Form played true. Most fancied contestants nailed bold colours to the mast. And a majority of railbirds returned home with three pockets full on Saturday. The Pesi Shroff schooled Oliver justified his top billing in the Justice P Medapa Memorial Trophy and the piping hot favourite Money Bags registered the first hat-trick of the summer season, outclassing his seven rivals without unduly extending himself in the Meydan Plate run over a sprint. 

Oliver and Money Bags apart, the bred in the purple costly purchase, Pearl Star from trainer Prasanna Kumar's yard shed his maiden style in fine style, winning the Dharmaprakasha LS Venkaji Rao Memorial Trophy run over a mile and River Deep from the stables of Lokanath Gowda, who is enjoying a good run this summer, brought off a successful coup in the upper division of the Sir Cecil Plate run over a sprint. Making his maiden appearance on this exacting track, Oliver needed to produce his best to start his campaign at this premier centre on a winning note. And he did just that to the delight of his supporters, who simply favoured the Pesi ward, taking into account that all horses barring Zayyan from this powerful stable won their first starts. Vivek, who is enjoying a fine run produced a determined effort on the public choice, first shrugging off the challenge of the second in demand at the betting ring, Sassy Sarah before gallantly pegging back the belated effort of rank outsider Badshaah from trainer Pradeep Annaiah's yard. 

In line for a hat-trick, Money Bags was head and shoulders above his seven rivals in the Meydan Plate and the half-money favourite provided jockey Antony Raj an arm-chair ride to success powering home without breaking a sweat. Efficacy, who found Money Bags too hot to handle in his last essay again proved no match for the Prasanna Kumar ward despite the reverse handicap. Money Bags is in great heart and he at the moment is one of the best sprinters in the BTC campus. 

After his none too impressive maiden effort, Pearl Star improved most and on the strength of her fine showing in the morning trials, most track reporters nominated the Prasanna ward as one safe bet in the seven-event card framed on Saturday. Prasanna too was confident and the got-abroad made all her connections proud bolting in without a fuss. Sprezzatura from Aravind Ganapathy's yard, who in fact beat Pearl Star in their last head-to-head clash found Pearl Star too good on this day and had to rest content with the runner-up berth, while the Sulaiman Attaollahi schooled Quannah performed like a dud, never in contention of premier honours before finishing in the ruck. 

Lokanath Gowda added another good winner to his list. River Deep competing in the lower division of the Sir Cecil Plate was sweetly fancied to come out tops in the hands of the in-form Ashhad Asbar and the judiciously prepared contestant, who looked a picture of fitness at the parade ring had it easy, cruising past the speedy Flash at the top of the straight before putting the race to bed, a furlong from home. Absolute Katrina followed the winner home ahead of Flash, who did well to save money in place. River Deep appears in fine nick and it will pay to again support this Lokanath trainee. 

The Darius Byramji-trained Diesel and Jolie's Star from the stables of Kishan Thomas garnered the maximum support in the opening event, the lower division of the Snow Dew Plate and Jolie's Star, it was who stood tall at the podium to the delight of the Kishan camp. Antony produced a copybook effort on the winner timing his final challenge to a nicety in the seven furlongs event. The Narayan Gowda schooled Ransomware followed the winner home ahead of Dominic-trained Whitney, while Diesel only managed to complete the frame. The upper division of the event was claimed by the four to one shot Agrima, who donkey-licked her seven rivals in the hands of apprentice jockey Laxman Singh. Agrima on the strength of this facile win is set to provide an encore.  Palma from Darius Byramji's yard surprised most finishing a creditable second and is one for the notebook. 

The concluding event, the upper division of the Sir Cecil Plate produced a blanket finish, four contestants flashing past the post in very close order before the magic eye nodded in favour of the Lokanath-trained Breeze Bluster, who nosed out the second in demand at the betting ring, Il Volo from Rajesh Babu's yard. Il Volo in turn beat the Vishesh-trained Carat Love by a `short neck' and last start winner Star Comet from the stables of Aravind Ganapathy flashed home late on the scene only to lose out the third place by the shortest of margins.