A huge bonanza greeted punters on New Years Day, as one favourite after another scored in all the eight races framed for the afternoon's racing at Bangalore. The last few weeks of racing all over the country had witnessed a flurry of upsets, and form had gone totally haywire at some centres. Even Bangalore, where the sport is generally known to run kindly for racegoers, saw a turnaround in late December. One shock after another had become the order of the day, and the public was totally bewildered by this sudden turn of events. The smiles were back on their faces on Friday as they hoped that this was the beginning of a new phase.

Those who are superstitious about winning and losing on the first day of the year were celebrating till late into the evening. The Kelachandra New Millennium Cup was the day's feature. This terms race over seven furlongs had attracted some of the highest rated horses in training. The terms of this race favoured Aristos, Tomsk and Kyles Of Bute as they were set to run at level weights against horses which were known to be rated lower than them. Aristos and Kyles Of Bute had current season form while Tomsk was running after a long lay-off. The first named is a speedy type and his ability to dictate pace over the present trip was a big factor in his favour.

The presence of Chris Hayes in the saddle added to the excitement as the horses made their way to the gates. Aristos was backed to the exclusion of his rivals and started as an even-money choice to land the spoils. The race was run on predicted lines. Aristos shot away to the front and was noticed galloping well within himself while showing the way to Cruising, Tomsk and Kyles Of Bute. The others led by Atlantus were right behind the front group as they turned for home.

Aristos was put on even keel before being asked to accelerate. The response was immediate as he lengthened his strides and began to draw away from the others. Kyles Of Bute emerged from the pack and tried his best to rally along the rails but his task was a difficult one today. Aristos wasn't really pressed to score from Kyles Of Bute, Atlantus, Cruising and Tomsk. The last three finished in a heap to save place money for their connections. The one that is likely to improve on this effort is Tomsk. He was running after a mild setback in training. The long gap of six months had made him a bit rusty, and after today's exercise, he is bound to get back into winning shape. Trainer Dhariwal has transformed Aristos into a stout galloper, and the five year-old can win again for the asking. Chris Hayes completed a double for the day, as he had already scored in identical fashion on Calypso Star.

The Attaolahi-trained filly had made numerous efforts to win her maiden race, but had to be content with minor placings in all her outings. She finally scored today with a start-to-finish effort over six furlongs. She was lucky to survive a late challenge from Ruby Legend. David Allan was unable to bring her along the inside rails, and therefore, had to change course in the final furlong. Ruby Legend put in a late burst to finish on the haunches of the winner. There was a general buzz around the race course prior to the sixth race. Classic hopeful Becket, who had lost a lot of precious time due to niggling worries in the early part of the winter season, was finally appearing in a Class II event. Padmanabhan was going to take a call on his future plans after today's race.

Becket was a half-money favourite. By all standards, this was a truly generous offer by the bookmakers. Under normal circumstances, he should have been a money-back favourite in this group. A couple of months away from the action in addition to the prominent bandages that Becket was sporting in the paddock were reasons for their enthusiasm. Becket performed on expected lines and stormed away to a fine victory. Despite carrying the top weight, and the tender handling of David Allan, Becket clocked a timing similar to Aristos.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Becket's next target shall be the Bangalore Derby on Republic Day. The Wadhawan family has invested heavily in race horses in the last few years. After fair success in Western India, the group located a smaller string at Bangalore. Arjun Mangalorkar and Irfan Ghatala were selected to train for them. Arjun trained Sky Train (China Visit-God's Grace) set the ball rolling on Friday, by winning the first race of 2010 aptly named as The New Year Trophy.

The compactly built Sky Train showed superb acceleration in the straight. He chased Bugatti till the bend before Imran Chisty pulled him towards the centre of the track. He sighted daylight and charged away to win by a lengthening margin of over seven lengths. Bugatti and Flame Back were the best of the beaten brigade. Sylvester De Souza rode a pair of winners for the father-son combination of Rashid and Darius Byramji. Rashid trained Missoni had finished second in her only career start. The filly was expected to improve on that performance.

She was opposed by last outing winner Sure Speed. The colt was carrying the statutory penalty of four kilos for having won that race. The two of them were expected to wage a keen duel for supremacy, and both the camps were equally optimistic. What actually happened on the track was totally different. Babu Rao's Flying Tricolour went to the front and set a fast pace ahead of Sure Speed and Missoni. Suraj Narredu tried his best to rouse Sure Speed, but the horse lacked the Class. He faded away from the scene and made way for Missoni to gallop ahead of him. Under relentless driving of De Souza, Missoni got up on the last few strides and seized the initiative. She scored a popular victory over Flying Tricolour.

Darius's ward Ticket To Ride looked superb in the paddock. The colt had good form and the public lost little time in slamming him off the boards. With the field lacking quality opposition, Ticket To Ride was ridden with supreme confidence. He was held back in mid group before being given his head. He darted away and opened up a fair lead over his rivals. Dream Park tried to go close to him, but that was all he could do. Spark Of Bronte showed signs of running into form by finishing a fair third. Irfan Ghatala was the lone trainer to saddle more than one winner. Advantage Logan defied the winning penalty and scored easier than the official verdict. The manner in which she travelled showed her class and current form.

The filly used to play up at the gates. Irfan has done well to calm her down. She is capable of much better performances and is likely to progress to the higher classes. Srinath ridden Spring A Surprise showed a lot of intent and set a good pace in this race. Advantage Logan carried the top weight with ease and sailed past a hapless leader. Son Of The Soil finished a poor third. Isinbayeva had won for Irfan's stable earlier in the afternoon. The filly was lucky to get the poorest possible set of horses in the lowest class at Bangalore. She went to the front and lasted out to hold Gordian Knot in a tight finish.