Trainer Bharath Singh`s prized filly, Sana (Dashrath Singh-up) scored an emphatic victory to fully justify her crammed odds in the Ladies` Derby, the 2,400m Calcutta Oaks, Saturday`s feature event. The afternoon also witnessed trainer Sulieman Attaollahi`s Captain Morgan (Y.S. Srinath) cashing in on his superior outstation class to win the 1,600m D. Khaitan Memorial Calcutta Gold Cup, a Grade-II race.

Sana, in any case, stood head and shoulders above the opposition and final verdict of a distance, over Implicit Trust (Srinath), was a true measure of her ability. The Multidimentional/Yana daughter was also given a judicious ride by Dashrath who had her settled behind the early leaders, Friendship (C. Alford) and Implicit Trust, till turning for home. She was gone away in the final stretch with Dashrath just having to give a couple of taps, passing the distance-post, to keep hot property moving.

Captain Morgan, too, was ridden in an identical manner by Srinath. A 2/1 joint-favourite with Colombiana, (Yash Narredu), It was James McKeown`s Shivalik Showers who made all the running as Srinath had the South India champion galloper settled in a close attendance. Srinath`s power-packed riding pushed the big made horse to surge ahead, inside the final furlong, to score, after a little coaxing and belting. In the same race, trainer Raunak Banerji`s Evesham (Alford) was a good second as he pounced on the tiring leader close home.

The 1,600m M.B. Medhora Cup was an easy pick for trainer McKeown`s vastly improved horse, Ophion (S. John) who was heavily wagered. The even-money favourite, was ridden well off the pace and unleashed a good turn of foot to overhaul the opposition. The horse may reel off another victory to seal a hat trick of wins.

Trainer Vijay Singh`s filly, Aashna (Hindu Singh) was the other impressive winner on the day. In the baby race, the 1,200m C.M. Varma Memorial Cup, the Win Legend/Ray of Sunshine daughter was asked to race behind Speed Force in the early half of the 1,200m race. She also skated clear of the opposition in the home-straight before the opposition could get its acts together.

In the same race, another good looking and well-bred filly, Sansamha (Dashrath) finished second. However, much must not be read into her far away second as the Air Support/Saangre Azul daughter needed the run. Lakshay, also a Vijay`s charge in the same race, performed very poorly as a 9/4 favourite. Ignore his run.

Early in the afternoon, Hindu had guided trainer Manvendra Singh`s Tiberon to an easy victory in the upper division of the 1,200m Goodfellas Handicap. Ridden well in a check as Shanayya`s Pet, All Rounder and Logano led by turns, Hindu issued his challenge on the wide of the field to take all by a surprise. Looking Good, also ridden off the pace, was a fair second, getting the better of another late comer, Glorious Run.

McKeown`s Mahasuvi (C. Alford) also carried the public purse in the lower division of the Goodfellas Handicap but the Western Aristocrat daughter burst a blood vessel soon after she took the charge of the running, below the distance-post, from Bacaardi. However, Bacaardi`s glory, too, was short lived when trainer Harvinder Bath`s long shot, Atheist (Shezad Khan), walked on the scene on the wide out.

Trainers Shafiq Khan`s Majestic (Ranidan Singh) and Jasbir Singh`s Sicario (Mohit Singh) were the other outsiders who shaped as long knives in the eight-event card.

Majestic claimed the 1,600m P.P. Ginwala Memorial Cup beating a good set of rivals after trailing the field till the final turn.

Sicario, on the other hand, had been knocking at the door and yet she hardly found any support in the betting in the 1,400m Supreme Prince Handicap. Held back in the mid-division, the top-weighted runner was, however, lucky to get a wide rail-side opening to gallop to a narrow victory over Citi Heights (app. Tejeshwar), also a long priced runner. In the same set, Raunak Banerji`s 2/1 favourite was at the helm till a furlong from home but ran short of the gas, in view of her near 15 months of lay off.