Alfonsine expected to repeat in Nizam’s Gold Cup at Hyderabad on Aug. 17

In Hyderabad on Monday (Aug. 17), the four-year-old gelding Alfonsine should score an encore in the Nizam’s Gold Cup, the feature race of the day.

The Nizam’s Gold Cup is scheduled as Race 6 on the card, listed as a Gr. II contest over 2,000m for 4-y-o and upward with a 3.35 p.m. start; Alfonsine is entered as number 5 with Trevor booked to ride and carrying 56. The race forms the centrepiece of an eight-race programme that begins at 12.45 p.m. and includes two divisions of the Himayat Sagar Trophy and the B. Marideshwara Rao Memorial Trophy.

The opening race, Himayat Sagar Trophy (Div. II) over 1,100m for 3-y-o and upward rated 20 to 45 (Cat. III) at 12.45 p.m., produced Ek (4) ridden by Afroz K carrying 61.5 as the winner, Quick Bay Fox (1) Neeraj 57 finished second and Tiger Ruby (8) Surya Prakash 60 was third. The Doncaster Plate, a 1,200m maiden for fillies 3-y-o only (Cat. II) at 1.15 p.m., was won by Queen Eternal (9) Ashad Asbar 54.5 with Como (2) Trevor 54.5 second and Emergent (4) Akshay K 54.5 third.

The B. Marideshwara Rao Memorial Trophy (Div. II), 1,200m for 3-y-o and upward rated 40 to 65 (Cat. II) at 1.50 p.m., saw Fortis (4) Trevor 56.5 take first place, Dubai Touch (6) M.S. Deora 60.5 finish second and Gloria (8) Akshay K 59.5 third. In Himayat Sagar Trophy (Div. I) over 1,100m (Cat. III) at 2.25 p.m., Ojas Maximus (2) A.A. Vikrant 58.5 won, Linda (5) Akshay K 60 was second and Double Bubble (1) Kuldeep Sr. 61.5 placed third.

Race 5, the B. Marideshwara Rao Memorial Trophy (Div. I) at 3.00 p.m. over 1,200m, returned Emerald Touch (3) Neeraj 58.5 as the winner with Warwick (5) P. Ajeeth K 59 second and Sangreal (1) P. Sai K 55.5 third. The Nizam’s Gold Cup line-up listed twelve runners: Alfonsine (5) Trevor 56, Mayne Magic (1) Suraj Narredu 55.5, Nonpariel (3) Mukesh K 54.5, Prokofiev (2) Antony Raj 54.5, Red Bishop (4) Vivek G 54.5, Star Of Night (7) B.R. Kumar 54, Galahad (11) Akshay K 53.5, Get Lucky (10) Kuldeep Sr. 53.5, Perception (12) G. Naresh 53.5, Secret Saint (9) Shivam 53.5, Tolkien (6) Neeraj 53.5 and Vyasa (8) Ashad Asbar 53.5; the finishing order was Alfonsine first, Mayne Magic second and Prokofiev third.

The Royal Windsor Plate (1,400m) for 4-y-o and upward (Cat. I) at 4.10 p.m. was won by Ashoka (10) Akshay K 62, with Brilliant Lad (3) Neeraj 52 second and Lux Aeterna (5) Trevor 56.5 third. The Brown Jack Plate (1,400m) for 5-y-o and upward rated up to 25 (Cat. III) at 4.45 p.m. returned Aos Si (8) Antony Raj 61.5 as the winner, Glimmer Of Hope (7) Gaurav 62 second and Fortune Art (12) Kuldeep Sr. 61 third.

The card closed with the following betting pools and combinations: Jackpot 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8; Mini Jackpot (i) 2, 3, 4 & 5 and (ii) 5, 6, 7 & 8; Treble (i) 1, 2 & 3, (ii) 3, 4 & 5 and (iii) 6, 7 & 8.