Most big bettors and a majority of small investors in the betting ring are of the view that it is getting increasingly difficult to get on the plus side in the races at this centre simply because the form book consistently is torn inside out and the vastly improved performances of the many winners and the below par efforts of the most fancied losers defies logic.

On Saturday though, form played true, five firm favourites including the well backed Wrekin from Gregory Sandhu’s yard and one well supported second choice New Crown nailed bold colours to the mast and that helped the punters enjoy the better of exchanges and recoup a fair share of the losses they suffered on Friday.  

Though, the on-money favourite Dancing Princess from trainer Prasanna Kumar’s yard bit the dust in the opening event, leading pro S John who was astride the top fancy made ample amends guiding home the half-money public rage Possimpossible in the next event, the lower division of the Dharmasthala Plate. The winner who had  impressed most in his last essay finishing a suggestive third in a sprint, donkey-licked his 11 rivals in the straight to romp home in style. Possimpossible on the strength of this performance is too good to miss out in his next start even though he will meet better rated horses in the higher class. The moody Native Ruler finished second but taking into account that Native  Ruler is not the consistent type it will be suicidal to fancy him on this run in his next essay.

The Irfan Ghatala schooled Be Inspired was strongly fancied to score in the lower division of the Talkad Trophy and the favourite in the hands of Suraj Narredu did just that without a fuss. Long shot King Of The Court caught the eye while gaining the runner-up spot in the hands of Indrajeet and it will not be long before this Padmanabhan ward enters the winners’ circle this season.

The Mercara Plate, a 1100M dash for juveniles was an open affair, more than three trainers fancying their wards to shed their maiden status. In the end, Racing Fire from Dominic’s yard garnered the maximum support ahead of Campari Girl and Harley Quinn and the winner Lochness too from Sandhu’s stable was fancied sweetly by the insiders and the right connections. Lochness piloted by lesserlight Janardhan Paswan edged out the ten to one shot Good Fortune in the last stride to the delight of the Sandhu camp.  It was Paswan’s lucky day. He won the Mercara Plate coming from back and gaining the day on the last stride and astride Wrekin in the Octogonal Plate, Paswan was again lucky pegging back the bold effort of Brown Panther by the shortest of margins to record a good double.

Wrekin opened (7/1) in the betting ring before money came pouring in on the Sandhu ward and the seven-year-old closed (4/1) despite the fact that many old hats in the game dismissed the possibility of Paswan winning again in a tightly handicapped dozen-horse field. But it proved to be Paswan’s day, and to the delight of the Sandhu camp, Janardhan did it again.

The Arjun Manglorkar schooled Powerscourt who had impressed most while chalking up her maiden success in Mysore before she finished last in the 1000 Guineas here this season opened the favourite in the concluding event, the upper division of the Dharmasthala Plate run over a sprint before the price on the filly kept going up and up and finally Powerscourt had no takers even at (4/1). I’ve Got Clout who has joined Prasanna’s yard after shifting out from Irfan by default was the favourite.  Honour from Dominic’s yard too garnered plucky support on his winter form though it must be mentioned that this Dominic ward is not half as good as what he paraded himself to be in winter. Nevertheless Honour did produce an improved effort but that was just not good enough to stop the ten to one shot J Gatsby from emerging a convincing winner in the hands of Prabhakaran. Both Powerscourt and I’ve Got Clout finished off the frame and that calls for an explanation.

The Darius Byramji schooled Integrated in line for a hat-trick and the Prasanna Kumar-trained Garuda looking to record his second straight win this season stunned the followers of form, both performing below par much to the chagrin of the railbirds. The former competing in the upper division of the Talkad Trophy was backed to the exclusion of his 11 moderate rivals but all he could do was finish a tame third behind the shock winner Seven Of Hearts and another long shot Hillsboro.

Garuda was backed one side as if there was no opponent worth the salt in the Hurricane Stud Plate.  The on-money favourite was in trouble the moment the dozen-horse field came under the starter’s flag, running helter skelter in his effort to gain a favourable position early on in the race. The second in demand at the betting ring, New Crown hit the front and in the hands of a confident Arshad Alam travelled nice and easy for most part of the sprint trip before this Darius Byramji ward put the issue beyond doubt in the final furlong. Garuda failed to make the frame and this cost the punters dear.

Fresh from his success last month, the half-money favourite Top Striker detonated his three rivals in the Bangalore Winter Million. Imran Khan who had partnered this Mohd Khan ward who is under the care of Inayathullah following Khan’s suspension hit the front soon after the jump and never let the initiative slip cruising home without raising a sweat. The effort fetched owner A K Jaiswal Rs 12 lakh and with the cheap buy already winning stakes close to Rs 20 lakh, it is well proving to be a good success story which will provide confidence and hope to the small investors in bloodstock.

The bred in the purple filly Iceglow from the stables of Padmanbhan, who had won her first start this season, looked a picture of fitness at the parade ring and David Allan confidently guided her home in the K Venkatesh Nayak Memorial Trophy run over a distance of nine furlongs. Iceglow is in top form and is set to complete a hat-trick of when saddled next.