An Article By Punters’ Mind

Time And Tide Steals the Spotlight in the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Sprinters’ Challenge

At the prestigious Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Time And Tide reaffirmed his dominance with a powerful display in the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Sprinters’ Challenge. The five-year-old, trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, came into the race with a stellar record of 11 wins from 18 starts—10 of which were over six furlongs. Once again, he lived up to expectations, outshining a field of eight challengers.

Ridden confidently by jockey A. Sandesh, Time And Tide tracked Dream Seller along the rails, with Magileto and Miss American Pie close behind. As they entered the straight, Dream Seller tried to hold his advantage, but was soon under pressure from both Magileto and the advancing Time And Tide. Constable, meanwhile, found a gap along the inner rails after Time And Tide shifted out, and surged forward.

With just a furlong left, Time And Tide was momentarily boxed in between Dream Seller and Magileto, while Constable looked threatening on the inside. Sandesh, however, timed his move perfectly, finding space just in time to drive Time And Tide forward. Despite his saddle slipping in the final 100 metres, Sandesh held his nerve and guided his mount to a narrow neck victory over Constable. Magileto finished third, two lengths behind, with Miss American Pie in fourth.

Pesi Shroff’s Hat-Trick with Young Jockeys

Veteran trainer Pesi Shroff had a day to remember, saddling three winners, each partnered by a different apprentice rider—S. Siddharth, A. Prakash, and Navnath Bhosale. Chagall, who had failed to fire under Trevor Patel, was entrusted to Siddharth, a 5kg claimer. The change worked wonders.

In a competitive mile event, Suraj Narredu took Perfect Legend to the front, only to be passed by Mighty Sparrow approaching the final bend. Suraj responded in the straight, but Siddharth brought Chagall (Cougar Mountain – Heather) with a well-judged late run, collaring Perfect Legend in the final strides. Kimiko finished a close third, just a short-head behind, with Grey Beauty completing the frame.

Bishop Surprises in the Juvenile Multi-Million

Bishop, a half-sister to Constable, produced a thrilling finish to snatch victory in the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Juvenile Multi-Million. The favourite, Solidarity, failed to make an impact, leaving Bishop and Vegatha to battle it out. Vegatha, ridden by Antony Raj, took charge in the straight, but A. Prakash launched Bishop (Deauville – Winds of Fortune) down the outer lane. Despite the wide run, Bishop caught Vegatha at the wire, with Merlet and Don Julio finishing close behind.

Jade’s Perfectly Timed Run in the Aakriti Art Gallery Million

Another Shroff-trained runner, Jade, showcased her class in the seven-furlong Aakriti Art Gallery Million. Held up in the early stages by apprentice Bhosale while stable-mate Celestial set the pace, Jade (Multitude – Majestic Opinion) pounced in the final furlong to pull away and win convincingly. Celestial held on for second ahead of Bashir, while Ataash finished a respectable fourth.

Shirsa Finishes Strong in the Day’s Finale

In the final race of the day, Shirsa from Sangramsinh Joshi’s stable produced a scintillating late burst to win the five-furlong sprint. Ridden by Prasad, Shirsa (Sanus Per Aquam – Isotta) sat behind early leaders Divine Star and Mojo. When asked for her effort, she responded gamely, overtaking Divine Star inside the final 100 metres to score decisively.

Northbound Breaks Maiden at Six

Earlier in the afternoon, six-year-old Northbound finally broke his maiden in his third career start over a mile. Guided by R. Ajinkya, the P. S. Chouhan-trained gelding (Quasar – Pristina) made all the running and never looked back. Yuletide claimed second place, edging out Crystal Clear, while Bohemian Rhapsody trailed in fourth. Zacapa sadly pulled up approaching the turn, dislodging his rider in the process.

Land of Plenty Delivers in Open Spaces Million

Land of Plenty gave trainer Subhag Singh a reason to smile with a commanding win in the Open Spaces Million, run over a mile and a quarter. After Floyd dictated the early pace, the lead changed hands in the straight as Doctor Dolly moved forward. But Mustakim Alam timed his run perfectly on Land of Plenty (Desert God – Dahlois), who powered through the field to score unchallenged. Luca stayed on for second, while Doctor Dolly and Alexandros rounded off the top four.