Kolkata’s Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) witnessed an engaging contest in the day’s second event on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. The Hovercraft Handicap, run over a mile (1600 metres) at 3:00 PM, saw True Faith assert his dominance with a polished performance.
Guided expertly by jockey Neeraj Rawal and trained by Neil Darashah, True Faith produced a strong run to hit the front and maintain his lead comfortably, stopping the clock at 1:39.984. The five-year-old displayed consistency throughout, rewarding his connections with a decisive win.
Jahzara, ridden by R Vaibhav for trainer Bharath Singh, kept on resolutely but had to settle for second, finishing in 1:41.161. Seven lengths adrift came Sea Eagle, partnered by Arul J H and also trained by Neil Darashah, who registered a time of 1:42.291 for the third spot.
The fourth place was filled by Lucky Nine, with Vishal N. Bunde up for trainer B Rajender Reddy, returning 1:44.667. Wordsmith, under A Ashhad Asbar for trainer Dr. Anil Kumar, completed the line-up in 1:45.293.
The Hovercraft Handicap added a steady rhythm to the afternoon card, with True Faith’s victory setting a high bar for the remainder of the programme. Attention now turns to the next race on the card — The Betbricks7 Calcutta Juvenile Sprint, scheduled at 3:30 PM, which promises to deliver another dose of excitement to racing enthusiasts at RCTC.
