Calcutta: It may pay to follow Aperitivo, not only in Saturday’s main event, the 1,600m Calcutta Gold Cup, but also during the rest of the season. The prized Vijay Singh-trainee has no peers in the field of six, and is in a different league altogether. The Diffident- Dramatic Irony, four-year-old, has been making his presence felt in most of the premier events in the country, and the opposition he is taking on, and also in his future RCTC’s starts, may not match his stature.

Aperitivo’s recent victory over Formal Invitation, in the 1,400m Mayfowl Cup, was an emphatic one. Agreed, the Invitation had lost some ground at the start but the Calcutta Derby winner had the race all sewn up nearing the distance-post. More importantly, the extra Gold Cup-furlong would be a greater comfort zone for Aperitivo than the Invitation or and the ageing Adolfito. C.Alford partners the Deepak Khaitan-owned money-spinner.

Vijay and Alford may also be counted upon to lift the Elusive Pimpernel Cup and the Fame Star Cup through Romantic Fire and Regal Romance. Both trophy eve-nts have great sentimental value for the trainer and the owner.Read as: Sl. nos, last 4 runs, horse name, trainer, jockey, weight & draw:

1. Shiseido Handicap 1,100m (Cl lII;Cl IV; 5-y- & over;Rt. 20-70) 12.15 pm

1       - 011        Thanks To All [Javed] Afzal       60.0       4

2       0442       Majestic Hills [Jaiswal] V.Jaiswal       55.5       2

3       3000       Lucifer [Rodrigues] Surjeet       52.5       3

4       - - - 0       All For Love [Karki] Rajesh Babu       51.0       1

5       0021       Secret Valour [Daniel] Chauhan       49.5       5

1. thanks to all (1) 2. secret valour (5) 3. majestic hills (2)

Thanks To All: A line through Schumacher may help him strike again. Secret Valour: Lost a considerable ground at the start, yet scored comfortably. May extend the winner. Majestic Hills: May upset.

2. Yerevan Cup 1,400m (Cl V; Rt. 00-30) 12.45 pm

1       - 040       Falcon Fly [Daniel] Chauhan       62.0       5

2       4232       Wizard King [Daniel] P.Alford       62.0       1

3       0003       Local Thriller [Javed] Mark       61.0       6

4       0043       Regal Rocket [Jaiswal] V.Jaiswal       59.5       3

5       0004       Chief Celebrity [Rodrigues] Surjeet       54.5       4

6       0004       Going Starry [Bath] D.Singh       53.5       2

1. falcon fly (1) 2. Wizard King (2) 3. local thriller (3)

Falcon Fly: Has been working well since long. May carry his topweight to victory. Wizard King: Well rested since his monsoon season assay. Looking well, too. Local Thriller: May place.

3. Avalanche Star Handicap 1,600m (Cl III, Cl IV; Rt. 20-70 ) 1.15 pm

1       - - - 1       Supreme Chancellor [Daniel] Salim       61.5       3

2       1340       Arrayal [R.Alford] Domingo       60.5       6

3       - - - 4       Roofer [Errol] Gurang       57.5       2

4       - - 23       Sven [Bharath] Gallagher       51.0       5

5       0322       Star Phoenix [Daniel] Chauhan       48.5       1

6       - - - 0       Awesum Attitude [Karki] Ruzaan       47.0       4

1. STAR PHOENIX (5) 2. ARRAYAL (2) 3. SVEN (4)

Star Phoenix: Went easy in Oklahoma’s race and the rider was sacked. Deserves another chance. Arrayal: Well in at the weights. May extend the best. Sven: May place.

4. Fame Star Cup 2,000m (Cl II, Cl III; Rt. 40-90) 1.55 pm

1       4303       El Cid [Jaiswal] V.Jaiswal       60.0       5

2       0330       Way To The Stars [Stephens]K.Kumar       56.5       4

3       - 222       Actuary [Javed] Mark       56.0       2

4       - 111       Regal Romance [Vijay] C.Alford       55.0       3

5       4220       Bollywood Dreams [Bharath] Gallagher       54.0        1

6       4324       Annotate [R.Alford] Domingo       51.5       6

1. Regal Romance (4) 2. Bollywood dreams (5)

3. Actuary (3)

Regal Romance: On a roll and maintaining form. Should be able to notch up his third straight win. Bollywood Dreams: Ideally at the weights. May be there at the busy end. Actuary: Upset, if any.

5. Elusive Pimpernel Cup 1,400m (Cl I, Cl II; Rt 60 & over) 2.25 pm

1       - - - -       Romantic Fire [Vijay] C.Alford       60.0       4

2       - - - 0       Saratoga Sizzle [Bharath] Gallagher       59.5       6

3       - - - 4       Hero Worship [Karki] Rajesh Babu       56.0       3

4       - - 03       Gaslight [Bharath] Islam       53.5       1

5       1212       Remarquable [Daniel] Maseyk       49.5       2

6       - - 14       Pure Valour [Daniel] Chauhan       47.0       5

1. romantic fire (1) 2. Saratoga sizzle (2) 3. gaslight (4)

Romantic Fire: Has matched strides with some of the good topclass horses down south. On lightwork, however. Saratoga Sizzle: Equally well performed horse from the south. Gaslight: May place.

6. Revelation Plate 1,100m (Terms, 2-y- only) 3 pm

1       - - - -       Best Prospect (Daniel] Yadav       55.0       3

2       - - - -       Imperial Stride [Errol] Yacoob       55.0       9

3       - - - -       Solar Falcon [Daniel] Salim       55.0       4

4       - - - -       Q’ba [Bharath] Islam       55.0       10

5       - - - -       Amber Glory [Daniel] Chauhan       53.5       8

6       - - - -       Chitralekha [Javed] Ruzaan       53.5       7

7       - - - -       Megillah [Bath] D.Singh       53.5       2

8       - - 30       Psychic Blue [Sanjeev] Kujur       53.5       6

9       - - - -       Rosa Belle [Errol] A.P.Singh       53.5       5

10       - - - 2       Watergate [Vijay] C.Alford       53.5       1

1. watergate (10) 2. amber glory (5) 3. rosa belle (9)

Watergate: Went easy after a commanding lead in his previous outing won by stablemate. Deserves another chance. Amber Glory: Doing well in her workouts. May trouble the best. Rosa Belle: Upset, if any.

7. Calcutta Gold Cup 1,600m (Terms, 3-y- & over) 3.35 pm

1       - - 20       Adolfito [Dhariwal] Gallagher       61.0       5

2       - 221       Aperitivo [Vijay] C.Alford       60.5       6

3       - 423       Magical Sunset [Daniel] Chauhan       52.5       2

4       - - 20       Capture The Moment [Robin] Mark       50.0       4

5        - - 04       Senor Pele [Daniel] Maseyk       50.0       1

6       - 132       Formal Invitation [Vijay] Rajendra       49.5       3

1. aperitivo (2) 2. formal invitation (6) 3. adolfito (1)

Aperitivo: One of the best four-year-old in the country. May be hard to down. Formal Invitation: May go close to the winner if he takes a level start. Adolfito: May place.

8. Flamenco Dancer Cup 1,400m (Cl IV, Cl V; Rt. 00-50) 4.10 pm

1       0000       Midas Touch [Errol] Gurang       60.5       10

2       4024       Eglevsky [Rodrigues] Surjeet       56.5       4

3       - 320       Talent Unlimited [Daniel] Chauhan       56.5       9

4       - - 00       Grand Ceremony [Karki] V.Jaiswal       54.5       5

5       1034       Serengetti [R. Alford] Domingo       54.5       1

6       - 040       Still In Love [Rodrigues] R.Ahmed       54.0       6

7       - - 02       Aureola [Javed] Som       53.0       3

8       - - - -       Drop Dead Gorgeous [Vijay] C.Alford       52.5       8

9       - - - -       Malkin [Bath] Asghar       52.5       7

10       - - - -       Pellegrino [Bharath] Islam       52.5       2

1. talent unlimited (3) 2. drop dead gorgeous (8) 3. serengetti (5)

Talent Unlimited: Has done fairly well during the monsoon season. It may be time for him to earn a winning bracket. Drop Dead Gorgeous: A debutante who is tested with some of the best in the present class. A small made horse. Serengetti: May upset, if favourites fail.

Day’s Best: Aperitivo Double: Falcon Fly & Regal Romance