After all the confusion, Wednesday’s races at Mysore were run unhindered. A long card of ten races was drawn up for the day and the railbirds returned home a happier lot, with a host of favourites obliging. Following the State Government’s order issued to the Mysore District Administration to ensure that the regular activities of Mysore Race Club are not restricted or hindered, the Mysore Races on Wednesday was run as per schedule. However, the sporting racing patrons at Mysore had to bear the hot day without any food or anything to quench their thirst as the licence to run the canteens at the race course has been withdrawn by the concerned municipal authorities.

According to the club sources, the matter is being attended to and normalcy should be restored in a couple of days. Trainer Michael Eshwar led in his first winner at Mysore after formally taking to training at Mysore. His ward, Edmondo (Serious Spender-Love Me Do) lifted the higher division of The Negresco Trophy. The speedy Miss Ruby tried to make it from start to finish but weight started to tell on her and she succumbed when Edmondo rallied along in the last 50 metres. Super Sha came with a late run to finish a close second ahead of Miss Ruby. The day’s race was marred by two mishaps. Shes For Cash went lame on her left fore while travelling in front line, 300 metres from home and the rider Gaurav Sapra was dislodged.

Gaurav was shifted to the hospital where he is recuperating while Shes For Cash was later put to sleep. Imperio, being ridden by A.R. Mani, suffered a massive cardiac arrest and collapsed near the seven-furlong marker, in the last race of the day. Mani went down with Imperio, who was leading at that stage. Worth a Gold, who was right behind, jumped over Mani on the ground but luck was not with him as Spandau Ballet and Hakuna Matata could not avoid making contact. Mani is reported to be in a critical condition at the hospital. Trainer Pratap Kamath had a lucrative double, leading in Jericho (Cruachan-Golden Future) in The Nagarjunasagar Plate and Bold Police (Brave Act-Traffic Police) in The Kudremukh Cup.

Jericho surged ahead from the pack, on entering the home stretch and managed to keep Mr. Sunrise at bay till the winning post. Mister Trooper led till the last 500 metres and finished third. Kamath has won both the races for two-year-olds that have been run this season. Bold Police got the better of Lake Emerald on the straight to win The Kudremukh Cup. The rest were a distance behind. Ravi Shanker-trained Perfect Bond (Misschevious Music-Spring Time) scored an upset victory, in the lower division of The Negresco Trophy. Jumping out smartly from eleven draw, Perfect Bond showed plenty of speed to get to the front and was never headed. Tina’s Triumph finished second after making a vain bid to get to the leader on the straight. Santosh Rao’s Ziggy Stardust (Flitch-Bella Vista) lifted The Common Grounds Plate, the opening race of the day. Bliss made a sustained bid throughout the straight but Ziggy Stardust galloped gallantly in front to emerge victorious.

Star of hearts (Warrshan-Lisianski) surged clear after being pulled out from the inner rails, to win the lower division of The Chitradurga Plate. Rich Rogue held on to the second position while Quiet Achiever, Wimbeldon Star and Just Great followed in a cluster. Jockey S. John rode C.D. Monnappa’a Rising Rainbow (International-Rainbow Vision) to a popular victory in the higher division. The World is Too Much was ridden out by P.S. Chouhan but had to settle for the second place. The most successful gamble of the day was landed in the concluding race of the day. The quote on The Force (Bee’s Prospector-Polonia) came tumbling down from sevens to 5 to 2 towards race time.

Taking over the running on entering the straight, The Force drew away from the field and won with plenty in hand. Jockey Vivek gave a few cracks to Land of Gold (Bee’s Prospector-Run Woodee Run) while negotiating the final turn and the four-year-old gelding picked up speed to surge ahead of Stellar Star passing the distance post, in The Shillong Plate.