Zareer Darashah’s Mystic Enchantress (Ontario-I Fear Nothing) tamed the reduced field, in the BOL Publication Cup, run over a mile at Mysore. Backed to the exclusion of the other runners, Mystic Enchantress moved smoothly under jockey Ladjadj Stephane to surge past the front-running Awesome Fighter inside the last 300 metres and win by a good margin. Awesome Fighter held on to the second position while Omega Man just managed to beat Ciampino for the third spot. Land Of Gold, Amiera and Miss Mexico were withdrawn bringing the field down to seven runners.

High Treason (Eljohar-Coral Reef) shed his maiden ranks with a win in The Bannur Plate, a race for 3-year-old maidens. Showing up first on the top of the straight, High Treason had a useful lead but started to drift out inside the final furlong. Lake Of Fortune, who was getting into rhythm in second position had to be shifted towards inner ground and she finished half a length behind the winner. The rider of Lake of Fortune raised an unsuccessful objection against the winner for cutting across and boring inside the final 150 metres. Alizadeh ran on to finish third ahead of Caterina. The favourite Aerial Acrobat ran out of steam approaching the distance marker.

There were close finishes in almost five races out of the seven that were run. Hidden Pleasures (Tirol-Final Cut) scored an encore in The Devine Light Plate. With a furlong left from home, Sterling Speed was trying hard to stay in front as Hidden Pleasures and Thumping Victory were getting closer with every stride. Harish Rathod rode out Hidden Pleasures to get the race in the dying moments of the race, with the first five horses involved in a blanket finish. Snap Dragon, who was the fastest moving, finished third ahead of Damgood. King Adler was withdrawn before the race.

The 8-year-old Stone Of Destiny (Major Impact-Zaka) moved fast through the field to lift the lower division of The Narmada Plate. While the credit cannot be taken away from Stone Of Destiny, Theworldismine was a bit unlucky in the race. Originally placed third, Theworldismine moved up a place after jockey Milan’s objection against B. Mahesh, the rider of the second placed Always For You for hitting him, bumping and boring him throughout the straight was upheld. Always For You and Theworldismine ran abreast throughout the final straight and the rider of the former looked to be determined not to allow the other to pass him. The Stewards of Mysore Race Club rightly gave jockey B. Mahesh an eight race days’ suspension for foul riding.

C.V.G.K. Kishore’s Flash Flares (Glory Of Dancer-Georgia’s Gal) won the higher division in one of the closest finishes of the season. Out in front from the start, Flash Flares had established a lead of about three lengths in the last 100 metres but that diminished rapidly when Red Dawn devoured ground towards the finish and the two went past the wire locked together. Flash Flares had held on by the proverbial whisker to make it his second successive victory.

Track Wonder (Tejano-Track Charm), a 7-year-old with a negative rating, fought out with the favourite Passage Of Time throughout the final straight and emerged a winner by a ‘head’, in The Shivanasamudra Plate. Ziggy Stardust moved late after changing course midway up the straight to finish a close third.

The Mumbai import, Absolute Reality (Mr. Mellon-Yes No Maybe So) slammed the opposition in The Nadir Plate, making every post a winning one. Jockey Keanen G. Steyn was treated to an armchair ride on the favourite Absolute Reality. Social Climber and Green Vision worked hard but found the winner stretching away from them to win by a lengthening margin. World Is Toomuch picked up speed very late to finish third, a ‘short head’ behind Social Climber.