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Trainer Vijay Singh`s 4/1 shot, Cadman (Hindu Singh-up), scored a decisive victory in the 2,000m Monsoon Cup, the showpiece event in the frame of eight, on Wednesday, the concluding fixture of the season. Vijay went on to score a treble, which came as a bonus for defending his championship title with ease. Christopher Alford who, for a change, made no contributions towards Vijay`s cause, also helped himself with retaining the champion jockey`s crown, more as a freelance rider than helping swell his retained stable`s, Raunak Banerji`s, kitty, which is hardly worth mentioning. The afternoon also witnessed favourites, including the 8/10 public rage, Shivalik Showers (C. Alford), in the Monsoon Cup, performing poorly.
Shivalik Showers was, perhaps, off colours on the sunny afternoon. The six-year-old remained struck to his natural style of running but equally alert was Hindu, for whom it was a chance ride on Cadman as Prashant Dhebe failed to report. In fact, the favourite was a beaten horse, soon after the six-horse field turned for home. Cadman had a free-run thereafter but the plight of the favourite continued as trainer Jasbir Singh`s lowly rated Rewalding (Mohit Singh), who was always in chase of Shivalik Showers, edged him out of the paying slots, virtually at the post.
Vijay`s victory saga begun with the victory of his half-money favourite, Victoriana (app. Nikhil Naidu), a newly gained baby from the West, who clamed the Alarico Handicap. The Burden Of Proof daughter made every post of the 1,100m race a winning one but hardly in an impressive manner, from a late finishing Stellanova (Alford) -- from Raunak`s stable. Victoriana may improve and her progress needs to be watched as the winter fall in. In the same race trainers Javed Khan`s Malana (Shezad Khan) and Patrick Quinn`s Perfect Balance (Afzal Khan), also a western India migrant, ran forward races.
The Talisman (S. John), too, produced an inspired performance to claim the other trophy event on the cards, the 1,400m Credit Squeeze Cup. The Noverre horse, considered to be a suspect over trips beyond six furlongs, however, found the additional 200m to his advantage while taking an easy measure of trainer Manvendra Singh`s Theo (Hindu). Adrestia (Alford), Half Volley (Dashrath Singh) and Celtic King (P.S. Chauhan) were the other runners three named horse who made it a virtual blanket-finish with Theo for the minor slots.
Vijay`s Devotion (John), however, proved as the biggest letdown, when the 9/10 favourite found trainer Shyam Habbu`s Carralisa a hard nut to crack. Alford had pushed the winner, a Dutch Art mare, into a runaway lead to catch the favourite napping in the 1,100m Crown Rule Handicap.
Alford, atop Raunak`s Danceress had also caught Volantis (John) napping in the 1,600m Poles Apart Handicap. Volantis, a 17/10 favourite, was in a box seat behind the early leader, Citi Heights (app. P. Tajeshwar), but failed to draw away from the field when sent into the lead and urged for an effort. It made Danceress` task easier. The Abbeside daughter covered a good ground on the wide out to beat the, about 50m from home.
Danceress having gone down meekly to El Magnificent in their recent clash, made a good case in favour of later`s victory in the 1,600m Palazzio`s Sun Handicap for horses a class lower. However, it never happened, thanks to Alford atop trainer Arti Doctor`s Flying Cloud, who foiled such designs with a narrow measure of the Shyam Habbu`s runner, ridden by an in-form apprentice Nikhil Naidu. El Magnificent warmed up late in the race and fell short by a Long-neck at the wire.
The two sets of the Jango Handicap are hardly worth discussing but for records, Nikhil rode a well-judged race on Aashay Doctor`s filly Empowered in the upper division while the lower division was claimed by trainer Ruther Alford`s heavily fancied runner, Queen`s Command, partnered by jockey Ashhad Asbar.
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Cadman (Hindu Singh up) winner of the Monsoon Cup
Empowered (Nikhil Naidu up) winner of the Jango Handicap (Div-I)
Queen`s Command (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of the JANGO HANDICAP (DIV-II)
Victoriana (Nikhil Naidu up) winner of the Alarico Plate
Carralisa (C Alford up) winner of the Crown Rule Handicap
The Talisman (S John up) winner of the Credit Squeeze Cup
Danceress (C Alford up) winner of the Poles Apart Handicap
Flying Cloud (C Alford up) winner of the Palazzio`S Sun Handicap
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