Northern Lights bags AC Ardeshir Trophy

Representational Image. Pic Courtesy/iStock

The Pesi Shroff-trained Northern Lights, taken on a start-to-finish mission by ace jockey P Trevor, outpaced and outclassed his five rivals to post an authoritative victory in the AC Ardeshir Trophy (Gr 3), the feature event of Sunday's nine-race card at the Mahalaxmi racetrack.

Ironically, most of the betting money in the same race was attracted by another Pesi Shroff ward, the younger Presidential (PS Chouhan up) who finished last. In fact, despite all-out efforts by their riders, none of them could threaten Northern Lights at any stage of the race. Northern Lights finally spared three lengths to the runner up Flying Visit (S Antony Raj up), clocking a smart time of one minute 36.77 seconds for the mile trip.

Just a race earlier, in the Amateur Riders' Club Trophy, similar script had unfolded when Pesi Shroff's Alastair (P S Chouhan up), installed as a clear first favourite, failed to quicken at a crucial stage in the race, and 9-to-1 Kinnara, also saddled by Shroff, was brought with a flourish by rookie Kirtish Bhagat in the final furlong to score in a three-way finish over Remus (S Antony Raj up) and Pure (N S Parmar up).

Trainer MK Jadhav matched the feat of Pesi Shroff with a meritorious double. He sent out winner Mojito to win the Southern Command Gold Trophy; and later picked up the lower division of the Aristos Plate with Lit, the shortest priced runner of the day. Both Mojito and Lit carried the silks of Prashant Nagar and were ridden to success by jockey N S Parmar.

Jockey P Trevor was the most successful professional of the Sunday card. Besides winning the feature race with Northern Lights he also won the Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw Memorial with the Altaf Hussain-trained Magileto, and drove the Shazaan Shah-trained Candescent Star to a fluent victory in the W Buckley Plate, thus completing a treble.