Count Of Savoy floors rivals in AC Ardeshir Trophy

Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan

Rank outsider Count Of Savoy, running friendless at 25-to-1, shocked his rivals in the AC Ardeshir Trophy (Gr 3), the feature event of Sunday's six-race card at the Mahalaxmi racetrack. Helped immensely by a forceful ride by Yash Narredu, the five-year-old moved up fluently between horses opposite the stands, grabbed the lead, and kept going under Yash Narredu's brilliant handling when Trevor Patel (Zuccarelli) and NS Parmar (Mojito) moved menacingly, breathing down his neck in the final yards of the mile race. Count Of Savoy was trained by Malesh Narredu.

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The Sunday afternoon belonged to trainer Malesh Narredu who, just in the previous race, had sent out another 10-to-1 long shot, Star Prosperity, who swept past the field in the hands of apprentice rider Haridas Gore to claim the Kheem Singh Gold Cup.

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The first two races on the card were won by horses sporting the same silks, that of owner Prashant Nagar, when TS Jodha drove the SS Shah-trained Gimme to triumph in the Aristos Plate, and NS Parmar steered Exuma, saddled by MK Jadhav, to victory in the V P Koregaonkar Plate.

The last two races were won by rookie rider N Bhosale who, astride the Pesi Shroff-trained Democracy, won a narrow verdict against Ataash in the Jehangir P Dubhash Trophy; and quickly followed it up with a victory astride trainer Karthik's Hela, who received truckloads of smart money in the B Fifty Two Trophy to end up the first favourite in the bookmakers' ring.