Calcutta: Rajesh Narredu-trained Rise And Reign (Suraj Narredu-up) scored an upset victory in the 2,400m Calcutta Oaks on Boxing Day, Thursday. The Yervada Stud-bred filly, a late entrant, was given an exceptional ride by Suraj Narredu. Improving from the rear of the field, she swept past Lady Sunshine, Earth, and Trakila to clinch a thrilling half-length victory.
The Aashay Doctor-trained and even-money favorite, Trakila (Yash Narredu-up), was denied a crucial opening during the race and had to settle for second place. Meanwhile, Main Street (R. Vaibhav-up) impressed by flying in during the closing stages to secure third.
Trainer Aashay Doctor dominated the day with a fine treble. Below are detailed observations of the day’s races:
First race: The Star Angel Handicap (Rated 1-26) - 1,200m
The well-supported Impressive Annie (R. Vaibhav-up), trained by Aashay Doctor, won convincingly, leaving her nine rivals far behind without needing to be fully stretched. Trainer B. Mahesh’s duo of Happy Morning and Sun Flare followed the winner home.
Second race: The Gen A S Vaidya Memorial Cup (Rated 41-66) - 2,000m
Aashay Doctor scored a quick double with Champagnesupernova (Yash Narredu-up). The Dali-Friendship colt ran in mid-pack behind leaders Dubai Star and Jahzara. Once urged to quicken, despite drifting out, Champagnesupernova finished six lengths clear of Jahzara.
Third race: The Unknown Warrior Cup (Rated 61-86) - 1,200m
Aman Altaf Hussain’s Divine Thoughts (Trevor Patel-up) secured his second consecutive win, fending off strong challenges from Outlander (R. Vaibhav-up) and Thousand Words (Imran Chisty-up) down the straight.
Fourth race: The Army Cup (4 years old and over) - 1,400m
The supporting event saw a major upset as Patrick Quinn’s three runners finished alongside favorite Agnostic (Trevor Patel-up) in a thrilling photo finish. Last-start winner Black Eagle (Imran Chisty-up) surged past the battling duo of Blackstone (Suraj Narredu-up) and Agnostic. King’s Retreat (Ashhad Asbar-up) joined the fray in the final stages to finish a commendable third. Agnostic appeared to have lost his previous spark, showing signs of decline.
Sixth race: The Xisca Handicap (Rated 21-46) - 1,400m
In a competitive betting race, Aashay Doctor’s recent Chennai import Only Dreams (Hindu Singh-up) delivered an impressive performance, coming from off the pace to pip last-start winner Emperor Ashoka (R. Vaibhav-up). The top-weighted Malakhi (A. Sandesh-up) finished an easy third.
Notable Performances of the day:
Impressive Annie, Outlander, Kings Retreat, Main Street and Trakila