The punters lost out again. The pattern was the same, a solitary favourite coming through in the seven-event card. After the license issue was sorted out, racing has not gone kindly for the punters, most favourites choosing to take the back seat and the punters to say the least are not enjoying the ride.

The Arjun Manglorkar schooled Aster Rose on the strength of her impressive effort, a game second behind Serjeant At Arms in her last essay was fancied most in the Chief Justice’s Cup. The winter Derby winner Tororosso too had a fair share of his supporters. But it was the Pesi Shroff schooled Mathaiyus who won the plum edging out the two top fancies in a thriller. Aster Rose who has made it a habit finishing second each time she contests against the best needs to break the ice and to do that the Arjun ward needs loads of luck and hopefully the wheel of fortune swings her way in her next start. Tororosso is back at his best and he will be a frontline contender for the Maharaja’s Cup.

The topweighted Reference now under the care of Parvati Byramji was tipped strongly to score in the A M C Gowda Memorial Trophy simply because the favourite was pitted against moderate opposition. But at end it turned out to be a bad reference, the public choice struggling in the rear while the 10 to one shot Ark Royal from the stables of Irfan Ghatala made every post a winning one in the hands of apprentice Nazer-ul-Alam. Buscadero despite being drawn badly did well to gain the runner-up berth ahead of Masada.

The Neil Darashah schooled Namid was the top fancy in the D M Shivaswamy Memorial Cup. The public choice like Reference took a lot of good money down the drain. The only difference was that  unlike Reference who finished in the ruck, Namid came home second behind rankoutsider Lady In Lace from Rajesh Narredu’s yard piloted by another apprentice M Ayyar. The moody Shining Magic took the third spot ahead of Topaz.

In the maiden Juveniles event run over a mile, Angel Power from Sulaiman Attaollhi’s yard romped home in style, the only favourite to do so. Leading pro Srinath guided the Sulaiman ward nice and easy all through the mile long journey making every post a winning one. Automatic did well to finish second ahead of Nitromax while Take Five from Mallesh Narredu’s yard who was strongly fancied by the insiders and the right connections came home a poor fourth.

The Prithviraj-trained Shivalik Crown and last start winner Princess Holly were fancied most in the concluding event, the Aboline Plate run over a sprint. The former managed to only finish third while the `Princess’ who landed a good gamble last time out it appeared was on a conducted tour of Bengaluru, going miles wide while negotiating the final bend. The ten to one shot Idealist from Sandhu’s yard piloted by Ramu came up tops ahead of Amazing Love.

Earlier, Ninon from Neil Darashah’s yard garnered maximum support in the Sweet Memories Plate but she found Campari Girl too hot to handle at end. Freestyle appears to have improved finishing a suggestive third and is one for the notebook.

Captain Calm from young Dheeraj’s yard who many believed would provide an encore competing in the Ramkirpal Plate failed to do so, coming home third behind Extremelydangerous and the eight to one shot Regal Music punched home by the Delhi saddle artiste Dhanu Singh.