Trainer Bharath Singh`s rank-outsider, Scuderia (Md Islam-up) scored an exciting victory over another long-shot, Follow The Dream, in the upper division of the 1,200m Kingcraft Handicap, Wednesday`s main attraction in the eight-event card. Both divisions of the race were expected to be easy pick for the respective course-favourites – Anassa (Trevor Patel) and Romantic Flow (Christopher Alford) -- but both of them bore slightly dry–coat, therefore, their expanding odds in the ‘ring` hardly came as a surprise. However, the cloudy and wet afternoons, that normally help such horses to produce their near-best, did not help their cause, and thus the disappointing performance of the two. The lower division of the race was claimed by Gallop To Glory (Nikhil Bhujbal) – a 6/1 chance in the betting.

The two divisions of the trophy events, in the frame of eight – the 1,100m Antonique Cup -- on the other hand, were, however, picked up by the fancied runners – Chhundu and Ace Amandus. The last named, trained by Farley Rodrigue, was ridden by Trevor Patel who had also guided the trainer`s Ambrose to victory, early in the afternoon.

Scuderia was ridden well off the pace before pouncing on the tiring leaders – Monsieur Strauss, Resolution, Head Hunter and Anassa. The last named, the 14/10 favourite, took over the running 300m from home but failed after a furlong, leaving the late finishing pair of Scuderia and Follow The Dream to fight out the issue. In the same race, the 2/1 second favourite, Meet The Legend, once again, was a slow starter but covered plenty of ground, halfway into the straight, to place a close fourth. He ran short by about two lengths at the wire as Secret Builder also finished a close third.

Gallop To Glory made his intention clear right from the start. The winner was in a hot chase of the longtime speedy leader, No Politics Please, who weakened into the final stretch to leave the Glory in command. Gallop To Glory, however, had to fight out the issue in the final 200m to keep Torero at bay while Romantic Flow was an unimpressive third, finishing far behind.

Trevor, doing duty for Farley Rodrigues and Sshaawn Sport-owned horse, displayed his superior class, driving home Ambrose and Ace Amandus to hard-earned wins in their respective events – the 1,600m Sermon Handicap and the lower division of the Antonique Cup. In each case Trevor rode his winner from the front but had to use all tricks up his sleeves to gain advantage over Self Directed (apprentice Munna Alam), the 14/10 favourite, in Ambrose`s race, and also the public choice, Masquenada Lyrics (Alford) who was considered far too good for Ace Amandus. The two victims hailed from the yard of Robert Gowli, deputising for the suspended Vijay Singh.

The last outing easy winner, Chhundu (Shezad Khan), too, made a successful pillar-to-post attempt to land the upper division of the Antonique Cup. The victory of the 14/10 favourite, from Harvinder Bath`s stable, needless to say, instilled further confidence into the near-written off upcoming jockey, coming out of a trauma following a nasty fall about two years ago. Shezad had kicked off with a fine double for Bath on the opening day of the season.

The pillar-to-post tactics also nearly paid off for trainer Manvendra Singh`s top-weighted filly Praise Her Gaze in the 1,200m Vasto Handicap. The horse lost in a close tussle to trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s longshot, Mister Positive. In fact, had jockey B. Mahesh maintained a straight course, in the final stretch, Praise The Gaze would have retired as an easy winner. However, Praise The Game is known to make things difficult for herself, under pressure.

Mister Positive`s victory , however, did not come as a surprise as he had placed a good third in his recent last run but the presence of trainer Arti Doctor`s well-performed, and hot favourite, youngster Speedy Gonsalves (Alford), in the 12-horse field, had shifted the focus of most punters in this combined Class III-Cl II race. The Gonsalves` failure could be attributed to the horse`s inexperience in the open class and also the wet going. Further, Alford, on Gonsalves, waited for too long and too far behind. Give the failed 7/10 favourite another chance.

Trainer Jasbir Singh`s Vaani (apprentice Rajinder Singh), too, virtually, made a start-to-finish effort to win the curtain-raiser, the 1,600m Mountain Lily Handicap, albeit narrowly from Bang Bang who was going over the trip for the first time in his career.