Narendra Lagad trained Alpine Star benefitted from the strong first outing win by gutsily staving off a strong bid by favourite Vincent Van Gogh to win the 2000 metres Pride Group Independence Million, a race for horses rated 20 to 46, the feature event of races held on Independence Day. Rains used to be a feature of this day`s racing and upsets were par for the race but this year, the rains kept away for most part of the day, with modest rains at the end of the day ensuring that the racing programme could be gone through without any adverse weather and results as well.

The benefit of a good forward run and the fact that he is bred to stay ensured that Adhiraj Jodha trained Vincent Van Gogh would go into the race as a favourite despite the widest draw that he had got. Alpine Star who had recorded a runaway win last time was the next best in demand along with Jerusalem. Blazing Bay set a decent pace followed by Alpine Star and Vincent Van Vogh who moved over swiftly from the outside draw to take a handy position. Blazing Bay led the field till approaching the final at which point apprentice jockey Mustakim Alam made a decisive move by pushing Alpine Star to the front. The front-runner had a break of a couple of lengths even as Pradeep Chouhan got busy on the favourite. The duo fought the length of the straight with Alpine Star carrying the lead well past the post, sparing a neck at the finish to the desperately ridden Vincent Van Gogh who found the front-runner unrelenting. Jerusalem ran on to finish third.

The biggest upset of the day came in 1400 metres Magansingh P Jodha Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Jodha trained Kanya Rashi who had shown out in a mock race was the first favourite to land the spoils ahead of the rest, with the eventual winner Julius available at long odds. Winter Agenda, another Jodha trainee, held sway till the dying moments of the race. Julius who moved with raking strides in the final furlong managed to collar the front-runner in the dying moments of the race. Kubric was third. Kanya Rashi who was in about the third or fourth position did not show any spark in the stretch and finished tamely in the fourth position.

Lord And Master which was originally trained by Pesi Shroff, had since been acquired by the stables of Shazaan Shah and had advertised his readiness to win with an eye-catching second behind It`s My Time. Though Lord And Master was the favourite, surprisingly there was a great deal of support for Bangalore challenger Pink Jasmine who had time and again proved to be unreliable. Jockey Antony Raj took Lord And Master on a start to finish. The favourite stayed put there, without coming under pressure, to win by a shade over a length from Rue St Honore with Empower finishing third. Pink Jasmine was far away fourth.

Altaf Hussain trained Snowfall had recorded the first win of his career over seven furlongs but the trainer kept racing this got-abroad only in six furlongs after the filly recorded back-to-back wins over six furlongs during the Mumbai season. The horse surely was crying more ground. After two failed efforts over six furlongs which saw the horse warm up late, even resulting in the suspension of jockey Sandesh for eight race days for a delayed effort, the trainer switched to seven furlongs in the 1400 B K Lagad Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. The four-year-old filly was more at home over the distance, warming up in the final furlong, hammering the opposition by a widening margin of three lengths. Arabian Phoenix ran on to take the second position ahead of fancied Emperor Roderic. The pace that Cour De Lion and Emperor Roderic cut at the top end was the undoing of both these horses.

Another Altaf Hussain trainee Mount Sinae appeared to be a cut above the rest in the 1400 metres Leto Trophy, a race for horses in the lowest category. The five-year-old gelding proved his superiority with a powerful run down the final furlong to win the race as he pleased from the late rallying The Flutist and Speculator.

When it comes to races in the horses in the lowest category, trainer Narendra Lagad has a whip hand. The quietly fancied Mirae obliged in the 1000 metres Astral Flare Plate (Div I), a race for horses in the lowest category. The well-fancied Mirae shook off Trinket at the top of the straight and bounced clear and just about held off the late rally of last-start winner Zukor to win by the proverbial whisker. Apprentice Bhosale was in the saddle. Favourite Alamas appeared to be one-paced as the filly failed to quicken when the race came to the spoil and had to settle for the third spot. The lower division of the race went the way of another Lagad trainee C`est L`Amour who had run a mighty race last time out. This time out C`est L`Amour held off the spirited threat of stablemate Mighty Thunder to win the race in a tight finish. The well-supported Bomber was sluggish at the start and though he finished strongly, he fell short in the end.