Calcutta: Aashay Doctor’s five-year-old mare Delphini (Yash Narredu-up), a 11/4 strong fancy after her recent controversial defeat during the just concluded monsoon season easily claimed the 1,200m Tintinnabulation Cup - the feature event here on Friday, the opening day of the winter season. In the same race, Doctor’s another runner, True Marshal (Akshay Kumar) — 7/10 hot public choice – was given a poor ride by the visiting champion jockey. The horse was slowly out of gates, and thus lost two precious lengths at the start itself. The knowledgeable racing fraternity openly expressed after the race that it was a gift in the mouth to the top-weighted mare.
Earlier in the day Aashay’s Meropi - a frontline contender for the winter classics made an impressive return to the track after a near five month layoff. Yash Narredu rode a confident race astride the winner, Clifford (Akshay Kumar) was runner- up.
Trainer Neil Darashah, who has shifted base from South to the City of Joy, too, scored a double in the afternoon’s six-event card through Rhapsody In Green and Kalahari Gold.
The Relevance Handicap - a mile race for horses rated 21-46 witnessed Darashah’s even money favourite Rhapsody in Green (Akshay Kumar) easily sailing past the long time leader Lucky Nine (Uday Kiran) to score from Macchiato (Yash Narredu). The winner’s stablemate Tiger Shark was a notable runner – finishing on from the rear to fill the frame. Incidentally, Macchiato collapsed near the unsaddling enclosure after the race, but was revived quickly by the vets.
The Azzuro Handicap over 1600m saw a three way finish in which the piping hot favourite Sea Lion (Akshay Kumar) being overhauled in the shadows of the post by the Shyam Habbu-trained Basharat (Vinay Jaiswal) while trainer B. Mahaesh’s Rimel (Shrikant Kamble) finished a close third.
The Xisca Handicap -saw Darashah’s Kalahari Gold (S.Saqlain) easily sailing past the longtime leader Indian Tiger at the top of the straight to score an impressive win over Star Justice (Shezad Khan). Trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s Devushka (P.Tajeshwar ) finished third in the race. Make a note of Kalahari Gold, who a trifle heavy in the paddock parade and yet scored comfortably. She has more races are in store.
In the opening event Christopher Alford’s even money favourite Tropical Lady (Nikhil Naidu) scored after a brief duel in the straight with the start-to-finishing Cosmic Cowboy (Akshay Kumar) – a first timer — and Soul Music (Vinay Jaiswal) who was an impressive third despite running green while Trident Star (S.Saqlain) finished on a leisurely fourth. With the stables at Hastings fast filling up, one may look forward to a competitive and exciting racing during the season.