It proved to be a bad day for the blind followers of the favourites, a solitary public choice justifying his top billing in the competitive seven-event card. Among the six top fancies who bit the dust, punters lost their shirts, placing big bets on Double Vision, Measure Of Time and Tiepolo and the moment BR Kumar astride the public rage Rodney was unseated at the 900 metre marker, the big bettors were caught,  pants down on the eve of the prestigious Maharaja's Cup, which sadly has failed to attract a sizeable field, only five in the fray for one of the big plums of the summer season. 

The MR Singh-trained Double Vision was touted as a `moral certainty' in the opening event, the Skyline Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. The heavily backed favourite piloted by Dhanu Singh Deora met a tartar in Alice Blue from Irfan Ghatala's yard, the bay filly producing her best in the final furlong to upset the applecart of the strongly supported public choice. Estefania from the stables of Arjun making her third appearance this season finished third ahead of Tankinika. 

Twice second from her two starts this season, the Faraz Arshad schooled Measure Of Time was hotly tipped by the insiders and right connections to earn her winning bracket against seven mediocre rivals in the Bhishma Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. But the six-year-old mare failed to reproduce her two suggestive earlier efforts and took a lot of good money down the drain. The 15 to one long shot Star Comet from Ganapathy's yard dropped a bombshell making every post a winning one, while Measure Of Time failed to even finish in the frame. Last start winner Free To Play from Azhar Ali's yard gained the runner-up berth ahead of Peridot who now looks ready to stand tall at the podium, when saddled next. 

After the first two results floored the railbirds, BR Kumar came a cropper on the public rage Rodney in the Dharmaprakasha LS Venkaji Rao Memorial Trophy and this proved to be a big knock-out blow from which the followers of form never recovered and returned home with a big hole in the pocket. BR Kumar, it appeared was tense and his shaky effort cost the punters dear. It is learnt that the stipes and stewards summoned Irfan Ghatala after the last race to ascertain his view on the shocking incident, which was the talking point even after Antony Raj booted home the lesser fancied August in the final event. 

 The word doing the round in the stands was that Tiepolo from champion Western India trainer Pesi Shroff's yard will be hard to down in the D Kumar Siddanna Memorial Trophy run over a distance of 2000 metres. The fact that lesserlight J Chinoy was listed to partner Tiepolo didn't stop the big bettors from punting big on the highly fancied runner. The consistent Magnus from Faraz Arshad's stable, who found the talented youngster Elfin Knight too hot to handle in his last start produced his best in the hands of Neeraj Rawal to edge out Tiepolo's stablemate Constable close home. The on-money favourite finished a tame third, a good seven lengths behind the first two and this Pesi Shroff trainee, it is clear will find it difficult to make a favourable decision before the curtains are down this summer, a week after the Derby scheduled to be held on August 25. 

Yukan, the only favourite to justify his rating and ranking came good in the Chief Justice's Cup, the plum event run over a distance of seven furlongs. Top saddle artiste Akshay Kumar who stole the limelight recording a fine treble produced a stellar effort on the public choice to win the feature in emphatic fashion. Yukan's stablemate Kalamitsi partnered by Chinoy also garnered good support on the strength of his impressive showing in his last essay, but yet again Kalamitsi confirmed that he is not a genuine and consistent performer failing to even save money in place, while Yukan scored in style from Neziah and Imperial Blue.

Victoria Doresaani and Pharazon were the two other strongly fancied runners from Irfan Ghatala's yard who flopped badly. The former competing in the DM Kumaraswamy Memorial Trophy after being favourably placed at the top of the straight ran out of gas and much to the disappointment of his supporters finished in the ruck. The lesser fancied  Golden Peaks from Parvati Byramji's yard brilliantly piloted by Akshay Kumar pipped  the second favourite Blue God at the shadow of the winning post to the delight of the Parvati camp. The lady, who proudly led in African Gold, winner of the Colts Championship Stakes is enjoying a good run this season, Magnetic from her stable gaining the runner-up spot in the Fillies classic. Parvati pleased with the success of Golden Peaks lauded the stupendous never-say-die approach of the champion saddle artiste who snatched victory from the hands of Vivek, who has lost a couple of close races this week on the post, failing to provide strong assistance at the finish, O Hansini in Mysuru on Wednesday and Blue God here the next day. Parvati  later disclosed that the top performer from her yard, African Gold will not be campaigned in the blue riband of the season, the HPSL Derby. The trainer made it clear that all is well with the star performer and she and her owners were of the view that the champion colt needed a break and decided to skip the big rich event. 

Pharazon surprisingly fancied again after he let down large following in his last start again failed to make a favourable impression finishing a tame third behind the winner August who had comfortably beaten him last time out over a mile. Now with a furlong more to travel, August kicked early and established an advantage and it was game, set and match to the Arjun Manglorkar ward, pegging back the belated effort of the advantageously placed in at the scales, Mystical Air who finished on the fastest at end to only gain the runner-up berth. Last start winner Regal Aristocracy in his attempt to make every post a winning one ran out of gas and was a beaten horse even before the race came on a boil.