Punters enjoyed a good run in the small six-event card on Friday. Four well-backed favourites and one well supported second choice, Priceless Gold, winner of the Prince Ardent Trophy, the plum event saw most followers of form return home with a lot of pink currency after the bookies picked many a pocket last week.  

Watchmystars on the strength of her impressive victory in her last essay was the firm favourite in the feature event run over a sprint, while Priceless Gold was freely available at (3/1) despite the fact that the Rajesh Narredu ward had impressed most in the morning trials and looked able and capable to upset the applecart of the public fancy. Yash Narredu astride the second favourite didn’t really need to break a sweat to confirm the superiority of the winner, who galloped home in a smart time of 1:12.5 seconds. All Watchmystars could do was chase the shadow of the winner, who appears to have touched peak form and is set to provide an encore. Wings Of Desire from trainer Dominic’s yard expectedly finished third, more than 15 lengths behind Priceless Gold and that is enough to suggest that Priceless Gold will be too good to miss out again when saddled next.

The on-money favourite Antibes proved too good in the principal added attraction, the Daria Daulat Cup run over a distance of 2000 metres. Leading pro S John who chose to travel third all through the backstretch found himself in the rear, 800 metres from home, the lesser fancied Scintillating Lass stepping up the pace approaching the straight. The moment John reminded Antibes of the task ahead at the top of the straight, the Arjun Manglorkar ward produced a winning gallop to storm clear and score in style. Scintillating Lass gamely stayed on to gain the runner-up berth ahead of Faith Of Success while Pissarro continued to disappoint.

The six to one shot Icelandic won the opening event, the Smarty Jones Plate in convincing fashion. The winner piloted by Akshay Kumar assumed command in the final furlong to snuff out the challenge of the lesser fancied Sacrament and emerge a deserving winner. The topweighted Defining Power from Prasanna Kumar’s yard was heavily backed in this event, but the public choice performed below par and finished a poor fourth behind Divine Blessings.

The second event, the Mahanadi Plate run over a mile produced a shock result, rankoutsider Shan-E- Azeem from M R Singh’s yard edging out Impelling Power by the proverbial whisker after a ding-dong battle in the final furlong. Skiathos from Dominic’s yard was quietly fancied, backed down from (8/1) to (5/1), but the advantageously placed in at the scales contestant first fluffed the start and later dropped her rider Arul at the top of the straight much to the disappointment of her supporters. It will pay to follow and persevere with Skiathos when saddled next taking into account that the five-year-old mare appears to have the ability to make her presence felt in the lowest class.

After losing out on Skiathos, the Dominic camp quickly recovered their losses, Four Wheel Drive justifying his top billing in the lower division of the Tungabhadra Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. After the nohoper General Patton and the second favourite Drusilla from Neil Darashah’s yard cut pace early on, Drusilla took charge and established a four-length break at the top of the straight before Akshay Kumar setalight the Dominic ward and the top fancy readily produced a sparkling gallop to overhaul the leader in the final 100 metres and reign supreme to the delight of the followers of form.

Last start winner Garamond recorded his second straight success winning the upper division of the Thungabhadra Plate in effortless style and on the strength of this performance is set to register a hat-trick when saddled next. Irfan Ghatala sent out the winner in exemplary condition and on fitness alone, Garamond looked head and shoulders above his eight rivals. Memoriter finished second ahead of Classic Charm, while last start surprise winner Allabouther in her attempt to again make every post a winning one retired the moment she came under pressure at the top of the straight.