Form played traunt. Favourites took a back seat. Punters lost their `shirts'. That's the story and that's exactly what happened on the fourth day of the summer races at Mysuru. The shock result in the opener stunned the followers of form. The Bipin Salvi-trained Trump Baby was strongly fancied to score in the Kaginele Plate. The connections of the `baby' were very bullish and they punted big despite the fact that lowly ranked Afsar Khan was astride the overwhelming favourite. Afsar did well to gain a favourable position early in the race and hit the front approaching the distance post. It looked all over and just when the supporters of the Bipin ward  started to count the money, unfancied stablemate Ankush piloted by Salman Khan produced a stunning gallop in the final 100 metres to gain the verdict at the post. The fact that an unfancied contestant from the same stable spoilt the party, pushed the punters back against the wall and a couple of knock-out blows later, including the hotly fancied favourite Monterio refusing to jump out from the gates in the feature event made sure that the punters were down and out before the count of ten. 

After the opening shock, the lesser fancied Adena from the stables of Feroz Khan stylishly made every post a winning one in the next event, the lower division of the Somwarpet Plate run over 1100M dash. The Suresh schooled Elsa and the Mansoor Khan trainee Amazing Sultan were fancied most and even before the dozen horse field negotiated the final curve before hitting the straight, it was clear that the `Jodi'  had jumped out of the window. Adena showed a clean pair of heels while sprinting home in emphatic fashion ahead of another long shot Truth In Wine, while Elsa who was strongly supported in her last start and again today finished a tame third. Mansoor Khan's `Sultan' it appeared was not ready to do battle, never in contention for premier honours.

The upper division of the event saw lesser fancied Mystic Charm from Mandanna's yard post an identical win, making it a nice and easy start to finish affair in the hands of Vinod Shinde. Last start winner Mr. Karnataka from Ruban's yard was fancied to register his second straight success, but the public choice found Mystic Charm too hot to handle and had to rest content with the runner-up berth. The Bobby schooled topweighted contestant Royal Chivalry was sweetly fancied in place by the insiders and right connections and to the joy of his supporters, Royal Chivalry finished a game third and it will not be long before this Bobby ward earns his winning bracket. 

The gutsy Still I Rise from trainer Fahad Khan's yard and the Zulquarnain-trained King's Battalion in a pulse-pounding finish flashed past the post together in the Dr.NM Srinivas Memorial Trophy run over a distance of seven furlongs after the public choice Monterio from Pradeep Annaiah's yard decided to stay put in his box after the dozen runners came under the starters flag for the plum event. King's Battalion brilliantly piloted by Ashhad Asbar assumed command in the final furlong and looked set to land the spoils before the apprentice jockey Vishal in a never-say-die bid got Still I Rise going and the gutsy performer, who lost out in a Derby a couple of years ago at this centre by a `whisker' again lost a race which many thought he had won by the shortest of margins. It is needless to mention that the Fahad camp was very disappointed with the result, while the King's Battalion celebrated the thrilling success. 

Advantageously placed in at the scales, another lesser fancied contestant Flashing Famous from Ganesh's yard produced a winning gallop at the all-important end to score from the strongly supported Seolfor Bullet from the stables of Ranjeet Shinde and facile last start winner Sherpa, who was also fancied by the Jaishankar Pillay camp to provide an encore in the upper division of the Loyal Prince Plate run over a sprint. Sherpa piloted by N Darshan gained a slender lead in the final 100 metres and shaped like a winner before Agarwal packed punch on Flashing Famous and Abhishek Matre setalight the favourite. The two charged home to beat the leader Sherpa close home, Flashing Famous and Agarwal gaining the day in a thriller. Seolfor Bullet in defeat was not disgraced and lives to fight another day and so too Sherpa, who appears in good nick to register his second win this season when saddled next.

The upper division was claimed by the public choice Malet Spring from the stables of Aditya. The winner was piloted in determined fashion by B Darshan who did well to keep Malet Spring going in the final furlong, successfully pegging back the gallant effort of the second in demand at the betting ring, Dufy. Suryakrishi from Ramanathan's yard caught the eye while finishing third and is one for the notebook. 

The Michael Eswer schooled Seeking Alpha justified his top billing in the Sutlej Plate run over a mile providing N Darshan an arm-chair ride to success. Darshan tracked the front runner Key To The Mint for most part of the journey before he reminded the top fancy of the task ahead at the top of the straight and the fit as a fiddle Michael ward zoomed through to quickly put the race to bed even before the final furlong. The Rakesh-trained Prince Corporate gained the runner-up berth ahead of Aurele , while Mystic Divine completed the frame. Seeking Alpha is in rousing form and is set to score again when next saddled. 

Seeking Alpha apart, Natural Diamond was one other impressive winner in the eight-event card, donkey-licking his 11 rivals in the Takshashila Plate run over a mile. The Mansoor camp strongly fancied Natural Diamond to come good in this moderate set and the winner in the hands of Ankit Pal pulled the plug and fused out his rivals, romping home by a widening margin of eight lengths. Natural Diamond on the strength of this performance is tipped to provide an encore, never mind the big penalty he will be asked to shoulder in his next essay. Bold Show surprisingly bolted out in front and tried to make it end to end, but up against a much superior rival, the Ramanathan ward found the going tough and settled for the runner-up berth ahead of another fancied contestant Tigerking.