. Elusive Hurricane was always up with the 18-10 favourite and the horse also sealed the issue a 100m from home for a long-neck victory.
In the same race, Vijay`s 9-4 fancied runner, Axstone, galloped close behind the fighting pair but failed to get up when asked for efforts. The horse placed fourth behind a late finishing, Winds Of The Ocean, a friendless runner.
Arti`s day had started with the bloodless debut victory of Bold Legacy (Kamlesh) in the 1,100m Meg Merrillies Plate, a baby race. The New Famous-Hoofbeats daughter led fom the start by two lengths and went on multiplying the the lead in the final stretch to record a six-length-plus victory. Jockey D.K. Ashish and his 11-10 favourite ride, Ace Amandus, were at the receiving eand, chasing the winner all through the journey.
Apprentice Ranidan was in full control of his charge, on Arti`s Flourishing Move, as the horse took off with a four-length lead from the start of the 1,400m race. The claimer pushed the 6-1 fancied runner in the home stretch and the horse responded gamely to his calls to score by eight long lengths over Manvendra`s fancied runner, Kinloch. Trainer Javed Khan`s Yerevan attracted a substantial support in the race but the 11-4 favourite remained no-hopper through out the journey as the filly trailed the field and placed nowhere.
Javed`s 5-1 shot Warrior (Kamlesh), however, responed to Kamlesh`s power-packed riding to score a narrow victory over Shyam Habbu`s equally fancied runner, Layla, in the 1,200m Rising Belle Handicap. Warrior was held back behind Songstress; until 300m from home and took off to last out to win from Lyala, who after galloping in the mid-division was seen gaining the ground in the stretch run. Vijay`s debutante, Lombardo, too, covered a good ground in the final 200m but fell short by about a length to the fighting pair of Warrior and Layla. Lomabardo, an even money favourite, by Ace-Lombardi filly, gave the impression that she needed the run and she may do better over a slightly extended trip.
The victory of Vijay`s Flavius was on the cards and the 7-10 piping hot favourite won the 1,600m Theogundi Handicap, in the hands of Christopher Alford. The horse carried his top-weight to another facile win, his fifth in a row and fourth during the ensuing season. The Noverro-Flavia son is, in fact, is in the line of winning the `horse of the season` title. Falvius`s victory was, however, made easy by Manvendra`s Grand Design (S. Rajput), who was taken to a start-to-finish mission. Had jockey Sandeep Rajput, riding Grand Design, not offered the favourite a wide galloping room along the inner rails, the verdict between the two would have been far more closure than a length and three quarters.
Trainer Rutherford Alford`s Eternal Instinct (apprentice Munna Alam-up) lifted the 1,100m Usher Handicap. Allowing the speedy Isle Of Capri and her stable-mate, Snow Ball, to do the early running, the 6-1 chance in the betting took over about 300m from home to score over Chhundu (Shezad Khan) who got into the action a trifle late.
The afternoon started with trainer Shafiq Khan`s Sunshine Dancer (Md Shabbani) recoding a surprise victory over Vijay`s 14-10 favourite, Argalia. The 5-1 shot golloped behind Fruit ‘N` Nut till about 300m from home and took off to score easily from Argalia who was also always in the chase.
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