According to most pundits in the game, the decision to uphold the objection lodged by leading saddle artiste Srinath, guiding the fortunes of Art Gallery against Trevor partnering the winner Prophecy in the concluding event, the upper division of the Muthyalamaduvu Plate was shocking. Most professionals at this campus including some of the top senior pros and the many knowledgeable old hats in the game made it clear that the stewards got it all wrong, while the two stipes got it right. But what was hilarious in this exercise was the fact that a steward playing the role for the first time asked a much respected senior stipe in the racing circles, who has successfully donned the hat for more than four decades to study the rule book. It simply was a case of a fresh young graduate  telling the prolific professor to read, understand and follow the rule, which he has commendably done all through his long innings. It was clear that this steward had come in to the room with a fixed mind to uphold the protest and to his credit it must be mentioned that he managed to get the rest of the stewards on his side to accomplish his mission. The decision of the two stipes to overrule the protest taking into account that the runner-up looked a beaten horse and that the infringement made no material difference failed to impress the wise men. They unanimously chose to uphold the protest to the delight of the many railbirds, who had placed bets on Art Gallery, while the rest were disappointed with the decision. But what was sad was telling a senior stipe to look up the rule book in front of a live camera. 

Well a good look at the protest without a jaundiced eye will tell you that Srinath's objection against Trevor was valid. Srinath's contention that Trevor first bumped him and then pushed him out and took his ground held merit. But adding that this cost him a certain race was questionable taking into account that Art Gallery never got his head in front at any stage of the race, before or after the infringement and that the winner was travelling better of the two all through the final two furlongs. Trevor in fact, to correct Prophecy from shifting out had exercised an iron grip and the three-length verdict  at end only confirmed that Prophecy was travelling much faster and Art Gallery on this day would not have beaten Prophecy. Now that a accidental push and a shift in course has been severely penalised, everything from this day will have to count as intentional and there will be no room to provide the benefit of doubt and that's not a healthy sign. The decision makers after this decision now need to walk on the line they have drawn and the moment they falter the victims will be running to the courts with a rule book in one hand and a judgement copy in another hand. 

Earlier, the lower division of the event was claimed by the six to one shot Never Give In from Arjun Manglorkar's yard. The price offered on the winner in the bookmakers ring shifted out from (2/1) to (6/1), the moment big money started to pour on the Azhar Ali-trained Bleue Dali. The strongly supported on-money favourite as luck would have it lost a race which he could have won, his pilot Arshad Alam reportedly losing his whip in the `run in' home which cost him dear. The Dominic schooled Smile Of Beauty was sweetly fancied in place and the filly in the hands of four-kilo claimer Tousif Khan did well to finish third. It was a day Dominic will cherish most, landing a good place gamble in the lower division and gaining a gift much before Christmas in the upper division of the Muthyalamaduvu Plate run over a sprint. 

The Becket Plate for juveniles saw the Prasanna Kumar schooled Magical Bay edge out the favourite Del Aviz from the stables of Sulaiman Attaollahi in a thriller, a `neck' separating the two at the wire. The Mysore hopeful Zarqawi from Rakesh's yard was also fancied strongly on the strength of his suggestive effort, third behind Dash in his maiden appearance at Pune, but he found the first two too hot to handle and had to rest content with his second straight third placed finish. 

Sassy with a benefit of a good run under her belt this season rightly opened the favourite in the Mahanadi Plate run over a mile. But soon a flood of money on the Darius Byramji-trained Invincible piloted by Saqlain saw the price on Sassy go up in the bookmakers ring. But that did not stop Trevor and Sassy from standing tall at the podium, the Sulaiman ward edging out the ten to one shot Sincerity in a humdinger. Cat Whiskers from Aravind Ganapathy's yard did well to finish third ahead of Sassy's stablemate Granpar, while Invincible much to the frustration of his large following finished last. 

The even-money favourite Knotty Charmer made a winning comeback to the delight of the `Magnificent Seven' effortlessly romping home in the Kempegowda Cup, the plum event run over a distance of seven furlongs. The winner of the Colts Championship Stakes in summer, `Charmer' back after a five-month lay-off produced an astounding gallop in the hands of Antony Raj to power home in emphatic fashion. Stablemate Inyoubelieve followed the winner home, nosing out the lesser fancied Kalamitsi at the shadow of the winning post. Knotty Charmer is back at his best and he certainly is one of the frontliners for the 2000 Guineas in which Synthesis is looking to settle a score in the week ahead. "He is a game galloper and more importantly a gutsy individual and we are confident that he will produce his best in the second classic of the season," said Kamesh, one of the seven-member owner syndicate. 

The principal added attraction, the Glass House Trophy produced a shock result, the ten to one long shot Solo Prince from Pradeep Annaiah's yard in the hands of Rozario pegging back another lesser fancied contestant Lauterbrunnen. Second in demand at the betting ring, Anakin finished third ahead of Air Display, while the overwhelming favourite Knight In Hooves was never in the hunt and eventually finished in the ruck. 

A picture of fitness in the parade ring, Armory from Narayan Gowda's yard came up tops in  the Kaveri Plate run over a mile. The winner was piloted in copybook fashion by Angad who assumed command when the race came on a boil and put the issue beyond doubt in the final furlong. Je Ne Sais Quoi gained the runner-up berth ahead of the favourite Castaneda who earned his winning bracket last week but failed to add to his kitty, the race perhaps coming too quickly to his liking.