Calcutta: Trainer B. Rajender Reddy’s money spinner, Vincent Van Gogh (B.R. Kumar-up) continued his dominance, clinching his fourth victory in five starts since arriving at this center in January — an incredible feat.
In the 1,600m Adjudicate Cup, the seasoned miler stamped his authority over younger challengers, effortlessly brushing aside the hot favourite Dubai Princess and the top-weighted Global Influence.
Right from the break, the Multidimensional gelding took charge, never giving his rivals a chance. Trainer Reddy deserves immense credit for keeping his star in impeccable shape, securing a well-earned double for the day.
Earlier, Reddy’s another Western India import delivered in style —Trillionaire (A. Prakash), a 6/1 shot, blazed to a pillar-to-post victory in the 1,400m High Born Handicap.
Dubai King (Md Sameer), trained by Shafiq Khan, tried his best to reel in the leader but simply couldn’t match the winner’s brilliance. Meanwhile, drama unfolded at the gates before the start as Madras Cheque, the race favourite, proved too unruly and had to be withdrawn. Cashalaika (Suraj Narredu), another fancied contender, showed early promise but faded disappointingly up the straight.
The day kicked off with a commanding performance from B. Mahesh-trained Cristaldo with Suraj Narredu guiding the five-year-old to an effortless victory in the 1,600m Dare To Dream Handicap. Born To Be Spoilt was a distant second.
Trainer Aashay Doctor’s Go For The Moon finally found redemption after two previous misses this season. Jockey P. Trevor rode a tactically astute race, guiding to a well-deserved triumph in the 1,400m Desert Night Handicap. Neil Darashah’s Over The Line (J.H.Arul) caught the eye with a remarkable runner-up effort.
Trainer Rutherford Alford’s Even money favourite Thousand Words scored an encore in the 1,100m Long Tom Handicap, with a clinical pillar-to-post effort, in the same race Rajesh Narredu trained Brilliant Star put in a lackluster performance.
The day concluded with Shafiq Khan’s well backed Chililady (Md Sameer) stealing the show in the 1,100m Crepes Suzette Handicap, dictating the pace from the go and making every post a winning one.