Two superb fillies came charging down the homestretch and treated the grandstands to a thrilling finish in The Bangalore Oaks (Grade II), at the local races on Saturday. Systematic and Srinath returned to a standing ovation from the knowledgeable crowd after getting the measure of Youre So Beautiful and Suraj Narredu. After traversing a mile and a half, only a short neck separated the two of them. Both the fillies stayed better than the rest, and there were no hard luck stories at the end of the day.

There was only one fact that needed to be acknowledged, and that pertained to the brilliance of jockey Srinath in the day's feature. He had ridden a tactically perfect race and had emerged victorious in his "battle of wits" with Suraj Narredu. Seven of the top fillies stationed at Bangalore were joined by Strelitzia, who had arrived a fortnight ago from Mumbai. None of them had ever handled this trip before.

On sheer ratings and past performances, Neil Darashah's Youre So Beautiful looked far superior to the others. The winner of The Bagalore 1000 Guineas had never run beyond a mile, and was facing the acid test today. Cinnamon Rose and Systematic had won over a marginally longer trip and their pedigrees suggested that they might be in a better position to handle the situation. Pesi Shroff's decision to pitch the lowest rated Strelitzia at the deep-end said quite a bit about her stamina.

The Oaks is a pure test of stamina and many highly rated fillies in the past have failed in their quest for glory. The runners looked good in the parade ring and it was difficult to separate them on paddock looks. The bookmakers were an equally confused lot today, as they were unable to identify a clear favourite in this race. Cinnamon Rose, Systematic, Youre So Beautiful and Strelitzia were backable at more or less identical odds in the betting rings.

A huge roar greeted the runners as they made their appearance for the first time in front of the stands. Shades Of White set a modest pace ahead of Strelitzia, Youre So Beautiful, Cinnamon Rose, Moon Memories and Systematic, as they took the right-handed turn near the nine furlong marker. While all the runners were racing well within themselves and travelling smoothly, Suraj Narredu was seen holding Youre So Beautiful on tight reins. The filly briefly fought for her head, before dropping back into sixth place as the runners began taking the climb and turning for home.

Srinath and Systematic, who were behind Youre So Beautiful at that stage, decided that it was time to "go". They made a quick move and seized the initiative. After skirting the front group, Systematic came alongside Strelitzia and overtook her with ease. A couple of backhanders saw Systematic going two lengths clear of the others. At the same time, Suraj brought Youre So Beautiful through the pack and went in chase. She took a brief moment to find her rhythm before beginning her charge.

It seemed that Suraj had left it a bit too late. The gap between the two of them began to diminish with each stride and a close finish was on the cards. In the end, it was the superb riding skills of Srinath which glittered like gold. He had literally stolen the race from the runner-up, and installed Mahesh trained Systematic as the winner of The Bangalore Oaks 2010. Srinath is a powerful rider and is highly regarded by his colleagues.

He is known for his tactical abilities over varying distances. Srinath had won a race with Systematic exactly a month ago. He had apparently told Mahesh that he was planning to take her to the front on that day. This was done purely to check Systematic's stamina. The filly had given him all-round satisfaction, and after dismounting on that occasion, Srinath had expressed a desire to ride her in the Oaks.

The rest is history. For trainer Mahesh, this was the third Classic victory of his career. Srinath completed the day's proceedings with a comfortable victory astride Warren Singh's Another Destiny. This last outing winner handled the stiff penalty with unusual ease. Srinath took him into an early lead and rode him hands and heels thereafter. His superiority was marked by the ease with which he won. The showy dark bay is in terrific form and is capable of completing his hat-trick. Unfancied Fantabulous Prince came with a late run to take the second berth. The added attraction in the day's card was the running of The A P Kothavala Memorial Cup. The seven-furlong race for first season maidens had only eight acceptors.

Byramji's Make My Day (Emerald Cat-Island Charm) had run a fair third in her only career start. With that experience under her belt, the filly was backed to the exclusion of her rivals. She succeeded in landing the short odds, but not before getting a scare from the well bred Saloni (China Visit-Ithica). Imran Chisty had to ride flat out to keep her going. Saloni will be too good to miss in her next start.

Rashid Byramji completed a quick double with an equally short priced Distinctly Ahead. Sylvester De Souza took him to the front and was never headed till the very end. Sun Zone emerged from the rear pack to take the second spot. The grey is looking well and is capable of winning before long. The other runners led by Cannavaro finished a long way behind the first two. For the second consecutive day, Irfan Ghatala saddled a pair of winners.

The superbly bred four year-old Party Tonight (Burden Of Proof-Chant Royal) was making her racing debut. She was set to take on a bunch of horses in the lowest class. She was value for money at 11/10 and looked the part in the paddock. Paswan decided to handle her softly and gave her a neat ride. After tracking Saratoga till the bend, he nudged her into a comfortable lead. The filly did the rest, as she darted away for a fine win. Party Tonite is bound to benefit from today's experience and progress nicely in the coming months.

Irfan has been giving a lot of opportunities to apprentice Khurshad, and the youngster has been improving with time. He had won on Leon Cavallo a few weeks ago , and was entrusted to do the same today. Leon Cavallo handled the extra furlong capably, and got up in the last few strides to get the better of favourite Sunny Gold. A flying Lester finished like a train from the rear to deprive Sunny Gold of the second Spot. The two divisions of a sprint race for horses in Class IV were won by well-fancied horses.

A big upset in the form of runaway Simply Dangerous was averted, when Voodoo Moon charged from the back and nailed him on the post. Md Shoaib rode an excellent race on the winner. A lot of money went down with Movie Queen in this race. On the basis of some very old form, she was supported with gay abandon. Movie Queen ran in patches and finished third. She will win her next start, provided she trains on from her present mark and is fancied once again by her connections.

The lower division saw Sirajuddin's Thumping Victory living up to his name and registering a fine win. The signals for this victory were sent by Appu in the very early stages of the race. His posture in the saddle indicated that he had only to release the brakes to win today. That is exactly what transpired at the bend. Thumping Victory sailed past a bunch of hapless opponents and ran away to score one of the easiest wins of the afternoon.