El Greco bags Karl Umrigar Salver

Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan

Supported very well by the betting public as an odds-on choice (10/8 on), El Greco, trained by PS Chouhan and ridden by Neeraj Rawal, posted a stylish victory at the Mahalaxmi racetrack on Thursday. El Greco, after stalking the leader Coeur De Lion (M Alam up), until skirting the rails around the final turn, dashed ahead to take charge, and ran away with the Karl Umrigar Salver, the feature event of the six-race card. Mojito (NS Parmar) finished as runner up.

The supporting event, Maharaja Sir Pratapsing Gaekwad Trophy (Class III; 1000m), saw the SS Shah -trained Turn And Burn cementing his reputation as the speediest horse in this part of the country. In the hands of jockey NS Parmar, Turn And Burn, carrying 59 kg on his back, outclassed his rivals including the favourite Credence. Credence, for some inexplicable reason which may be revealed in the race-day report later, never raised a gallop, and finished last of six.

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The YM Chaudhry Memorial Trophy for maiden three-year-old horses looked to be heading for a thrilling finish when, at the 300m marker, the heads of three horses, Pristine Glory, Warlock and Oliver, were aligned. But jockey Vivek G astride the Pesi Shroff-trained Oliver accelerated spectacularly and the race was virtually over 200m from home.

Trainer Faisal Abbas led in the winner of the FK Vakil Salver after jockey Sandesh took his four-year-old grey filly, Medusa, on a successful start-to-finish mission over the seven-furlong trip. David Allan astride Fable followed him all the way up to the winning post to finish runner up.

The small, six-race card opened with the Regal Equity Plate, a five-furlong affair for the bottom class horses which saw the Faisal Abbas-trained Ekla Cholo (apprentice S Siddharth) attracting most of the betting money, sending out trainer Dallas Todywalla's Champagne Smile at 28-to-10. Champagne Smile scored a rather easy victory.

The Ferrari Plate, the other Class V race, saw the day's shortest priced favourite, Flashman (Vivek G up), winning easily for trainer Bezan Chenoy. Vivek G was the sole professional to score more than once on the Thursday card.