The Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) is taking the racing buffs for granted. Four races for horses in the lowest class in a 10-event card is just not fair on the punters. It is no secret that most shocking  and surprising results are posted in races for horses in 0-25 category and normally one or two races are framed if two divisions are drawn up, when the entriy list is big. On a day three divisions are framed in the lowest class in a eight-event card, it mostly ends in a disaster from the punters point of view. This Friday, it appears the stewards tried to test the skills of the railbirds, framing four races for horses in the lowest class and that clearly reflected the mind set of the decision makers. In a bid to fix two days card into one big and long affair, the mandarins of BTC just didn't bother to provide a good card, instead they put up what most railbirds including the many professionals at this centre disclosed was a badly worked out card. It clearly exposed the inability of the stewards to conduct quality racing at this premier racing centre. The men in-charge may counter the charge, pointing out that paucity of entries in higher categories posed a definite problem and the two advertised lowest class races for Friday and Saturday featured in the Friday card  and since the two races thanks to the good numbers of entries were divided, the ten-event card included four races in the lowest class. The explanation we understand is genuine, but what is just not right is the approach to the problem. The conductors of the game should realise that they need to provide the punters, who are the chief patrons of the game, clean, competitive and quality racing and certainly not `C' grade stuff which no other centre encourages. 

The stipes and stewards at this centre for more reasons than one don't pull up the big trainers, while they enjoy cracking the whip on the smaller owners and trainers ,who play a big part in keeping the sport on an even keel. Thanks to the small owners and trainers, who put in sizable entries, Friday's racing was made possible. And time and again it is the small owners and trainers who have helped the club resolve many a issue despite the club monitoring their progress in the sport with a jaundiced eye. 

Now coming back to what happened in the long drawn 10-event card on Friday, the on-money favourite Jack Ryan from Neil Darashah's yard comfortably made every post a winning one in the Parfait Amour Trophy, the plum event  run over a distance of nine furlongs. Set To Win from Sharath Kumar's yard followed the winner home while the second in demand at the betting ring, Peluche who raced in patches had to rest content with the third spot. 

In the two races for three-year-old youngsters, the Padmanabhan schooled Cyrenius confidently piloted by Shane Grey came up trumps in the Gomos Plate pegging back the belated effort of the Prithviraj debutant All Attraction who despite failing to break level from the gates covered acres of land in the straight to finish a impressive second behind the winner. It is needless to mention that if the Prithviraj ward had taken a level jump the result would certainly have been different. But that is racing and ifs and buts don't change the results, they only help make up some imaginary tales. 

Shane Grey, who did well on Cyrenius blotted his book on Fortunatus in the Topmost Plate run over a sprint. Fortunatus and Shane chose to track the leader Pavarotti from Neil Darashah's yard and Yukan from the stables of Sulaiman Attaollahi before Shane packed punch on the on-money favourite approaching the distance post and the public rage drifted out a trifle and much to the chagrin of his supporters failed to make a race of it and finished a tame third behind the winner Yukan, who snuffed out the challenge of Pavarotti in the final furlong. 

The 15 to one long shot Ocean Dunes from trainer Arjun Manglorkar's yard surprised most producing a sparkling gallop in the hands of in-form pro Antony Raj to edge out the advantageously placed Mark One close home in the lower division of the Shivaganga Plate run over a sprint. The topweighted Realia from trainer Azhar Ali's yard opened the favourite in the event before money came pouring in on the Parvati schooled Matera back after being gelded. The public choice after hitting the front and calling the shots till the top of the straight burst a blood vessel and that effectively sealed all his hopes of justifying the confidence of his supporters. Realia performed below par and failed to even make the frame. The upper division of the event was claimed by the lesser fancied Tactical Command, who produced an astounding gallop in the final furlong to collar the runaway leader Thousand Words from Faraz Arshad's yard and romp home a deserving winner. Promise Kept pipped Thousand Words at the post to gain the runner-up berth, while Mystical Merkabah who opened favourite was never in the hunt. 

The two small owners H S Chandre Gowda and M S Kumaraswamy proudly led in Birchwood, a smart winner of the upper division of the Sabarmati Plate run over a sprint. The second in demand at the betting ring was piloted in copybook fashion by Nazerul Alam. Nazerul  chose to travel nice and easy in third position before he pushed Birchwood through a big gap on the rails at the top of the straight and the Inayathullah ward shot through to hit the front and put the issue beyond doubt in the final furlong. Country's Jewel finished a game second ahead of Celestial Highway, while the favourite Gold Gray took a lot of good money down the drain. The lower division of the event saw the topweighted Ultimate Striker from Lokanath Gowda's yard justify his top billing in the hands of Darshan. 

The well backed Mitsuro, and Aztec Queen, who recorded her second straight success and Je Ne Sais Quoi, another last start winner were the three other winners.