January 17th, 2025, proved to be an exhilarating day at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC), with a total of eight action-packed races on the card. The day’s main highlight was the prestigious Calcutta Derby Stakes (Gr.1), followed by several other competitive events that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. The Calcutta Derby Stakes was scheduled at 3:30 PM and was contested by fillies aged 4 years, covering a distance of 2400 meters. The total prize pool for the race was ₹79,06,250, which was distributed among the top four finishers.
CASTEEL, trained by Satish Narredu and ridden by Suraj Narredu, emerged victorious, completing the race in 2:31.68. The filly’s strong performance earned her the first-place prize of ₹47,43,750. LADY SUNSHINE, trained by Bharath Singh and jockeyed by P Trevor, also completed the race in 2:31.68 but finished second, securing ₹18,18,438. MESCALITO, trained by S S Attaollahi and ridden by Akshay Kumar, took third place, earning ₹9,48,750. The fourth-place finisher, TRAKILA, trained by Aashay Doctor and jockeyed by Yash Narredu, took home ₹3,95,312.
The day’s action started with The Cavalry Cup, a Class 5 race covering a distance of 1400 meters. The race, which was scheduled at 12:00 PM, had a total prize pool of ₹3,00,000. INDIAN JACK, trained by Rutherford Alford and ridden by Imran Chisty, clinched victory, earning ₹1,65,000. CRISTALDO, trained by B Mahesh and jockeyed by Mukesh Kumar, finished second and secured ₹75,000. MSG FANTASY, trained by Dr Anil Kumar and ridden by A Ashhad Asbar, placed third, receiving ₹45,000, while MACCHIATO, trained by Aashay Doctor and jockeyed by Yash Narredu, took fourth place, earning ₹15,000.
The Perin Dalal Alokananda Stakes, a race for 3-year-old fillies, followed shortly after at 12:30 PM. Covering a distance of 1200 meters, the total prize money was ₹14,28,000. MORANO, trained by Aashay Doctor and ridden by A Sandesh, won the race and received ₹7,14,000. ELEANORA, trained by Rajesh Narredu and jockeyed by Suraj Narredu, finished second, earning ₹3,57,000. GALWAY GIRL, trained by Neil Darashah and ridden by Arul J H, placed third, securing ₹2,14,200, while POLKA DOT finished fourth, taking home ₹1,42,800.
The Lt. General Jameel Mahmood Memorial Cup Div-1 was held next at 1:00 PM. This Class 4 race, covering 1400 meters, had a total prize pool of ₹4,00,000. INTO THE STORM, trained by B Mahesh and ridden by Mukesh Kumar, triumphed and received ₹2,20,000. EMPEROR ASHOKA, trained by Vikash Jaiswal and jockeyed by R Vaibhav, finished second, earning ₹1,00,000. DUBAI STATION, trained by P Quinn and ridden by K Nazil, took third place, securing ₹60,000, while STAR CONCEPT finished fourth, receiving ₹20,000.
The second division of the Lt. General Jameel Mahmood Memorial Cup was held at 1:30 PM, also covering 1400 meters. SENSATIONAL, trained by Rajesh Narredu and ridden by Suraj Narredu, won the race and was awarded ₹2,20,000. SNOWPIERCER, trained by P Quinn and jockeyed by David Allan, placed second, earning ₹1,00,000. ANNETTE, trained by Aashay Doctor and ridden by Vivek G, finished third, receiving ₹60,000, while ABSOLUTE LIGHTNING took fourth place, securing ₹20,000.
The Bengal Area Cup, scheduled for 2:00 PM, covered a distance of 1100 meters. The race offered ₹5,00,000 in prize money, which was distributed among the top four finishers. LIBAN, trained by Dr Anil Kumar and ridden by A Ashhad Asbar, emerged victorious, earning ₹2,75,000. EAGLES FLIGHT, trained by Bharath Singh and jockeyed by R Vaibhav, finished second, securing ₹1,25,000. SUPERLATIVE, trained by P Quinn and ridden by David Allan, took third place and earned ₹75,000, while XTRAVAGANT STAR placed fourth, receiving ₹25,000.
The Army Service Corps (ASC) Cup (Grade 3) followed at 3:15 PM. The race, for horses rated between 41 to 66, had a total prize pool of ₹5,00,000, distributed among the top four finishers. CASHA, the winner, earned ₹2,75,000, while EARTH, the second-place finisher, secured ₹1,25,000. SALOME, finishing third, received ₹75,000, and MULTISTARRER, in fourth place, earned ₹25,000.
At 3:30 PM, the Eastern Command Cup took place, covering 1100 meters with a prize pool of ₹5,50,000. OUTLANDER, trained by Javed Khan and ridden by A Sandesh, won the race with a time of 1:05.56, earning ₹3,02,500. SOUP AND SANDWICH, finishing second, received ₹1,37,500, while LA DOMINATE, in third, took home ₹82,500. ALL TIME LEGEND, finishing fourth, secured ₹27,500.
The Calcutta Champions Sprint Trophy (Grade 3) was the penultimate race of the day, held at 4:00 PM over a distance of 1100 meters. With a prize pool of ₹19,80,000, MEROPI, trained by Aashay Doctor and ridden by Yash Narredu, claimed the top spot and received ₹9,90,000. BLACK EAGLE, trained by B Rajender Reddy and jockeyed by Imran Chisty, finished second, earning ₹4,95,000. AGNOSTIC, trained by Bharath Singh and ridden by P Trevor, placed third with ₹2,97,000, while COOL RIDER finished fourth, taking home ₹1,98,000.
The final race of the day, The Red FM 93.5 Cup, was scheduled at 4:30 PM, covering a distance of 1100 meters. MY PRINCESS, trained by Aman A Hussain and ridden by P Trevor, won the race with a time of 1:05.82, earning ₹2,75,000. MATHANGI, trained by Dr Anil Kumar and ridden by A Ashhad Asbar, finished second and received ₹1,25,000. SIR BAFFERT, trained by Rutherford Alford and ridden by Imran Chisty, took third place, securing ₹75,000, while BLACK COFFEE placed fourth, earning ₹25,000.
It was a day full of thrilling races, showcasing the skills of both the horses and their jockeys. The event at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club once again lived up to its reputation, offering a spectacle of competitive racing that kept spectators thoroughly entertained.
