The amount of money punted on a couple of horses at the Mysore races is mind-boggling. And you are left wondering how this can be done and is it wise to place huge bets on horses which lack the ability and more importantly are not consistent. Furious Fun from Aditya's yard was heavily backed down from (11/4) to (5/4) in the Yelahanka Plate. The amount of money the connections wagered on the five-year-old mare to score, was good enough to buy five horses with better merit than Furious Fun. How then can you justify your big investments on small horses, who normally don't run two races alike. The four-kilo claimer, Pavan in a big hurry to hit the front pushed Furious Fun ahead and soon the heavily backed public choice running like a scalded cat was six lengths clear of the dozen-horse field in the 1100 metres scurry. The leader, it was clear would soon tire out considering the fact that he was travelling too fast and that's exactly what happened, Furious Fun going `phut' like a pricked balloon and at end it was the bookmakers who happily walked home with three bags full. The ten to one long shot Viva La Vida from Feroz Khan's yard came up trumps, powering home in the final furlong to register a shock victory. Another lesser fancied contestant Court Jester followed Viva La Vida home, while Indian Glory finished on purposefully to save money in place. Furious Fun's pathetic effort cost her supporters dear and hopefully they will exercise caution and ignore all the hype and hoopla emanating from the stables before they line-up to place their next bet.

Less than half-hour after this group lost out big, another connected group was ready to go bang-bang in the betting ring. And this time, it was Sky Storm from Ramesh's yard who was backed down to the exclusion of his dozen rivals in the concluding event, the Jog Falls Plate run over a mile. Despite the fact that the Ramesh ward had failed to finish in the board in his last six starts and has only one victory under his belt from 17 starts, Sky Storm was backed down from (5/2) to (8/10). It was clear that the punters were placing bets more out of courage than confidence and this will not pay in this game where the money changes hands fast and fine and a prince ends up pauper in no time. All that Sky Storm did was take a lot of good money down the drain finishing a tame third behind the Rakesh-trained O Manchali, who in her effort to make every post a winning one in this mile long journey gained the runner-up berth behind the Vinesh Naik schooled Natural Gold piloted by the promising apprentice Inayat. 

Earlier, in the opening event, trainer Joseph and jockey A R Pradeep pulled off a successful coup on Lead Singer. After the lung-opener on the opening day, the mare appeared fit and ready to strike it each and her connections in a mood to make capital gains strongly backed her from (4/1) to (11/10) and Lead Singer produced a lyrical ring and not the ominous tone while cantering home to the delight of her supporters. Country's Major followed Lead Singer home, while Many Moons caught the eye finishing a creditable third and is one for the notebook. 

After the success of Lead Singer in the opening event, Arshad Alam guiding the fortunes of  Against All Odds dropped a bomshell, winning the Paddock Plate run over a mile. The winner offered at (30/1) in the betting ring had no takers, the followers of form fancying the Azhar Ali  schooled Southern Aristocrat and War Trail from the stables of Sharath Kumar. War Trail in the hands of Sai Kumar did produce his best and challenged the rankoutsider, who proved too good on this day. Southern Aristocrat raced in patches and only managed to complete the frame, finishing behind the third-placed Natural Fly. 

The Narredu brothers, Suraj and Rajesh combined effectively to record a fine double through the overwhelming favourite Galacticus and Long Lease. The former reigned supreme in the Police Trophy, easily snuffing out the challenge of the Parvati Byramji schooled Spirit Of Rose, while the second in demand at the betting ring, Long Lease brilliantly piloted by Suraj produced a sparkling gallop to overhaul the local mainhope Brave Trooper in the FK Irani Memorial Million, the plum event run over a sprint. 

Leather Back from Warren Singh's yard in line for a hat-trick after his two wins from his last two starts in the Bangalore summer season garnered the maximum support but the top fancy in the hands of leading pro Srinath failed to raise a winning gallop and finished a tame third behind Brave Trooper. Long Lease, who had beaten Leather Back in their last head-to-head clash repeated the dose confirming that she is far superior and will graduate to a higher rank in the weeks ahead. 

The principal added attraction, the M W Chinnappa Memorial Trophy was claimed by the public choice Aldgate from trainer Arjun Manglorkar's yard. The favourite was piloted in a copybook fashion by leading pro Antony Raj, who booted home Agnostic in the plum event last week. Advantageously placed in at the scales, Eternal Princess in her attempt to make every post a winning one found Aldgate too hot to handle at end and had to rest content with the runner-up berth.