Market King provides encore

Representative Image

Market King, trained by SK Sunderji, was given a powerful ride by Neeraj Rawal in the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy (Gr 3), the feature event of Saturday's eight-race card. Stalking the front running pair of Joaquin & Son Of A Gun until midway into the homestretch, Rawal asked Market King for an effort, and the game gallopper responded instantly to overhaul the duo to put the issue beyond doubt. The winner clocked 1m:7.761s for the six furlong trip.

In the lower division of the Holy Smoke Plate, jockey Zervan did well to first stalk the leader Mufaza (PP Dhebe up) before charging for lead after hitting the homestretch, and then holding off a spirited bid by Anoushka (S Saqlain up) in the final lap of the seven-frulong trip. In the other division of the same race, Mustakim Alam gave a clever ride to the Narendra Lagad-trained Prince Igor and managed to hold on from the fast-finishing Metzinger (P Trevor up).

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The S Waheed-trained Star Gallery (G Vivek up), a sole three-year-old in the line up for the Janardhan Trophy, just about managed to nose out Finch to whom apprentice jockey Haridas Gore gave a remarkable ride even when losing. The rookie rider (Gore), however, immediately bounced back in the next race when he brought trainer Adil Dajee's Walshy with a flourish, and stylishly swept past his rivals to win the One Kept Secret Plate for older (5y&o) bottom class horses.

There were two supporting events on the card, both dedicated to the Indian army. The Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw Memorial Trophy for class II horses was won by the Faisal Abbas-traiend Magneto (S Saqlain up) who raced as a 10-1 shot for the mile-and-a-half trip, and easily overtook long-time leader Euphoric (G Mann up) in the final furlong. The others just struggled to effectively stay the trip.

In the Southern Command Trophy, for 3y old maiden horses, a thrilling finish involving three horses required the judge to consult the photo finish camera, which found the Hosidar Daji-trained Kings Love (P Trevor up) to have won by a "short head" from Sloane Square (Akshay Kumar up), who in turn spared "neck" to Encantamento (Neeraj Rawal up). Trainer Hosidar Daji had earlier led in Monarchy (K Bhagat up), winner of the G20 Summit Cup, and thus finished the day with a double.