Calcutta: Heart set the turf ablaze at the RCTC on Thursday. Trainer Deepesh Narredu’s dazzling filly unleashed a breathtaking late surge to storm home in the 1,600m Parisian Cup. After a sluggish start, Suraj Narredu bided his time before pressing the button. What followed was pure magic. Heart devoured ground with giant strides, sailing past Booster Shot (Vishal Bunde) in a flash to seal the race near the grandstand.
Suraj was in unstoppable form, hammering home another treble. Vijay Singh’s piping hot favourite Stormchaser kicked things off with a commanding pillar-to-post victory in the 1,400m Sunrise Song Plate, outclassing the promising As You Like It (P. Tejashwar). Schoenberg then wrapped it up in style with another victory in the 1,200m Audubon Handicap.
The day had its share of thrills. In the opener, Shafiq Khan-trained Royal King (Imran Chisty) scored a fighting win at nourishing odds. Chisty rode vigorously to edge out favourite Schwarzenegger (Suraj Narredu) right on the post.
Trevor Patel then produced magic aboard Aashay Doctor’s Cortado, weaving through the rails to snatch the 1,200m Exotica Handicap by a whisker from Vikas Jaiswal-trained pair Clever Hans and Tycoonist.
Ritesh E.K.-trained Verrazzano (A. Vikrant) shocked favourite Upper Street (Trevor Patel) in the 1,600m Artwork Handicap with a fluent pillar-to-post victory.
Rutherford Alford’s Gimmler (S. Antony Raj) landed a smart gamble to cap a pulsating day of racing.