The seventh race on the card, The Astounding Cup Div II, provided a competitive spectacle at the Calcutta Races, Winter Meeting – First Day, on Thursday, 1st January, 2026, with Ghirardelli delivering a polished performance in the Class III event over 1400 metres, run at 02:30 PM. In a result that stood out on a day full of action — a key highlight for followers tracking the Calcutta race result 1 jan — Ghirardelli (J: Suraj Narredu) justified strong support, clocking 1:24.591 to score decisively for trainer Neil Darashah. The winner races in the colours of Mr Enrico Piperno, Mr Hemant S. Dharnidharka, Mr Rahul Sharma, Mr Shankar Lal Agarwal, Mr Cowas Dorab Bajan & Mr Bimal Kumar Goenka, and looked every bit at home in this rating bracket.
Settled smoothly through the early stages, Ghirardelli travelled with purpose as the field rounded the bend, with Suraj Narredu keeping him well-balanced before asking for an effort in the straight. Once produced, the gelding responded with a sustained run, showing both tactical speed and resilience to assert clear control inside the final furlong and seal the verdict in professional fashion.
Grenoble (J: A. Prakash, T: Vijay Singh) stayed on gamely to finish second in 1:25.092, keeping the winner honest without ever quite threatening to overhaul him. Close behind, Don’t Stop The Music (J: A. A. Vikrant, T: Sabeel Shariff) ran on late to secure third place in 1:25.167, ensuring a tight finish for the minor honours.
Attention now turns to the Deepak Khaitan Memorial Indian Produce Stakes, set for 03:00 PM, as the Winter Meeting rolls on at Calcutta.
Stay tuned on RaceBuzz as the action continues from the Royal calcutta turf club.