Arjun Mangalorkar trained Stockbridge pulled off a narrow win over Count of Savory in the Gr 2 Golconda 2000 Guineas, the second classic of the season held at Malakpet on Sunday. Jockey Anthony Raj who is getting increasing chances made the best of the opportunity and rode aggressively to enable Stockbridge to pinch the issue close to home.

Botero who had run behind stablemate and eventual Derby winner Zuccarelli was made the favourite more on hype and expectation rather than on performance. Botero had finished faraway second and did not show anything that would catapult him as a classic performer. But perceptions have a big bearing on the way the public thinks and in keeping with the fact that trainer Pesi Shroff has been winning almost every big race that is there to be won, Botero had more supporters than the rest. Stockbridge who was the most experienced horse having had the measure of A Star Is Born who was a good second to Zuccarelli did not get the support that he deserved. Fire Power, Blue Origin, Count of Savoy and Stockbridge were all quoted at nourishing odds.

Count of Savoy who had recorded a runaway win last time out was entrusted to jockey Imran Khan as the stable jockey C S Jodha appeared to have preferred to ride Buckley, another last start winner. Imran Khan had Count of Savoy lead all the way. Stockbridge was settled in about the fifth position while Blue Origin who was handily placed till turning for home, faded out in the stretch without a fight. Count of Savoy enjoyed a healthy lead even as the others in the fray began to make their charge. Ashwa Raudee also showed up with a run and Anthony Raj on Stockbridge found himself behind this horse impeding his swift progress. However, Stockbridge responded well when he was angled out and given a clear run. Stockbridge finished with a rush, covered the leeway swiftly and managed to overhaul the front-runner in the closing strides of the race. Ashwa Raudee stayed on to take the second position ahead of Buckley. Fire Power and Blue Origin finished poorly.

Trainer Arjun Mangalorkar said that he was pretty confident of the success of Stockbridge given the fact that he had beaten Mistletoe in his last outing over a mile and the latter had run four lengths adrift of multiple classic winner Born Queen in the last season.

Shiraz Sunderji trained prolific winner Market King was quoted at very cramped odds to win the 1200 metres Air Command Cup, a race for horses rated 60 to 85. Market King showed up with a flourish approaching the final furlong and stormed clear. Despite drifting out under pressure, Lagos closed with a good effort only to find the front-runner reach the safety of the winning post. Xfinity did well to finish third.

The new resident stallion at the Kunigal Stud Farm Sanus Per Aquam had a bright start to his career when his progeny Ballerina recorded an impressive win in the 1100 metres Mica Empress Plate, a race for maiden two-year-olds. Sunderji trained Almas was the favourite and she hit the front with more than a furlong left in the race. However, she could not sustain her foray in the front when Ballerina came up with a brilliant burst of speed. Ballerina stormed clear to win by a good margin of over two lengths over Almas and Wind Sprite. Kunigal Stud Farm Chief Veterinary Officer Dr N M Dinesh said that Ballerina`s win gave a unique distinction of siring his first runner as a winner.

Trainer Vittal Deshmukh has been very eloquent about his opinion of Bugsy. The trainer always maintained that the three-year-old was his classic hope and but for a setback in training, he would have gone places. He reiterated the same thing when interviewed before the race and even confidently said that nobody in the field would beat his horse. The only danger to my horse is the horse himself because of running after a long lay-off and that he would target his horse in the classics in his subsequent runs, he had said. The trainer was bang on target as jockey Pradeep Chouhan merely had to do a steering job on Bugsy who had the race in his control by the final furlong and won by a widening margin of four lengths over Keystone. Sheldon was third. Farrell who was the favourite once again disappointed.

Donald Netto`s Icicle had failed to keep her winning run when running tamely in her last effort over seven furlongs. Now running over a more suitable trip of a mile, Icicle bounced back to winning form with a late charge, getting the better of front-running favourite Kesariya Balam in the closing stages of the race to claim the 1600 metres Crack Regiment Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Lamha was third. Jockey Aashad Asbar rode the winner.

Faisal Hassan trained Stunning Force had been knocking on the doors of success and as such, the strong support for his success in the 1100 metres Zurbaran Plate (Div I) was justified. Jockey Akshay Kumar had no problem in steering the favourite who grabbed the lead in the final furlong and went away for an easy win over late rallying Angelita. Sandown Park who did the early running weakened but just about managed to save place money. Robin Reddy Kondakalla trained Rising Queen also justified the inspired support in the betting run having the race sewn up a long way from home. City of Blossom and Golden Forza occupied the next two slots behind the winner. Favourite Furious Fun went out of the reckoning after racing up with the field till entering the straight.

Satheesh trained Team Play came in for big support in the 1400 metres Republican Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. Team Player won untroubled in the front. Sorry Darling and Starwalker finished behind the winner in the order mentioned.