The curtain came down on Friday’s racing at Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) with Race 7, The Dancing Phoenix Handicap, a Class IV contest for horses rated 21–46 (rated 1–26 eligible) over 1400 metres, run at 4:30 PM on Friday, 23 January 2026. Bringing the Winter Meeting’s fifth day to a fitting close, Jimmy Bee produced a decisive late flourish to land the finale for trainer Sabeel Shariff, jockey Vishal N. Bunde, and owner Mr Rafiullah A. Khan, neatly rounding off what followers tracking the Kolkata race results 23 January would recognise as a full-bodied afternoon of competitive racing.
Settled into a handy rhythm through the early part of the race, Jimmy Bee was ridden with restraint before being eased into clear running approaching the home bend. Once asked to lengthen, he responded decisively, quickening smartly inside the final furlong to assert command and score with something to spare, drawing appreciative applause as the last result of the day was confirmed.
Keitaro finished a determined second under Vinod Shinde for trainer Rutherford Alford, having stayed on gamely after disputing the issue in the straight, while Cristaldo, partnered by P. Sai Kumar and trained by B. Mahesh, closed on steadily to take third and complete the frame in the finale.
Earlier in the afternoon, the programme had opened at 1:30 PM with The Ophion Handicap over 1200 metres, where Blaze In Blue set the tone for the day. Ridden by Nikhil Naidu and trained by Vijay Singh, the winner scored for Mrs Sharon Singh & Mrs Priya Bachhawat (rep. M/s Bachhawat Farms Pvt Ltd), with Lahina and Mountain Gold filling the minor placings. Momentum continued in The Aggregated Plate at 2:00 PM as Silver Dream justified support under Suraj Narredu for trainer Vijay Singh, carrying the colours of Mr Subir Dasgupta (rep. M/s Cairnhill Stud Farm Pvt Ltd), Mr Chandrakanth Kankaria & Mr Suvamoy Saha, ahead of Starliner and Rambha.
The quality lifted further in The Police Cup at 2:30 PM, where Brave Majesty delivered a polished performance for P. Trevor and trainer Neil Darashah, with Sky Hawk and Wonderful chasing him home. At 3:00 PM, the mile Zelda Cup saw Mindful stamp his authority under Suraj Narredu, trained by Deepesh Narredu and racing for a large ownership group led by Mrs B. E. Saldanha, while Cigar Galaxy and Victorious Omen completed the placings.
Stamina came to the fore in The Albert Piperno Memorial Cup over 2000 metres at 3:30 PM, as Ruling Star stayed on resolutely for jockey Gaurav Singh and trainer B. Rajender Reddy, delivering victory for Mr Koushik Dutta, with Whirlwind and Zarak finishing behind. The day’s centrepiece followed at 4:00 PM with The Indian Champion Cup (Grade I), where class prevailed as Duke Of Tuscany, partnered by Suraj Narredu and trained by P. Shroff, captured the marquee event for a powerful ownership syndicate headed by Ms Anita J. Captain, defeating Golden Kingdom and Trakila in a race worthy of its billing.
With Jimmy Bee’s late flourish bringing proceedings to a close, the Winter Meeting’s fifth day at Kolkata ended on a high note, leaving racegoers reflecting on a card that blended early speed, middle-distance intrigue, and Grade I excellence in a thoroughly satisfying afternoon at the RCTC.
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