It was a mixed bag. Three firm favourites, an identical number of long shots and a solitary second choice standing tall at the podium. This more or less has been the pattern this summer season and the railbirds are not complaining, not losing out big and managing to return home, evens-stevens on most days. 

Trainer Mansoor Khan and jockey Ankit Pal combined effectively to record a profitable double. The duo first struck it rich in the opening event, the quietly and yet sweetly fancied Scout powering through in the final furlong to gain the honours in a close finish from the second placed Hastings Sunrise and the grey Ineffable, who in his attempt to make every post a winning one lacked the gas in the tank to maintain the advantage in the final furlong. The Arvind schooled I Like Too Hoo Haa, who at end topped the betting board after many fluctuations despite being placed favourably in the 1100M dash failed to match strides with the first three and as a result failed to even save money in place. 

Next, Mansoor and Ankit walked home with the Chevalier Cup, the plum event run over a distance of nine furlongs. On the strength of his facile last start win, Natural Diamond was strongly fancied to provide an encore and he did that without a fuss to the delight of the followers of form. To the credit of Ankit, it must be mentioned that he judged the pace to a nicety, biding his time before timing his final challenge to a nicety. The Ganesh-trained Worldly Wise surprised most edging out the second in demand at the betting ring Chief Admiral from trainer Suresh's yard, who approaching the distance post looked set to score before Ankit pulled out all stops and drove Natural Diamond home. The Mansoor trainee is in fine form and is tipped to complete a hat-trick of wins if his connections shrewdly place him in his next start. Though Chief Admiral registered his first victory this season over a mile, seven furlongs is his optimum trip and it will pay to support him when he is campaigned over a distance which suits him in the weeks ahead. 

Finally Striking Viking earned his cornbill in the lowest class. The son of Deauville suffered from lung issue and failed to make an impression early in his career under the care of Aravind Ganapathy before he joined Jaishankar Pillay's yard last year. The no-show exercises continued in Mysore too and Striking Viking slipped down to the lowest class. Well now that he has finally shed his maiden status he hopefully will add to his kitty if he has fully recovered from his lung issue. Advantageously placed at the scales, the Ashwin Rao-trained Miracle Honey partnered by Ashhad Asbar garnered the maximum support in this sprint event, but she found the winner and the runner-up Feronia too hot to handle and had to rest content with the third place. 

A facile last start winner, Windborne, like Natural Diamond chalked out his second straight success, making every post a winning one in the upper division of the Mudigere Plate. A confident Antony Raj pushed the on-money favourite to the front soon after the 11 runners came under the starter's flag and the public choice under no pressure stayed in front all through the 1100M dash. In a cluster finish for the two remaining paying berths, Habibti piloted by Ashahd Asbar edged out the speedy MR Karnataka by a `short-neck' and MR Karnataka in turn beat the Rakesh schooled Biometric by a `short-head'.  

It proved to be a walk in the park for strongly fancied Sands Of Dubai in the lower division of the Bugle Rock Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. Dharshan Antony astride the run-away winner from Aditya's yard didn't really need to move a muscle, the winner to the joy of all the big bettors putting the race to bed two furlongs from home. Sands Of Dubait, it must be mentioned is on top of his game and it will pay to support him, whatever be the penalty, again next time out. 

The upper division of the event was claimed by the second in demand at the betting ring, Mystic Charm from the stables of Mandanna. The winner in fact was strongly fancied to score in her last essay after she won her first start this season beating Mr Karnataka. On-money favourite in her last essay, Mystic Charm  in the run to the line, surprisingly kept shifting out in the hands of five-kilo claimer Vishwa and eventually was beaten by Selma close home. This time out the Mandanna ward at the nourishing odds (7/2) travelled straight as an arrow and romped home a convincing winner. Well the stipes and stewards would do well to ask Mandanna a few questions taking into account that the price in the bookie ring cannot make a horse run straight. 

After two disappointing efforts, the Suraj Shaw-trained Mother's Grace produced her best in the hands of Arvind Kumar to come up tops in the Whitefield Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. Gutsy last start winner King's Battalion was again fancied to come up trumps in what looked a very open affair and the public choice after raising hopes a furlong from home, failed to match strides with the winner, who proved too good on the day. Despite looking a trifle gross at the paddock, the Ramanathan-trained Albinus produced a big effort, finishing a suggestive third and with this good run under his belt will be hard to down next time out.