Imtiaz Sait trained His Highness who had time and again let down huge expectations, finally obliged after an excruciating wait of 486 days when he came home with a big rally and managed to nail the front running Sumaaq in the final stride of the race to win the 1600 metres Mannapuram Finance Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 66, the feature event of Poonawalla Evening Races held at Mahalaxmi on Sunday.

Quite often horses keep running fair races but find the winning post elusive as they fail to put things together in total perspective. Either their late dash is not good enough or they lose the race before it comes on the boil by their inability to keep pace. His Highness had last won in the lower category and but appeared to be better placed to record a long overdue win as the quality of the opposition he was taking on was run of the mill. Top weighted Dramarama came in for surprisingly good support though the five-year-old mare hadn`t done anything significant except coming down in scales. Her last win was 386 days ago. The horse in form was Sumaaq who had won 42 days ago and was younger as well. Excelonce who had won during this season was also one of the fancied runners in the race.

June led from the start with Sumaaq in second position followed by Dramarama, His Highness, Samba Warrior, Excelonce and Adreno in that order. Dramarama failed to quicken when the race came on the boil and went out of contention. Inside the final furlong, Sumaaq shot ahead and opened up a useful lead. His Highness began to respond well under the strong riding of Trevor and just when it looked like the late rally could end up being a futile one, His Highness was able to pull off that bit extra to win in the final stride of the race. June stayed on to finish third while the rest were well beaten.

The 1200 metres Nalli Chinnasami Chetty Cup, a race for maiden three year olds, produced an absorbing three horse finish. First timer Mariska, from the stables of trainer Pesi Shroff, came in for big support though being a daughter of Calcutta Derby winner Xisca, she was bound to find the sprint sharp. Makino whose odds dropped significantly close to race time, had the first run on his opponents going into the final phase of the race inside the final 200 metres with Irish Bailey putting pressure along with Mariska who was hard-ridden to pick up speed. It looked like anybody`s race. The run benefit that Makino had enabled the horse to prevail over Irish Bailey and Mariska in a tight finish, with head and head being the margin between the first three placed horses.

The lower class races in Mumbai are all about how long a horse had been waited with and how much it has come down in scales. Generally, horses are tried when they reach their old winning weight or come way below that mark. Mansoor Shah trained Wings of Glory had been a long pending horse, not having won for 1179 days. Trevor had to work hard on the well backed Wings of Glory to get into his rhythm and the seven-year-old responded well in the final furlong to win comfortably in the end over Praelector who held off Winds of Change for the runner up berth. Another Mansoor Shah trainee Nirbhaya had come back exactly to the mark at which she had won 430 days ago and as such was well backed to beat the challenge of Dazzling Dancer who was relatively a recent winner, in the lower division of the race. Apprentice jockey Amit had Nirbhaya lead all the way and the six-year-old mare fought a resolute battle with hard ridden Dazzling Dancer all the way in the final furlong before going down in the final moments of the race. The forceful riding of Sandesh on Dazzling Dancer made a big difference to the outcome of the race. Indus Prince was third.

M K Jadhav trained Uncle Scrooge looked outstanding in the 2400 metres Lions Club International Centennial Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 46 as he was going over a trip that suited him most apart from the fact that he was also in good nick. Midway through the straight, Uncle Scrooge produced a strong burst of speed and went storming clear to win with measure of comfort over Jager Bomb and Jordana, who after being sluggish at the start, covered ground in the straight to take the third place.

Quite often most trainers in Mumbai are intimidated by the pedigree of the horses that Pesi Shroff commands in his yard. This perhaps explains why Lord Grantham who was making his debut over a mile in the 1600 metres Y M Chaudhary Memorial Cup, a race for maiden three year olds, was strongly backed along with Smart N Noble who had the benefit of five runs to his credit. Sandesh had Smart N Noble lead from the start and though he came under pressure in the final furlong from Lord Grantham, he managed to pull out that bit extra to win with a measure of comfort. Dibaba was faraway third.

Vishal Gaikwad trained Kandinsky was backed to record his fourth win of the season in the 1400 metres Gowardhan Ayur Farm Cup, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. Kandinsky battled inch for inch with Airco all the way in the final furlong with the latter prevailing in the end. Ice Cube Baby had won the Delhi Derby and was in the fray. However, since the filly always gets left at the start and loses chances, she can never be backed with confidence especially since she has moved up on scales. Once again she displayed this trait, raced detached from the field, joined the bunch at the final bend but thereafter was a spent force and finished last. For the record, Vixen was in third position, more than seven lengths adrift of the winner.

Dallas Todywalla trained Cracklin` Rosie produced a strong effort in the final furlong to sail past the front running Royal Sapphire to land the spoils in the 1000 metres Gowardhan Foundation Cup, a race for horses in the lowest category. Favourite Speedo tried hard but found the eventual winner good enough to reach the post ahead of him. Royal Sapphire weakened to finish third but returned good dividend on place betting.