Leo D`Silva trained Huntingdon brought off a big surprise in the 1600 metres Royal Arion Club Million, a terms race for three-year-olds, the feature event of Monday`s Hyderabad races. The Hyderabad Winter Season concluded with trainer Hilton Sequeira and jockey Akshay Kumar emerging on top. Sequeira saddled 24 winners while Akshay Kumar booted home 35 winners. Golconda Derby winner Salento was declared the champion horse of the season.

Sequeira trained Anab E Shahi who had recorded an impressive in his debut run was the favourite as many believed that the quality of the win was such that there was scope for improvement. However, Anab E Shahi ran no sort of a race and was the first horse to get beat. He looked like a lost cause right from the start as he did not show any zest and raced like a tired horse. NRI Doublepower who had won twice was the other well-backed horse in the fray and shaped to win when the filly shot ahead of pace-setting Encore inside the final 100 metres. Long shot Huntingdon warmed to the task rather late in the hands of emerging sensation Saqlain and produced a powerful late gallop to nail the fancied runner in the shadow of the post. Truth came from a long way back to finish a third.

Shashikanth trained NRI Ultrapower who had flopped as a favourite last time out was seen in a different light in the 1600 metres Pocharam Plate treating the opposition with disdain in the hands of five kg apprentice Shivansh to win as she pleased. It was a big turnaround in the performance notwithstanding the five kgs claimed by the allowance jockey. Last start winner Das gave a chase but it was clear that it was going to be a futile bid as the front-runner not only travelled well but had enough cushion to ward off any threat. Clefairy rallied late to take the third position. Favourite Pal Cha was never in the hunt.

Magan Singh Parmar trained Tripurari had won pretty impressively five days ago and the progeny of Stardan recorded an encore in the 1200 metres Heritage Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Dhanu Singh Deora had it easy on the winner who assumed control by the final furlong and was so far ahead that the late rally by Blast In Class was bound to be non-productive. The Hambone was third. Fancied Milton Keyes did not get a clear run right from the start and lost whatever chances he had as a result. NRI Fantasy was backed to the exclusion of the rest and the favourite from the stables of Shashikanth was not hard-pressed to win, storming clear in the final furlong to win with a great deal of ease. Hot Seat held off the late flourish by Top Diamond.

This year trainer Satheesh`s horses gave nasty surprises, winning at long odds. Kingston came from the clouds to overhaul the horses in front in the hands of apprentice jockey R S Jodha to win the race from General Atlantic and Ashwa Morocco in an absorbing finish. Ashwa Morocco poked through a narrow gap in the middle and showed up in front but General Atlantic came from way behind to surge ahead near the post. However, Kingston`s finishing rally put paid to the hopes of General Atlantic who was in great nick this season either winning from start to finish or making his presence felt even after being left in the gates.

Shashikanth trained Miss Little Angel won the 1400 metres Mir Fazilath Hussain Memorial Cup (Div I), at long odds. La Mirage had trounced True Marshal in his previous outing and the latter went on to record impressive earlier in the day. As such, one expected La Mirage to put up a big performance. However, the favourite disappointed and came on the scene when Miss Little Angel had already wrapped up the race. Starwalt was third. The lower division of the race was won by Srinivas Reddy trained True Marshal who brooked no opposition when having the race well in control all the way in the final furlong. Top In Class edged out Morior Invictus to get the runner-up berth.

M Chauhan trained Special Effort showed vast improvement when swamping the opposition in the 1400 metres Republic Plate (Div I), a race for horses in the lowest category. In what appeared an open type of betting, Special Effort received considerable support. Jockey Kiran Naidu was unhurried in his approach, restraining the fancied runner in about the sixth or seventh position as Good Day did the front-running. Special Effort steadily bridged the gap in the straight and burst clear of the pack in the final furlong to win by a widening margin of six lengths over Good Day. Canterbury was third another five lengths adrift. Jasbir Singh trained My Way Or Highway was backed spiritedly to win the lower division of the race. The confidence with which the horse was backed was surprising given the fact that the four-year-old gelding was a maiden in his 21 starts and had only five days back finished seven lengths behind the winner over the same distance. This time out, My Way Or Highway who was in the rear of the field till turning over home came home with a rush to easily overtake the front-running Challenger who had expended her energy by running freely in front. It`s My Life was third.