Horse racing: Star Gallery wins feature event

Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan

Star Gallery won the Lt Col Govind Singh (VRC) Trophy, the prime event of Sunday's seven-race card. Trained by S Waheed, the Total Gallery-Star Aligned three-year-old owned by Anil V Poduval, was given a very clever ride by jockey A Sandesh. Sandesh chased leader Giant King (NS Parmar up), and dashed for the lead with such vigour that when first-timer Axrlord (S Zervaan up) came up menacingly at him in the final 50 meters, he managed to hold on on the strength of sheer momentum.

Snowfall, sporting Dr Cyrus Poonawalla's colours, posted a stylish victory in the Amateur Riders' Club Trophy. Her perceived rival, the Karthik-trained Lod Vader met with interference at the start, resulting in his rider Bhawani Singh getting thrown out of the saddle. Sandesh, after stalking pace of the race until 400m marker, let Snowfall go, and the daughter of Territories bounded away to make it a one-horse race. Immediately in the next race, another daughter of Territories, Bay Beauty trained by Hosidar Daji, picked up the Sonny Brar Trophy with K Nazil in the saddle.

Bhawani Singh, before the fall, had notched up a win in the opening race when he goaded the Subhag Singh-trained Demetrius to accelerate from mid-bunch to overpower Lord Murphy (S Zervaan up) in the last 50 meters.

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Golden Neil, trained by Narendra Lagad, bagged the Air Force Trophy with a measure of comfort in the hands of apprentice rider Mustakim Alam.

Jockey Sandesh, who rode two winners, emerged as the star professional for the day.