Mumbai: Kings Gambit produced a strong finishing burst to win the C N Wadia Gold Cup (Grade 2) powered by Zavaray S. Poonawalla, the feature event of the day at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse here on Sunday. Stablemate King Ke finished second while Red Bishop completed the frame, giving champion trainer Pesi Shroff a remarkable clean sweep in the prestigious race. As the gates opened, Evaldo quickly assumed the role of the pace setter among the nine contenders. With jockey Akshay Kumar in the saddle, Evaldo showed the way in the early stages and continued to dictate the pace as the field crossed the 1200m marker.The tempo remained steady down the backstretch with Evaldo still holding the advantage, while the leading fancies — King Ke, Red Bishop, and Kings Gambit — tracked the leader closely, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. Meanwhile, tote favourite Thalassa attempted to recover lost ground from the rear, gradually improving position as the field approached the final bend.
However, as the runners straightened for the home stretch, Evaldo began to tire after setting the early pace. This opened the race up for the chasing pack, with the Shroff-trained trio quickly moving into contention.
Inside the final 200 metres, the contest narrowed to a gripping duel between Kings Gambit and King Ke, both horses responding strongly to their riders’ urgings. The pair raced stride for stride, providing an exciting finish for the spectators gathered at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.
In the last 50 metres, Kings Gambit found an extra gear and edged ahead to secure victory, eventually winning by a length from King Ke, who fought gamely but had to settle for the runner-up spot. Red Bishop stayed on well to claim third place, completing an impressive one-two-three finish for the Shroff stable.It turned out to be a memorable afternoon for Pesi Shroff, whose runners dominated the feature race, underlining the strength and depth of his stable in the higher-grade contests of the Mumbai racing season.