Trainer Vijay Singh`s four-year-old colt, Jake (Hindu Singh-up) scored an upset victory in the 1,600m Calcutta Gold Cup, sponsored handsomely by Wolf777 on Saturday. The top-rated youngster was totally ignored in the betting, remaining a friendless runner in the field of six runners.

The new nomenclature of the prestigious age-old event may have been necessitated for financial support to keep the sport going, following damages done during the pandemic months, combined with the heavy burden of GST that had literally crippled, not only the totalisator pools but also but the wagering in general.

Jake was ridden well off the pace but produced an electrifying acceleration in the home stretch to stump the two heavily fancied runners -- the Calcutta 2000 Guineas winner Imperial Power (Akshay Kumar) and trainer Rajesh Narredu`s A Star Is Born (Yash Narredu) . In fact, the final verdict of a ‘Neck` and three-quarters of a length could have gone the either way in the final 100 meters. Further, the objection lodged by jockey Yash against Akshay for taking the ground, however, lacked the required punch.

The afternoon also witnessed Vijay`s Oasis (Akshay) avenging his recent, defeat suffered at the hands of trainer Aashay Doctor`s Stockbridge (Neeraj Rawal). There was no hard luck story in the race and the early pace cut by the 8/10 favourite Oasis` stablemate, Cliffhanger (app Hasib Alam), served the winner`s purpose.

Vijay had planned to dominate the seven-event card and he lived up to the racegoers expectations, saddling four winners. The champion trainer started off with the victory of his heavily fancied baby, Gael (Hindu) in the Wolf777 Maiden Plate over 1,100m, and his ‘Yatra` rolled on. The Deli-Elusive Legend colt was a winner at every post.

The poor performance of Vijay`s another heavily wagered Black Pearl (Hindu), in the 1,200m Wold777 Sprint Handicap did come as a surprise but consider, the top-rated last winter`s champion runner may have found the slated sprint a bit too sharp to his liking. Give the five-year-old another chance over an extended journey.

Black Pearl`s defeat was Aashay Doctor`s delight as the trainer`s in-form charge, Cape Tanaros (Neeraj) notched up his third win in-a-row. The Canaros, a 6/1 chance in the betting, meant business right from the start. Allowing the western India challenger, By The Bay (Sujit Paswan) a narrow lead; until a furlong from home, Neeraj took the measure of the front runner, inside the final 100m of the race to score pretty easily than what the official verdict of half-a-length indicates.

Trainer Suraj Shaw have made a winning habit. Early in the month he cashed in on his imports from outstation and was again among winners on the Gold Cup day. In the upper division of the 1,200m Wolf777 Mid-December Handicap Suraj`s speedy runner, Weronika (P. Surya) recorded a pillar-to-post victory, leaving trainer Harvinder Bath`s Whispering Grass (Nikhil Naidu) in a wild goose chase. Suraj`s next winner, in the 1,600m Wolf777 Exch Handicap was a delight to watch when apprentice Hasib Alam rode a well-judged race on Cold Pursuit to have an easy measure of Vijay`s Whistle Blower (C.S. Jodha).

The lower division of the 1,200m Wolf777 Mid-December Handicap, too, was for Vijay`s asking. The trainer`s Regency Smile (Imran Chisty) won the race as he liked but Chisty failed to stop the horse from shifting out badly in the home stretch. Needless to say that Vijay will take the corrective measures as the horse is capable of winning more races. Trainer Rajesh Narredu who had high hope on A Star Is Born and By The Bay in other races, had to contend with another second slot as his ward, So So Special (Yash), too, found a good one in Regency Smile.