Calcutta: Matching their December 4 score, trainers Vijay Singh and Richard Alford picked up a brace of winners apiece at the RCTC raceground on Wednesday. For Vijay it was a trophy double to keep his scoreboard ticking but the veteran trainer Alford pulled off a massive gamble to the discomfiture of bookrmakers when Arian justified his backing from 8’s down to 2’s in the betting ‘ring.’ Darth Vader, a 6-1 shot in the curtain-raiser, the Cradle Of The Deep Handicap, had opened Richard’s day’s account.
Vijay started off with a narrow miss following his baby colt Modesto’s short-head failure to Javed Khan’s Toe Poke in the Little Lady Plate. However, the crafty trainer’s Artisia landed the day’s feature, the Bengal Area Cup, in the hands of apprentice Malcom Maseyk before jockey Cristopher Alford atop Arrival simply cruised home with the Mas d’Antibes Cup.
RESULTS
1. Cradle Of The Deep Handicap 1,100m: (3-2-1) Darth Vader (Rutherford) 1; Grecian Prince (Merchant) 2; Arbello (Shanker) 3. Won by: 2-1/4; 4-1/4; (1-7.8). Tote: Win Rs 54; Quinella: 46; Shp: 21. Fav: Arbello (1). Winner trained by R. Alford.
2. Cosmopolitan Cup 1,600m: (4-7-2-1) Software Classic (P. Alford) 1; Flinders (I. Chisty) 2; Suriyothai (Upadhya) 3; Positive Thinker (Domingo) 4. Won by: Nk; 5-1/4; 2-1/4; (1-42.2). Tote: Win Rs 51; Place: 16; 16; 13; Quinella: 97; Shp: 40; Tanala: 409. Fav: Suriyothai (2). Winner trained by J. Stephens.
3. Little Lady Plate 1,200m: (6-1-5-2) Toe Poke (M. Reuben) 1; Modesto (C. Alford) 2; Richie Rich (I. Chisty) 3; Alessio (Shanker) 4. Won by: SH; 4-3/4; Dist (1-14.1). Tote: Win Rs 31; Place: 17; 14; Quinella: 24; Shp: 43; Tanala: 96. Fav: Modesto (1). Winner trained by Javed K.
4. Bengal Area Cup 1,600m: (5-2-3-1) Artisia (Maseyk) 1; Raring To Go (Merchant) 2; Mr. Bombshell (Islam) 3; Grand Lodge (Gowli) 4. Won by: 2-1/4; 1-3/4; 9-1/2; (1-40.9). Tote: Win Rs 30; Place: 17; 15; Quinella: 28; Shp: 47; Tanala: 198. Fav: Raring To Go (2). Winner trained by Vijay S.
5. Mas d’ Antibes Cup 1,200m: (5-4-2-6) Arrival (C. Alford) 1; Peppy Mistress (Gowli) 2; Storm Centre (Dalpat) 3; April Ace (Merchant) 4. Not run: Courtesan (3). Won by: 1-3/4; 9; 2; (1-13.5). Tote: Win Rs 18; Place: 14; 22; Quinella: 26; Shp: 31; Tanala: 183. Fav: Arrival (5). Winner trained by Vijay S.
6. Kalied Handicap 1,200m: (3-5-4-6) Arian (Tamang) 1; Gul (M. Reuben) 2; Gryffindor (Islam) 3; Rasputin (I. Chisty) 4. Won by: 3/4; 2-3/4; 3-1/2; (1-15.8). Tote: Win Rs 31; Place: 14; 13; 38; Quinella: 33; Shp: 29; Tanala: 795. Fav: Arian (3). Winner trained by R. Alford.
Jackpot: Rs 17,716; (C) Rs 315.
Treble: (i) Rs 1,334; (ii) Rs 635.
