Trainer Vinesh Gaekwad`s western India challenger, Jack Frost (Trevor Patel), a 5/1 shot, scored a decisive victory in the 1,400m Army Cup, on the Boxing Day, Tuesday. In fact, it was simply a no-match race as the Kingda Da son literally re-wrote the racing adage: Came, saw and conquered, and the victim was the local champion, Multitude (Imran Chisty), in his own backyard. The afternoon was otherwise ruled by trainer Vikash Jaiswal, who was helped by his jockey-brother, Vinay, and Chisty to reel off a quick and priced hat trick of wins.

Trevor had the visiting horse settled well off the pace as Shivalik Storm showed the way to Evesham and the 13/20 hot favourite, Multitude. The scene changed fast in the final 250m when Eversham slipped through the rails for a brief lead but was easily passed by the public choice. Multitude`s brush with the lead was equally brief when Jack Frost changed the gear, with Trevor having little do but keep pushing his charge who sailed away from the field.

The early pace, needless to say, was very fast but no complaints about it at the highest level. The switch of jockeys, from an acquainted S. John to Chisty, too, was no excuse in view of the murdering assault inflicted, on the favourite, by a middle distance specialist who, honestly speaking, won without raising a sweat. Yes, the 3-kg pull at the weights did make the difference, but marginally. Jack Frost`s future engagements will tell it all.
Jack Frost was not the only western India campaigner who flexed his muscles against the local might. The Lady trainer Arti Doctor, too, had an ace, Sweet Music, up her sleeves in the 1,400m Gen. A.S. Vaidya Memorial Cup. The Dean`s Kitten three-year-old was all music to the ears for those in the know. Sweet Music got very little support in the betting, thanks to apprentice R.S. Bhati, who may be a promising rider but has a long way to go.
The keen followers of western India races do remember Sweet Music`s exploits in Pune, where he humbled the frontline Classic contender, Rochester – a likely Calcutta Derby contender.

Sweet Music likes to win from the front but Bhati was forced to hold back the 5/1 chance, thanks to his sluggish start. A desperate Bhati was all over in the back stretch but finally managed to find a galloping room along the rails, thanks to the wide but lucky opening, as almost the entire field galloped off the rails for some reason or the other. It made Bhati task easier as he went past the leader, Levante (Trevor), a 7/4 favourite trained by Vijay Singh. Sweet Music needs to be kept on the watch list.
Trainer James McKeown`s Occitan impressed in her winning effort in the 1,400m Delhi Race Club Ltd. Cup. Jockey Hindu Singh, had the 11/4 favourite settled fourth, and even risked availing a narrow opening between the rails and the long time leader, One Man Army. Once in front the filly strode away from the field.

Equally impressive was the victory of trainer Harvinder Bath`s Eternally (Trevor), 5/2 favourite, who despite her long lay off, walked away with the 1,400m Army Services Corps (ASC) Cup, leaving another heavily fancied runner Uncrowned King (Chisty), from Vikash`s stable, in a wild goose chase.
Vikash`s Juggernaut started with the victory of I Me N Myself (Chisty) in the upper division of the Cheviot Handicap. It was Chisty`s powerful riding of the topweighted runner that won the day, to give Vikash a kick-start.

Vikash`s brother, Vinay, was himself surprised when the stable`s long shot, Ivy, went kindly for him from the start, to have the measure of the course-favourite, Major Colours in the lower division of the Cheviot Handicap.

Chisty was back in the winner`s enclosure, again when he gave a judicious ride to Vikash`s third winner, My Lady Luck, in the 1,200m Tug of War Handicap.
To cap the day`s exciting racing was trainer Daniel David`s friendless, Aquaticaa (Russel Xavier), who scored in a five-horse blanket-finish to claim the 1,600m Myall King Handicap. The other horses involved in the photo-finish were Timeless Treasure (app. Nikhil Naidu), Arion (app. Rupal Singh), Adriatic Sea (B. Mahesh) and Constance (Ranidan Singh).