Shiraz Sunderji trained Market King maintained his sublime performance with yet another emphatic performance in the Gr 3 Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s Pune races. Market King who had overwhelmed the opposition last time out, had no problem in staving off the challenge posed by Joaquin to oblige as one of the well-backed horses of the day. The day otherwise was hard on punters looking for favourites to oblige.

Market King was well placed in the scales vis-à-vis his opponents whom he had beaten on the last occasion. Fast Rain had run him close on the last occasion when he was conceding just half a kg but this time out, he was giving two kgs to him. Not that it made any difference to the outcome of the race judging by the manner in which Fast Rain ran way below expectations. He would have been beaten in any case. The strong support for Market King was on expected lines.

Joaquin who hasn`t shown the form of old, having run about 11 lengths adrift of the winner in his last effort, was seen in a better light, making all the running till overhauled by the eventual winner. Jockey Neeraj Rawal settled Market King in the third position as Joaquin set the pace followed by Son Of A Gun. Fast Rain and Sovereign Orb stuck to the rear group. Market King steadily bridged the leeway took the gap between the two front-running horses and asserted his supremacy by the final furlong. Joaquin stayed on to take the second position ahead of Son Of A Gun who should be better for his first start of the season. Fast Rain and Sovereign Orb finished poorly.

Faisal Abbas trained Magneto who had performed well at Kolkata and had the benefit of a good forward on the Pune track. Despite having credentials to be considered seriously, he was allowed to run at long odds, with the bulk of the betting cornered by bottom-weighted Zarak and Golden Kingdom for the 2400 metres Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. Stablemates Euphoric and Golden Kingdom hurt each other`s chances by racing in front, competing with each other, thereby expending their energies. Golden Kingdom was a beaten horse when the race came to a boil but Euphoric battled on. Magneto who was in the rear, got a smooth run along the rails and had the race sewn up inside the final 100 metres. Euphoric staved off the challenge of It`s My Time who found the mile and a half trip taxing and faded out after raising hopes.

Hoshidar Daji trained Kings Love had showed out in her previous run and as such, should have been in serious betting for the 1400 metres Southern Command Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. M K Jadhav trained Decacorn was the favourite having run second best from way off the pace. Decacorn like many of his stablemates ran well below expectations and faded out after being prominent at the top of the straight. Kings Love who moved with big strides in the final furlong managed to save off the late bid of Sloane Square and Encantamento to land the spoils in a tight finish. Sloane Square, Encantamento and Kinzhal who finished in close order behind the winner should make amends before long.

Daji earlier in the day had led in a winner through Monarchy in the 1400 metres G20 Summit Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Monarchy had been running consistently of late though he had failed to live up to expectations of his juvenile form. In fact, Monarchy had found the winning post elusive for 632 days. Things fell in place for Monarchy who showed out prominently in the final furlong and managed to stave off the strong bid of Remy Red to land the spoils at long odds. Last start winner Chieftain saved place money. Dali Swirl who had come down a category and came in for spirited betting, was never in the hunt.

Star Gallery from the stables of trainer Waheed had gone down by a whisker to Rush in his last essay and made amends in a similar tight finish in the 1600 metres Janardhan Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. In what was an open type of betting, Geographique and Ataash were among the horses fancied. Jockey Vivek G managed to get a clear run along the rails in the stretch and had the lead going into the final 100 metres. Star Gallery held on grimly to the lead beating off the strong challenge of Finch. Ataash nosed out Alphine Star to get third place. Geographique was badly in need of this run and should be seen in better light next time out. Alphine Star who had recorded back-to-back wins reportedly burst his blood vessels.

Adil Dajee led in a rare winner through Walshy who lived up to the promise of his last two runs when making a late rally to land the spoils at the expense of Sentinel in the 1000 metres One Kept Secret Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. Sentinel shaped to win after getting the better of long-time pace setter Slam Dunk but the finishing burst of seven-year-old Walshy put paid to his hopes. Slam Dunk is slowly being readied for a touch. Zukor who was backed to make amends was in the hunt but weakened to end up fourth.

Prince Igor from the stables of trainer Narendra Lagad recorded an encore in the 1400 metres Holy Smoke Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 4 to 30. Apprentice jockey Mustakim Alam had Prince Igor take over the running by the final bend. The front runner was under intense pressure from the late-finishing Metzinger but managed to reach the safety of the post. The latter who was running after 174 days should make amends for this narrow loss. Fashion Icon was third. The lower division of the race was won by Imtiaz Sait trained Silver Sprint who took over the running on entering the homestretch and valiantly held off the challenge of Anoushka to record her maiden win in the hands of jockey Zervan. Zip Along was third.