Trainer S.Rakesh has done wonders on the 8 year old Guided Missile (Hymn-Colonel’s Dream), to get the gelding to peak fitness at the fag end of its career. Guided Missile who had won almost two years ago, came back to winning ways, when he wrapped up a nine furlongs race, a fortnight ago. Coming back with renewed vigour, Guided Missile was ridden with determination by S.John to beat the favourite  Skyway in the T.V.Reddy Memorial Trophy, which featured Wednesday’s races at Mysore.

Dare Don brought the field into view on the final straight and Skyway moved alongside to make her bid while Guided Missile looked to have a task on hand. Skyway moved ahead and jockey S.John was persistent on Guided Missile, giving a couple of hard backhanders and pushing his mount with vigour. He continued that format till Guided Missile responded to his urgings and once he did; the winner was sighted even before he could pass Skyway. Guided Missile stretched in front by a ‘long neck’ beating Skyway in the shadow of the winning post. Dare Don towed on to finish third.

S.John piloted Eshwer’s Iron Marshall (Placerville-Rivage) to a popular victory in the very next race, the Kanchanaganga Plate, a seven furlongs trip for horses rated above 60. Assigned to carry a top weight of 61 kilograms, Iron Marshall was sent into the race as the firm favourite. Settled well in third, behind  Highland Bounty and Rashida till the top of the straight, John made his move when Highland Bounty started to pack up and joined Rashida with 300 metres left from home. The two of them started to veer out of the straight course inside the last furlong and Iron Marshall travelled the better to surge past. Vigoroso rallied along the inner rails to finish third, ahead of Time For All.

Ranjeet Shinde trained Visual Element (Sir Bordeaux-Royal Tour) upset the apple cart of Brave assault in the Manasasarovara Plate. Brave Assault was backed to the exclusion of the other runners after the youngster’s success in a terms race in its earlier run. The victory of Visual Element in its last essay was totally ignored and was at odds for the asking. Real Potential was on a start to finish bid and held forte well into the straight. Brave Hunter looked to be under pressure when alighted to the task but still managed to move ahead of Real Potential. Visual Element made rapid progress, close to the inner rails and went a shade in front inside the last 100 metres. Visual Element started to drift out, towards the closing stages and Brave Assault was beginning to lean right and the two made contact with a couple of strides left. Visual Element with apprentice Irvan Singh had hit the wire a ‘neck’ ahead of Brave Assault. Real Potential finished third.

Jockey P.Trevor was quick to lodge an objection against the rider of  the winner for bumping and boring inside the last 40 yards. After viewing the replay the stewards were of the opinion that the interference was not severe and it happened with the winning post at arm’s length and rightly decided to overrule the objection.

The first race of the day, the Sea Bisquit Plate witnessed a close finish involving three horses. A wafer thin margin separated the first two and the third sandwiched in-between, a short neck away. A reduced field of ten horses took the start with Ice Sprint being announced a non-starter earlier in the day and a well fancied Golden Slipper withdrawn after throwing tantrums near the gates. Jazzbythebay went ahead on entering the home stretch and established a clear lead over Little Athena who was toiling hard in second position. Mischief (Crown Jewels-Inian Diva) was at that stage way behind in eighth position. As they drew closer and with the supporters of Jazzbythebay begining to ‘count the chickens’, came Mischief with an electrifying run. Little Athena also improved along with Mischief and the three went past the winning post locked together. It was evident that Little Athena had finished third but spotting the winner even after repeated viewing of the replay, was a tough job. There was a roar when the result was announced. Mischief had finished a ‘hairline’ in front of Jazzbythebay.

Dinesh Pujar’s Bahman (Inner City-Game Plan) who had run close in his previous two starts went on a start to finish bid and successfully pulled it off, in the Kemmannugundi Plate. There was a heavy downpour as the loading operations got under way and the runners and riders came back to the unsaddling enclosures fully drenched. The bottom weighted Bahman went into the race as the firm favourite and the 5 year old justified the support. Trafalgar Square was allout throughout the straight but could not match strides and finished second while Gampu rallied along the rails late to be in the money.

Pratap Kamath’s Ahira (Serious Spender-Chaventre) after tracking Ace High till the last 300 metres went past and stayed clear to win the Gundulpet Plate from the race favourite Winning Tale. Badda Rupaiyya took the third spot ahead of Ace High.