Trainer Javed Khan`s aging long shot Brahamchari (app P. Tejeshwar-up), once again, reminded that age is nothing but another number as the eight-year-old went about his task with usual alacrity of pouncing on the tiring leaders, on his way to winning the 1,400m RWITC Cup, Tuesday`s feature event. The afternoon also witnessed jockey Imran Chisty helping trainer Arti Doctor saddle a brace of wins as another visiting rider, C.S. Jodha, notched up a double while the jockey-turned trainer, Christopher Alford, led in his maiden winner, Sullivan – ridden by Trevor Patel.

After an early dominance, favourites, however, fell by the wayside in the seven-event card, leaving the last four legs in the popular pools unfolding different stories. As a result of this, there were no takers in the queue, meant for major payouts.

Coming back to Brahamchari, the horse known to strike when least expected; apprentice Tejeshwar followed the trainer`s instruction to the last word – riding the Chevelier gelding off the pace as Lincoltn and Southpaw displayed speed in the early quarter, before Wave Rider (Suraj Narredu), was joined by the last outing winners, New Moon (Nikhil Naidu) and Surf Romance (Neeraj Rawal). It looked like anybody`s race inside the last furlong as the early fast pace had taken a toll on all concerned. The stage was, therefore, set inside the final 150m for the one to display the late acceleration and Brahmachari ideally fitted into the scheme of things.

At level terms, in a baby race, trainer Vijay Singh`s Dornish (Suraj) had done a Brahmachari in his maiden start over 1,100 meters. Running up with speedsters like Nandini`s Pet (Akash Rajput) and Amazing Mantra (Trevor Patel) in the David Jacob Cup, over an identical trip, and with weight disadvantage, was a difficult task for the 5/4 favourite. These factors brought about the fall of Dornish. The horse had no early speed, and yet was trusted to carry the statutory penalty, over a 1,100m scurry. The outcome of the race hardly came as a shock when another debutante, Apsara Star (Hindu Singh), from James McKeown`s stable, played the same game and returned the compliment to beat Dornish with ease, with 5-1/2kg pull at the weights.

Suraj and Vijay were again at the receiving end in the concluding event, the 1,100m Turf Hawk Handicap. There 6/4 favourite Advait had found the final 100m of 6 furlong – with no false rails -- a wee bit too long. The shorter journey but with false rails, posed the same problem for the youngster as he led for most of the journey but had no steam to pull any further in the final 50m, leaving a late finishing Arti`s pair of Sharavati (Chisty) and Iconia (R.S. Bhati) to place one and two.

The two champions; Vijay and Suraj, had also cut a sorry figure in the 1,100m Irma La Douce Handicap. The expanding odds of Ruby Cube had given an early indication but nobody cared. The race was won by Alford`s Sullivan with authority from an in-form Vikash Jaiswal`s horse, Namak Halaal who made all the running; until the winner joined the issue.

However, Vijay`s Inca (Jodha) fully justified his Derby form and his odds of 7.4 in the 2,200m Sentouki Handicap. The four-year-old carried his light impost to victory almost from the start of the 2,000m race.

Half-an-hour earlier, the victory of Arti`s Simply Soaring (Chisty) had further strengthened the winning chance of Inca. The small made but gutsy filly had carried her topweight of 60kg to a flawless victory in the 1,600m Yeravan Handicap. In the earlier encounter, Simply Soaring had beaten Inca who was then at weight advantage.

The afternoon had started with trainer Robert Gowli`s Pep Talk (Jodha) notching up a narrow victory over Bharath`s Glendower (Trevor) and Harvinder Bath`s Winner`s Delight (Neeraj) in the 1,600m Daring Don Handicap.

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Pep Talk (C S Jodha up) winner of the Daring Don Handicap

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Simply Soaring (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Yerevan Handicap

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Inca (C S Jodha up) winner of the Sentouki Handicap

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Brahmachari (P Tejeshwar up) winner of the Rwitc Cup

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Apsara Star (Hindu Singh up) winner of the David Jacob Cup

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Sullivan (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Irma La Douce Handicap

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Sharavati (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Turf Hawk Handicap

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