For the sporting buffs of the garden city, it proved to be a bad Sunday. First a thunder shower after the second race at the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) rendered the track inconducive for racing and later when most of the racing crowd, who had picked up tickets to support The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their must win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium returned home dejected, the home side losing out to table toppers, Gujarat Titans, who produced another exemplary effort to help pack the RCB bags. The capacity crowd screamed, shouted and danced each time Virat Kohli struck a boundary while recording a magnificent second straight ton. Virat's magical innings helped RCB post 197, which most pundits opined was a winning total. But Gujarat Titans, it appears, under Hardik Pandya have made winning a habit and the reigning champions, who are also the table toppers going into the play-offs chased down the target, the in-form Shubman Gill producing a flawless century, which denied RCB a place in the last four stage. The fact that rain played spoilsport in the afternoon and later at night, the knock-out punch in the final IPL league tie proved to be a disaster. And the Bengaluru sports lovers will take a while to emerge from what many called it a bloody Sunday.

Now back to the races, the result in the opening event, the Newmarket Plate floored the punters. Back after a satisfactory opening day, the punters were looking to double their gains, hoping form will play true on the second day of the summer season. But that was not to be. The Neil Darashah schooled By The Book and the topweighted Dallas Drifter from the stables of Neil Devaney garnered the maximum support and to the delight of the bookies, the short-priced `Jodi' went out of the window, the 20 to one shot Dawn Rising from Faraz Arshad's yard making every post a winning one in the hands of Rayan Ahmed. By The Book piloted by Zervan did produce his best, but that was just not good enough to stop Dawn Rising from recording a shock win. Altamonte finished third, while Dallas Drifter who tracked By The Book for most part of the sprint trip shot his bolt at the top of the straight and eventually finished in the ruck.
 
After the loss of By The Book in the opening event, Neil struck through the well supported Pavarotti in the next event, the lower division of the Manitou Plate. The winner looked a picture of fitness at the parade ring before he strolled out and justified the confidence of his supporters without raising a sweat. Despite the fact that Pavarotti was head and shoulders above his nine rivals, the public choice at the start was offered at (2/1) in the betting ring and that was largely due to the fact that many in the stands chose not to pin their hopes on him simply because he in the past had suffered blood vessel issues. But the brave and bold punted big making it clear that Pavarotti was far too good for this moderate lot and he proved them right bolting in by more than nine lengths. Emeraldo gained the runner-up berth ahead of Empire Of Dreams who `nosed' out Maroon who was fancied sweetly in place but as luck would have it lost out by the shortest of margins.

After Pavarotti's smashing victory, 11 maiden three-year-olds walked out of the paddock and reached the starting gates for the seven furlongs Track Lightning Plate. The Prasanna Kumar schooled Royal Mysore topped the betting board followed by the Chennai hopeful Neziah. A thunder shower while the runners were circling around at the starting gates put an end, the Stewards forced to cancel four races, while the feature event, the War Hammer Million will be conducted at a later date.