The first day, first show after the rains halted and the sun made an appearance was not good for the punters, only two firm favourites, Freestyle and Silver Legend and a solitary second choice Akha Teej entering the winners’ circle in the nine-event card which produced four long shots which floored the railbirds looking forward to make money in the sunshine.

The plum event, the Ashok Chakra Cup was claimed by the Darius Byramji-trained Alexandra Mills who produced a stunning gallop in the hands of leading pro S John who made a winning comeback after a one year long suspension on the Arjun Manglorkar schooled Silver Legend in the opening event.

Astride the four to one shot Alexandra Mills, John played the waiting game in the nine furlongs event before he timed his final challenge to a nicety. The favourite Agostini in his mission to make every post a winning one lacked the gas to make a race of it and Arrogant Approach back after his two successive wins at Mysore appeared to have gone off the boil. The old at tooth Toroloco finished second behind the easy winner Alexandra Mills, who it must be mentioned is at her best and is set to pick up a couple more this season.

On the strength of his favourable performance in his lasy essay, second behind the classic hopeful Sea Lord, Super Sunshine garnered the maximum support in the Hoysala Trophy run over a mile. The Padmanabhan schooled Heaven Is Here too had a fair share of supporters despite the fact that the filly was not seen regularly on the trial track. The friendless Son of Stars, stablemate of the public choice bolted to the front and kept going nice and easy all through the backstretch before producing the desired kick to donkey-lick the opposition. Top weighted Ace Bucephalus produced a fair effort and finished second in the hands of apprentice Syed Imran. Heaven Is Here, it appeared needed this run and it will pay to persist with this Padmanabhan ward.

Despite the fact that the Neil Darashah ward Glittering had failed to deliver the goods in her last essay at Mysore, she was again strongly fancied in the Yadgiri Plate run over a sprint. All the top fancy did was finish second behind the 20 to one long shot Trapezoid who produced a winning gallop in the final furlong to upset the applecart of the favourite. Why Should I in his effort to make every post a winning one weakened when the race came on a boil but hung on gamely to take the third spot.    

After his victory on Trapezoid, the much improved Irvan Singh struck through the eight to one shot Ophelia in the upper division of the Saddle Up Plate, edging out another lesser fancied winner Able Master close home. The favourite Swiss Eagle from Arjun Manglorkar’s yard raced in patches and was only seen finishing on well after the race was over. The second favourite Sir Majestic who was favourably placed at the top of the straight failed to quicken and eventually finished in the ruck Swiss Eagle deserves another chance, while it will not be long before Able Master earns his cornbill.

The public choice Freestyle from trainer Faraz Arshad’s yard won the lower division of the event in the hands of Trevor Patel. The champion pro later booted home the Rashid Byramji schooled Akha Teej in the concluding event to share the riding honours with Irvan and S John.

Earlier the Md Khan-trained Bonfire who was a model of consistency in the Mysore season earned his winning bracket, producing a good gallop in the final furlong  to edge out the top fancy I’ve Got Cloat in the upper division of the Kokkarebellur Plate.  At the distance post the supporters of I`ve Got Clout started to raise a cheer before their joy was shortlived, Bonfire spoiling their party.

The lower division of the event was claimed by the lesser fancied Atlantis from Satish Narredu’s yard. Suraj astride the winner looked cool and confident while pegging back the challenge of the heavily backed Mariko who was too flat footed to make a mark. Vicious Circle was third.