In one of the slowest timings clocked ever for the mile and half trip, Forever Elegance crawled to victory over Camarioca and Arizza in the Gr 3 2400 metres Bangalore Oaks, the highlight of the New Year Day’s races held on Saturday. The timing of two minutes 48.12 seconds clocked by the winner tells its own tale. Just four runners lined up for the Oaks, with Forever Elegance, winner of the Guineas, going into the race as cramped on money runner. With no designated pace-maker in the race, Prakash on Forever Elegance found himself in front and he showed that despite being away from the track for a month due to a rib fracture, he had no problems in holding the favourite strongly and in a still position, not letting the favourite to even get into a slow canter. With the other three jockeys on their respective mounts too strangling their mounts, it was a painful sight indeed. O’Donoghue marginally stepped up pace passing the winning post for the first time and later, Suraj on Camarioca took charge after crossing the mile marker. Camarioca led the field into the straight but shifted out under pressure taking Forever Elegance also wide but the latter was able to get going swiftly to clinch the issue. Arizza was on the outside of Forever Elegance but seeing the front runners shift out, O’Donoghue dived towards the rails which perhaps cost him the runner up spot. The Oaks day has traditionally turned out to be somewhat of an anti-climax but though the script ran true, the race itself was a drab affair. Nothing much can be read into merits of the winner. Prakash had a fruitful day, booting home three winners as apart from the Oaks heroine, his other victories came through Rising Force and Galloping Bay in the New Year Trophy. Despite running green, Galloping Bay held off the challenge of Seis Corona quite capably in the upper division of the race. Seis Corona led from the start but bucked close home. The filly is capable of making amends next time out. Rising Force staved off a stiff challenge of Awesome Royal to land the spoils in the lower division. Padmanabhan trained Randsberg has been pretty consistent but once again he found one better. Though the handicap was clearly against his chances, Randsberg nevertheless showed some improvement when going down narrowly to Bollinger over a 2000 metres trip. Alcindor was a close third. The one-paced Randsberg may still find his bearings over longer trips. Darius Byramji’s Moment of Home had run a poor race last time out but the tongue strap appeared to have worked magic as the son of Razeen showed great improvement to get the better of Formidable Force who had beaten him hollow on the previous occasion. Another horse to show similar improvement was Alla Famiglia who slammed the opposition in the P R Shamasundar Memorial Plate in great style. He’s So Fine was a late-finishing second. In the day’s other action, Court of Jewels got up in time to get the better of Lyricist while No Opposition was beaten in virtually last stride by rank outsider Maggie Thatcher.