Aleksei was punters’ rage last Wednesday but the Vijay Singh-trainee nearly brought his backers at the edge of their seats in the last furlong of the 1,400m Roubaix Cup. A spirited challenge from Robin Corner’s Capture The Moment apparently made it a close affair for the 4-10 favourite but that was not the case.

Jockey C. Alford detested any punitive action on the Razeen-Remembren son and therefore, allowed the friendless challenger to come that much closer.

Alford was trying to save the habitual bleeder and he succeeded in doing so. Aleksei had burst blood vessels twice in his last three winter starts and under the circumstances, it was important for Alford to ensure that the four-year-old did not gallop to doom in his first outing in view of the long 10-month season ahead.

Vijay’s Flemenco Star, on the other hand, was a treat to watch in the Reliable Plate. The three-year-old faced a multi-faceted challenge from Daniel David-brigade. Besides, the odds of the San Francisco-Flamenco colt also expanded from half-money to ‘evens’, raising speculations about a close fight. However, nothing of that sort happened as the favourite looked a winner soon after he collared the long time leader Lightning Flash at the top of the final turn.

Daniel’s Bold Display, too, was backed to exclusion of his seven rivals and the five-year-old made short-work of the opposition in a comfortable manner in the 1,100m Osiris Handicap.

Barring the victory of three favourites, the afternoon was in the total grip of the shockers. In the opener itself, a less-fancied Firing Power fired his way from the start to success in the 1,400m Pentagon Handicap. The concluding two events followed the trend with Havinder Singh Bath’s Nose Nothing upstaging the fancied pair of Aiischa and Tip Toes and he gained his victory despite taking a circuitous route and galloping the last furlong on the far side of the track.

But for the lone punter who scooped the Rs 50,000 plus ‘tanala’, the outcome of the 1,400m Anticipator Handicap was hardly welcomed. Fancied horses found the going tough on a track, which had deteriorated because of intermittent but heavy rain. Corner’s less dependable runner, Bollywood Dream, relished the conditions most and so did Star King and Wizard Of Oz who were placed in the order named. The course-favourite, Clockwork from Vijay’s yard, tested her hooves upfront till the final turn before going backwards.