Newly licensed trainer B Mukesh Kumar led in the first winner of his career when the well-backed Icicle justified the huge expectations with an aggressive effort in the 1400 metres Fair Haven Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the feature event of races held at Malakpet on Sunday. For jockey Tograllu too this was the first winner of the season. With many favourites playing truant and long shots winning against the run of expectations, punters bore the brunt of form fluctuations.

Icicle was given a light ride by the same jockey on the last occasion when finishing a suggestive fourth to Team Player. The jockey had been reprimanded for not making sufficient efforts. The Stipes were right in their observation but were light in dealing with the jockey. The volume of money that came on the horse which resulted in the odds on the ante-post favourite Bangor On Dee expanding, was in keeping with the belief that Icicle had more potential than was displayed on the last occasion. Lesser fancied Candy Girl led from the start with Icicle eased in about the fourth or fifth position till turning for home. Tograllu swung wide on Icicle possibly in order to get a clear run. The progeny of Smuggler’s Cove who had run against better quality horses in his career, produced a strong run and got the better of the front-running Candy Girl and Bangor On Dee in the final stages of the race, to eventually win by a shade over a length. Bangor On Dee necked out Candy Girl to pinch the second slot.

The Fair Haven Plate (Div II), saw the short-priced favourite from the stables of trainer Vittal Deshmukh barely make it. Nugget had the form and the support was well-directed. However, Nugget, after gaining ascendancy in the final furlong, looked vulnerable the rest of the way. Nugget managed to squeeze her way past the post after coming under enormous pressure from long-shot Southern Act. Thanks to the driving finish of jockey Akshay Kumar, Nugget had her head in front at the all-important end. Dream Station ran on to finish third and returned rich dividends.

The Division III of the race went the way of long shot Stag’s Leap from the stables of trainer M R Chauhan. Many of the contestants including favourite Alabama hadn’t run for 188 days. Stag’s Leap who was racing after 195 days, hit the front from the word 'go’ and had enough legs to last out a late challenge from favourite Alabama who fell short in the end. NRI Ultrapower who was racing after 185 days came from the last position with a late dash to edge past The Image to save place money. The last named was racing after a biggish gap of 275 days and returned lame after the race.

Leo D’Silva trained Pontefract showed vast improvement when accounting for the battling duo of Morning Mist and Great Giver in the 1100 metres Doncaster Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Laxman Singh trained Morning Mist was the preferred horse ahead of Great Giver while Pontefract, despite the presence of Akshay Kumar, was allowed to run at long odds. Yash Narredu had Morning Mist take charge with Great Giver in the chase whereas Pontefract was several lengths adrift. Even as Morning Mist and Great Giver were settling the issue among themselves in the final furlong, Pontefract produced a sustained burst of speed, covered the leeway from way off the pace and got the nod close to home. Great Giver was second while Morning Mist weakened to finish third. Vittal Deshmukh trained Happy Soul who had whipped around at the start and dropped the jockey was conditioned with sufficient gate practice. The on-money favourite broke off well and had a comfortable lead going into the final furlong. However, Happy Soul began to slacken and Veneno covered good ground and finished menacingly. The front-runner however managed to save the day by a whisker in the hands of jockey Surya Prakash to win the lower division of the race. Deccan Spirit ran on purposefully towards the close to be a suggestive third.

Precious Gift from the stables of trainer Prasad Raju obliged in the 1100-metre Three Wishes Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. The five-year-old mare had run fair races during the last monsoon season but had flopped completely in the winter season, remaining a maiden from 19 outings. The others in the fray too had not done anything noteworthy. Blue Brigade and Precious Gift were the two fancied runners. Precious Gift proved to be better than the others, taking charge down the final furlong and winning it from Ar Superior with a measure of comfort. My Master who cut an erratic course was far away third despite an aggressive effort by jockey Imran Khan. Blue Brigade failed to find a place on the frame despite being prominent early on in the race.

You can trust trainer Satheesh to spoil the party firing long shorts with amazing consistency. High Reward who was not in the betting raced up front and burst clear in the hands of apprentice jockey R S Jodha to win the 1200 metres Kamareddy Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45 in great style. Another long shot Sergeant Reckless was second, thwarting the heavily backed Fara to grab the runner-up berth. Bash On Regardless who was the strong favourite, was not spotted.

Laxman Singh trained Honourable Lady was another short-priced favourite to bite the dust in the 1400 metres Devarakonda Cup, a race for horses rated 22 to 45. Favourite Indian Sniper was under pressure all the way in the final furlong but just when he had shaken off his rivals, long shot Honourable Lady from the stables of Prasad Raju showed up on the wide outside with a powerful dash. In the bobbing of heads, Honourable Lady put paid to the hopes of the favourite. The fancied Golden Gazelle weakened after being in contention till the final 100 metres of the race.