Calcutta, Jan. 1 :
Calcutta, Jan. 1:
It turned out to be a very happy New Year for trainer Vijay Singh. The champion schooler not only led-in Fa+me Star, the upset winner of the prized event, the Eveready Calcutta Gold Cup, he saddled four more winners in an eight-event all-trophy race-card sponsored chiefly by Eveready Industires. Incidentally, Fame Star is jointly owned by his wife, Sharon, and Mrs. Anne Wright.
The visiting jockey C. Rajendra, who partnered the Gaswar-Damcing Flame filly to victory, finished the day with a fine treble. The crafty jockey had earlier in the afternoon claimed The India Automobile Opel Trophy through H. S. Bath-trainee, Alkido, and followed it up with the smart win on Alsheim in The Telegraph Cup - the two co-sponsored events.
Fame Star had it easy. The five-in-a-row winner revealed her true potential when she accounted for two champion horses - Alternator (not Anticipator as headlined in these columns in yesterday's edition) and Artwork. Rajendra had Fame Star settled behind a runaway Bountiful Gesture until 300m from home and made his bid when the leader started wobbling under pressure thus drifting out badly. Alternator, on the hand, was ridden in a check - his customary style. The top-weight came with a good run in the home-stretch but fell shy by three parts of a length at the wire.