The Mysore winter races 2014-15 came to a close on Wednesday with a long card of eleven races going through. The final day’s honour was grabbed by trainer C.D.Monnappa who led in a treble through Society Music, Time To Time and Miss International, all of them at nourishing odds. The followers of money went home with their pockets cleaned up as only three favourites obliged in the eleven races. Trainer P.C.Tejaswi and jockey Chethan V Kalay combined to pull off a double while trainer C.V.G.K.Kishore also picked up two winners.

Bipin V Salvi schooled 3 year old filly Star Formation (China Visit-Prevalence / Usha Stud) scored yet another impressive win, in the Mysore City Trophy, the feature of the concluding day of the winter season. Star Formation went to the front within the first furlong and was followed by Color Proof, Daring Don, Your Honour Unfair, Sufficient Proof and Sky Jasmine. Into the last two furlongs Star Formation continued to dictate terms and won impressively in a smart timing. Sky Jasmine rallied in late to beat the rest. Sufficient Proof ended up third. 

C.D.Monnappa trained Society Music (Chevalier-Secret Paradise / Ruia Stud) scored an upset win in the Reshmi Art Plate, a mile race for horses rated 60 and above. The 4 year old filly had enough credentials going into the race, having finished in the money eleven out of the dozen runs but was surprisingly at odds for the asking. She was slow at start but was always improving places, trying to save ground throughout and was quickly behind Obelinna Princess who had grabbed the lead turning for home. Society Music was ridden out by G.Sai Vamshi to take charge and kicked on gamely even as Galaxy Queen covered plenty of ground from behind only to be second. The top two fancies Charming Night and Obelinna Princess finished third and fourth respectively.

Trainer C.D.Monnappa’s second winner was through Time To Time (Juniper-Loving Girl / Krishna Stud) in the division I of the Nagpur Plate. The 7 year old whose last win was over two years ago was at liberal odds of 7-1 for the seven furlongs race. Santa Maria had settled in front to lead the field while Time To Time travelled in about seventh or eighth but never left the fence while most of the others started to take the final turn wide. Slipping in through the shortest way, Time To Time was quickly in the lead on top of the straight and kicked on nicely to win it from Happiness and Chandini. Final Countdown was withdrawn on veterinary grounds.  

Trainer P.C.Tejaswi’s London Eye (Alnasr Alwasheek-Chitralikha / Yeravada Stud) made every post a winning one in the lower division of the Nagpur Plate. Shooting ahead to lead the field as they were despatched, London Eye came in to the last 400 metres with a lead of over three lengths and the rider had already looked back to see if there was any threat from the back. Finding none, London Eye kicked on well to win it even as the favourite Grace And Glory strived hard to get to the second place. Brigadier and Natural Nine finished third and fourth respectively, in a close finish. Ruthba was withdrawn on veterinary grounds.

 Tejaswi scored his second winner of the day through Carisa (Home Affairs-Blues Clues / Country Stud) in the higher division of the Original Vel B.Ashok Kumar Memorial Trophy. Racing towards the rear bunch till the top of the straight Carisa started to cover ground from the outside and sped past to take charge 200 metres from home and draw away easily by five lengths. Class Above finished second while Triple Victory improved towards the closing stages to be third.

Monnappa’s third winner came in the last race of the day, the higher division of the Shimmering Gold Plate with another 7 year old from the stable Miss International (International-Hurricane Jane / Mebajeona Stud). The filly travelled with the back bunch till the final bend while Flying Tricolour set the pace in its customary fashion. Miss International who usually comes with a flourish towards the closing stages and missed the bus on many occasions was brought out from the extreme outside well before the 300 metres board and the filly raised a fluent gallop to overhaul everyone in front and stretch out by five lengths. Flying Tricolour held on to the second position from Aristomache.   

M.Bobby trained Dreamliner (Diffident-Dreaming / Poonawalla Stud) who had shifted base from Western India recently scored its first win on this track in the lower division of the Shimmering Gold Plate. Dreamliner hit the front within the first furlong of the race and then carried that lead till the winning post. Precept, Aanchal Beauty and Campeon finished in that order behind the winner in a close finish.

Trainer G.T.Surender earned his first winner of the season with Strive And Serve (Tiroli-Polistatic / Capricon Stud) in the lower division of the Original Vel B.Ashok Kumar Memorial Trophy. Strive And Serve and Gayle’s Storm were giving each other company at the rear, almost detached from the others even as they approached the final bend. Starsonboard and Sivanta were up in front on top of the straight and were fighting it out even as the favourite Murcilago surrendered meekly. Strive And Serve and Gayle’s Storm started to cover ground from the extreme outside and the two sped past the rest of them and went past the winning post in that order with half a length separating them. Sivanta finished third in front of Ice Brown.

Vishal Yadav trained Friends Forever (Chinese Whisper / Paramvir Stud) who was winless from twenty three starts finally came good to shed her maiden status in the lower division, the opener of the day. Rallying along the fence in about fifth all the way as Ophira set out in the lead, Friends Forever slipped in through the inner rails and when guided to challenge the leader from the outside, surged ahead readily. Ophira held on to the second place from Shining Fame. Vrajanandan came in late to finish fourth. Catwalk Queen was permitted to be withdrawn after the rider hurt himself near the gates.

 Best Move (Greensmith-Pretty Move / Mare Haven Stud) from trainer C.V.G.K.Kishore’s stables snatched the higher division of the Bhagamandala Plate from Supreme Strength on the last stride. Supreme Strength had made a swift move early in the race to head to the front and was well in the lead on entering the home stretch. Jockey Arshad Alam started to work his way on Best Move inside the last furlong after chasing the leader all the way and getting closer with every stride pipped Supreme Strength on the last stride.

Kishore pulled off his double through Concentration (Case Law-Cosmic Flash / Jai Govind Stud) in the Manipal Plate. The 6 year old gelding who had not raced for over seven months was nicely along the rails and as the straightened up made quick headway to grab the lead and stayed clear of Robinhood Pandey, Gunpowder and Infinithoughts who fought for the minor places.

Trainer P.C.Tejaswi was the leading trainer for the winter season with sixteen wins while Keanen Gregory Steyn topped the tally among the jockeys, having ridden thirteen winners.