The hot favourite, Capture The Moment, just about managed to down a less-fancied Star Phoenix in the 1,400m Aloritz Cup last Wednesday. A stronger jockey than R. Yadav, however, would have tilted the scales in favour of the Daniel David-trainee. The four-year-old was also running without a lung-opener and it definitely went against his chances.

The Phoenix meant business right from the word go with a two-length lead over the Robin Corner-favourite till about halfway the trip. Jockey Mark Reuben took the favourite into a length-and-a-half lead thereafter, but the six-year-old never looked to be comfortable up-front. It prompted Yadav to renew his bid 300m from home. The Phoenix kept the favourite under immense pressure almost till the winning post. The Phoenix would have still toppled the favourite had Yadav managed to stop his ride from drifting out towards the outer rails.

If the main event produced an exciting finish, the sporting race in the seven-event card, the 1,100m Treasure Land Cup, saw the 6-4 favourite Karan’s Choice toying with the opposition. The Harvinder Singh-trainee played catch-me-if-you-can with her rivals and simply sailed away in the final 200 metres.

Trainer Vijay Singh’s Silver Grey was, however, the most impressive winner of the day. The Steinbeck-Silver City filly won the Own Ability Handicap after allowing Mythical Star to call the shots till the top of the turn. She seems to be in a different league.

Vijay’s Flemenco Star was, however, a big let down in the 1,000m Alvarada Handicap which was won by the Vikash Jaiswal-trainee Aptitude, a six-to-one shot. Aptitude dictated terms from the start and held on to the advantage despite jockey C. Alford’s best efforts on the half-money favourite.

Aluminous, an 11-10 favourite was no match for the speedy Jango who made every post of the 1,100m Fair Haven Handicap a winning one, leaving the Javed Khan-trainee behind. The winner, however, drifted out past the distance post to race along the far-side track.

Errol Bhungard’s Ecstatic Pride, in the 1,200m Picture Perfect Handicap, and Universal Prince in the opener, the Tangiers Handicap, won their respective events for racing Baron MAM Rama-swamy. If the former showed promise, the latter’s erratic run in the final furlong could have lost him the race. The 7-4 favourite appeared to have interfered with the third-placed horse, Grand Pere, but the objection raised by the second horse — Grand Ceremony —was promptly thrown out by the stewards.