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Trainer Manvendra Singh`s Revolution, a 4-1 shot in the betting, had an easy measure of her six rivals, including the even-money favourite, Major Colours, in the 1,400m Jango Cup, on Wednesday`. Apprentice Hindu Singh, who gave a cozy ride to the three-year-old filly, also helped the trainer to notch-up a treble, on the day. Manvendra`s other winners were Yerevan and Astatki. Trainer Bharath Singh and jockey Dashrath Singh were the other professionals, who were also among winners, recorded a double apiece. The action-packed afternoon also witnessed favourites, in few cases, being somewhat lucky to gain the verdicts in photo finishes. In fact, the narrow victory of trainer Vijay Singh`s piping hot favourite Almarada over Bongani, in the day`s opener, the 2.000m Malvika Handicap, was strongly contested by most of bookmakers in the betting ring. In protest, they stopped the operation, until shown the freeze-frame which clearly indicated that the Almarada had scored by a proverbial whisker, a `nose.` The layers of odds resumed the business, from the fourth race onwards, following an apology.
Apprentice Hindu Singh displayed controlled aggression on Resolution as he held the Magna Graduate filly upfront, closely chased by Abubble, Major Colours – the favourite – and Smokey Baba who took a slow start but was quick to join the leaders. Hindu pushed his charge for an effort in the stretch run and the filly went skating clear to frustrate jockey Surjeet Singh, partnering the firm public choice.
Yerevan`s victory, in the 1,400m Whiplash Handicap was another close affair as trainer Shafiq Khan`s quietly fancied Royal Brute (Sameer Khan-up) threatened to win from the start and nearly lasted out to score over the hot-favourite, ridden by B. Mahesh. Mahesh tried all tricks up his sleeves but the sigh of relief came in the favourite`s last stride.
Astatki (Shailesh Shinde-up), however, broke the sequences of close verdicts with a start-to-finish over Jacqualine Postill in the 1,100m Rockfellar Handicap.
The hell broke loose after Almarada was declared as the winner of the 2,000m Malavika Handicap , the curtain raiser. Speedy Bonagani, better known for his sprinting abilities on the local track, looked like having succeeded in her pillar-to-post mission but the naked vision played truant, compared to the freeze-frame which clearly indicated a short-hear verdict in favour of Amlamda.
In the third race, the 1,600m Prudential Handicap, trainer Bharath Singh`s piping hot-favourite, Shourisha (Dasharath Singh) , too, was in the danger of losing the prize but jockey Sandeep Rajput`s hara-kiri, atop, Mister Positive, saved the situation, much to the delight of the youngster`s backers. Mister Positive, a rank outsider in a five-horse field, was taken to a start-to-finish mission and the horse also looked like pulling off a smart victory but Rajput almost allowed Shourisha to pass. The jockey was lucky to have been stood down for six race meetings only.
Bharath again combined with Dashrath to score a popular double when their charge, Triumphus, a 13-10 favourite, landed the 1,400m Cheryl Plate, albeit narrowly. In the same race trainer Arti Doctor`s Flourishing Move (S. Rathore-up) received almost an equal amount of support but the horse performed like a dud. Triumphus, on the other hand, meant business from the start, The horse followed, the early leaders So Regal, Arion and Chennai Express, till the final turn, before opting for the shortest way home to victory. Dashrath did punish the horse in the final 150m as Vijay`s less-fancied Magical Ability looked like growing stronger in the stretch run, after toiling with the backbenchers for a major part of the journey. Note Magical Ability as a coming winner.
The concluding event, the 1,100m As Ever Handicap threw up another long knife, thanks to Vijay`s 11-10 favourite, Jalapeno Pepper, taking a slow start. It was trainer Vikash Jaiswal`s Romancer, ridden by a leap-year jockey Gajender Singh, won the race from Shafiq`s Hurricane Andrew who tried to win his third race in a row, from the start but failed in the final 100m. Romancer, on the other hand, was right up with the leader who found the going tough in the closing stages of the race.
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