Allocated resumed his winning ways, with an easy win in the Karnataka Sub-Area Cup which featured Saturday's races. Racing itself was lackluster, with competitive interest being at a premium. The unhealthy tendency on the part of the professionals to take things easy and sit in the bandwagon of a horse that everybody considers as having the best credentials is ruining competitive interest. A couple of upsets came about more by accident than by intention. Inexplicable reversal of form, which has become the bane of this sport, needs to be tackled with conviction by the authorities if their intention is to steer racing in the right direction.

Olympic Queen had performed poorly in her last run but this time out, the well-bred filly put daylight between herself and the rest when money was on her. Should one compliment the jockey for giving a run in her last run, without getting on the wrong side of the authorities or criticize the officials for not being vigilant? Such happenings are sure to bring down the credibility of the sport further as winner-picking will then become a matter of getting the right information. Information-oriented racing as against performance-oriented racing is certainly not a happy trend.

Be that as it may, the Placerville-Arctic Theme four-year old gelding Allocated had the best credentials to win the 1400 metres Karnataka Sub-Area Cup, a race for horses rated 40 and above. Allocated had won last year's Colts Trial Stakes and then after having won the same event at Hyderabad in monsoon, there was a slide in his performance as he was asked to tackle extended trips which was not his forte. With the benefit of a race run and running over his pet distance, Allocated looked a cinch as by virtue of his past record, he had to move up in the handicap scale. The Placerville progeny also relished the `give-in' in the ground to win with a start to finish attempt. Six-year old Acute finished second ahead of Comet Star and One So Wonderful, which was a surprise because the others with better credentials were not sighted.

Both the divisions of the High Commission Cup turned out to be eventful. Abdullah trained Tal who had finished behind Persian Belle in her last outing, was backed to the exclusion of her rivals in the upper division, as everyone seemed to have reconciled to the victory of the favourite. But in the event, Vijay Singh trained Alicyclic, despite Alford's below par performance, shocked at fancy odds, with the favourite finishing a tame second. The majority of the runners in the fray did not evince interest in the proceedings. Alicyclic who was raced six horses wide, took over the running inside the final 350 metres and despite drifting out of a straight course, held on to win comfortably. Jockey Gallagher has found himself on the loosing side on quite a few fancied runners this season.

In the lower division of the race, S Babu on Proflare stopped the horse blatantly which helped favourite Sunspangled to land the spoils at a cramped price. The Don't Forget Me progeny who would relish extended trips, lacked early pace, despite which, Harish was able to move up to striking position on turning for home as Babu on Proflare did everything to prevent his mount from performing to potential. Proflare who was positioned in the rear of the field, dragged herself to the front, and when the filly was shaping to collar the front-running favourite, Babu got into his act. The well-bred Alansr Alwasheek progeny would have run out an easy winner if Babu had erred a little more! The Stewards have opened an enquiry and Babu should consider himself lucky if he escapes with a mild sentence. Black Ocean managed to keep the runner-up spot ahead of Proflare by a whisker.

Paranjyothy was slammed in the ring in the true manner of a Puttanna trained fancied runner. The trainer had done a good job of preparing the horse to strike while the others in the race seemed to have trained themselves to do their job of chasing the favourite to a nicety! Well the officials could do little to pull up the trainer for improved performance as there was longish gap between the present run and the past one and any improvement could be explained away. Ivory Wings and Furia Rossa made their dash when the task was well beyond them.

The lower division of the Richelieu Plate went the way of M P Mahaesh trained Risk Me Now who despite being badly knocked out at the start in the skirmish which came about because of the riders of Don King and National Star changing course abruptly, moved up on the wide outside to take over the running inside the final 300 metres to win with a measure of comfort from favourite Just Do It. The favourite too had troubled passage early on. Aryawun ran an improved race.

Ganapanthy trained Olympic Queen sprouted wings and ran away from the field, which saw, jockey Amit coming a cropper on Al Bashir in the upper division of the New Market Plate. The lower division saw rank outsider Oscar winning at the expense of a late-finishing Zulia's. The fancied pair of Seat of the Master and Fighter's World put up a doleful performance.

Darashah trained Al Habib once again found one better in the Regency Stud Plate, a sprint race for horses rated 30 to 45. The Broto progeny has been unlucky, running into one misfortune or the other. The four-year old gelding Al Habib who did not have the benefit of a race run, slackened after going into the lead and top-weighted Resist The Force who had served notice of his form and fitness in his last race, cruised past him to win as he liked.