The racing buffs from this garden city have seen the emergence of many legends from this centre,  Elusive Pimpernel,  Smart Chieftan, In The Spotlight,  Desert God to name a few, but, believe me none despite standing tall in the Hall Of Fame have won the hearts of the Bengaluru railbirds like Be Safe.

What is it that people see in Be Safe and why is he the chosen one is very difficult to answer. The start performer started his career in Mumbai and produced his best at Mahalaxmi.  He won the Mumbai Indian Derby before losing out to another all-time great Quasar in the Invitation Cup. He has won only once in this city and in his next two starts last summer failed to produce his best before he was shifted to Chennai to help him regain his health and fitness which was a big issue.  Back in the Invitation Cup this year in Guindy, both Desert God and Quasar comfortably beat him. On performance alone he is not in the same bracket as the above mentioned top four but he still is the darling of the crowd.

The moment, it was announced that Be Safe featured in a mock race on Saturday, a majority of the punters were running around trying to gain a ringside seat to see their hero in action and no one was bothered what Commonwealth did or how the classic hopeful Serjeant At Arms performed.  Everyone had their eyes set on Be Safe and the moment Chouhan pushed him ahead in what was just a mock race, a loud cheer from every seat and every corner only confirmed that Be Safe is the most loved one. And each time he will be out this season the spotlight will be on him and he will remain a star even if he fails to become the `Maharaja’.

Now coming to the performances in the seven furlongs mock race which evoked more interest than the eight-event card on Saturday, Be Safe did well to win it in a good time but it was the Suleiman Attaollahi schooled Serjeant At Arms, who, was touted a `moral certainty’ for the Colts Championship before the Mallesh Narredu-trained Whomakestherules threw the big hat in the ring, who caught the eye.

The top colt was down with a bad bout of fever at the start of the summer season and his trainer and owners chose to patiently nurse him, allowing the required time and space to recoup before he slowly was back in training and now that he appeared fit enough to race, a mock race with the darling of the crowd before the big fight on June 19 was planned and the `Serjeant’ with Sandesh to guide him performed better than the `brigadier’,  finishing second behind Be Safe without flexing a muscle and his rider raising a sweat. It is clear from this effort that Serjeant At Arms is back in the classic business and the Colts Championship Stakes is not anymore a one horse race.

Another Fillies Championship Stakes contestant, Commonwealth from Arjun Manglorkar’s yard who too was down with fever preventing his trainer from providing this filly a good lead up race produced a satisfactory effort but taking into account that the first classic is scheduled to be held next Sunday, Commonwealth may find it tough to successfully compete against the best of her age and sex and Aster Rose will be Arjun’s mainhope in the classic.

Though four firm public choices and one well backed second favourite Back Of Beyond from Prasanna Kumar’s yard won the first five races, the punters were floored by the hat-trick of Gregory Sandhu. The eight to one shot New Prince piloted by Zervan made every post a winning one in the upper division of the Charles Todhunter Memorial Cup pegging back the challenge of another lesser fancied contestant Akha Teej while the favourite Life Awaits, it now appears needs a fresh lease of life to enter the winners’ circle. The Sriram Komandur ward had caught the eye of all track reporters in the morning work but this afternoon he was the first one in the oxygen tent.

In the next event, the Mauritius Plate, the Sulaiman schooled Industrialist was surprisingly fancied most despite his none-too-impressive effort in his last essay. The Dominic camp fancied their stable horse to Pull The Plug and fuse out the favourite but this did not happen. It was Sandhu again who threw a spanner in the wheel, the 20 to one shot Handsome Stash romping home while Dominic was still holding the plug. Industrialist slowed down much faster  than the horse carting the Mysuru Tonga and is best left ignored.

In the concluding event, the lower division of the Sir Charles Todhunter Memorial Cup, I’ve Got Clout from Prasanna’s yard was backed to the exclusion of his 10 rivals, quoted at even-money while Topaz, Only Princess and Powerscourt were all offered at five and more. In line for a treble, Sandhu had two runners, the sixty to one shot Little Man and the friendless Colossal Moments. The Little Man became one big shot, chalking out a stunning pillar to post victory edging out the favourite by the shortest of margins. The Sandhu treble stunned the railbirds. It simply hit the punters hard.  A  Rs 1,000 treble on Sandhu would have fetched one crore. Did anyone hit it. No is the answer, not even Gregory Sandhu and that’s why racing is still considered a mug’s game.