The Chief Minister`s Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 and above was supposed to be the highlight of Wednesday`s Mysore races. Still, instead, it turned into a spectacle of confusion and frustration. And Mystic Bond? Despite all the anticipation, the race never got past the starting gate—literally. The authorities at Mysore have completely lost control of how things are happening.

The authorities at Mysore seem to have taken the "hands-off" approach a bit too literally. It`s as if they`ve thrown their hats in the air. It`s almost like they`re hosting a reality show called Racing Roulette: Will the odds defy logic today? Will jockeys and horses remember which way the track goes? Who knows! One thing`s for sure—consistency and transparency have become as rare as a straight answer at a press conference.

For the second time in recent memory, a false start left everyone—runners, jockeys, and fans alike—totally in the dark. The jockeys, blissfully unaware of the mishap, rode their hearts out. Japanese jockey Akimasa Phanthura, riding in India for the first time and Mystic Bond blazed past the others, leaving the heavily-backed Grizzly eating dust, while the strongly fancied, Raise A Buck, was pulled out due to “veterinary” reasons. An exercise in futility, if you will—though the punters probably called it something less polite. The stewards, left with no choice, declared the race null and void.

The authorities need to seriously reflect on whether the man standing 200 metres away, waving a flag like it`s a parade, even gets enough time to process the starter`s signal. Perhaps they`re all on a different wavelength—or, you know, just asleep at the switch.

After two heavily backed horses had the audacity to take the majority of punters down with their abysmal performances, the third race of the day saw Jewel Thief finally living up to his name by nabbing the 1600 metres Gool & Soli Poonawalla Memorial Trophy. A race for horses rated 40 to 65, this one had Jewel Thief lurking about 10 lengths behind Il Volo in its last outing, but somehow, the smart money insisted on backing it again, slashing its odds down to a little over even money. And for once, they weren`t wrong. Jockey Aman kept the Apachu-trained contender in a watchful third position while Bruce Almighty and Confident Game were busy acting like they had the race in their pockets. But down the final furlong, Jewel Thief emerged, creeping up like a true professional, and comfortably swiped the race from the clueless front-runners, bringing some much-needed relief to punters who were about one more flop away from questioning their life choices. Confident Game at least lived up to half of its name by holding off the long-time leader Bruce Almighty to take second place.

The day didn`t start quite as smoothly for the punters, though. In the opening race—the 1600 metres Hogenakal Plate, a contest for the bottom tier (horses rated 0 to 25)—Quevega was backed like it was the next Juliette, its odds shrinking down to near nothing. But as the gates flew open, so did Quevega`s chances, with the horse showing the enthusiasm of a Monday morning commuter. The five-year-old mare lingered at the back of the pack, only waking up once the race was beyond saving. Meanwhile, Stone House led for most of the trip before

Pettes Love, with Dhanu Singh Deora steering for trainer Neil B Devaney, seized control in the final furlong to win comfortably. Quevega`s belated attempt to rally got it nowhere fast, as Sand Castles snuck into second place, pushing the sleepwalking favourite down to third by a whisker.

As if the day wasn`t rough enough for punters, Santosh Rao`s Square Cut delivered a big blow in the 1400 metres Bharachukki Plate—another contest for the bargain bin of racing talent. Despite being backed from higher odds to an "on-money favourite", Square Cut`s only achievement was cutting the punters` wallets, sending them scrambling for cover. It trailed at the back and made no impact, eventually finishing in the ruck. On the other hand, Rakesh-trained Vardaan led from start to finish, and despite veering out in the final 100 metres, managed to clinch the race by over two lengths ahead of Golden Bird, who gave a respectable effort to finish second, with Saro Bird following in third. If anything, Wednesday`s debacle serves as a reminder: at Mysore, the only guarantee is that there are no guarantees.

In the 1100 metres Belur Plate, where the horses are rated 20 to 45, the odds on the M R Singh-trained Capri Girl drifted like a balloon, floating away with no one in sight. It seems jockey Ramu and Capri Girl decided they were on a stroll rather than a competitive race, leaving the rest of the field in a distant blur.

Meanwhile, Lauterbrunnen was doing the heavy lifting up front, burdened by the huge money that he attracted in the betting ring. He managed to fend off the whims of the unpredictable Chisox, who was determined to make things interesting but ultimately settled for a narrow second-place finish. Ultimate Striker came in third. These happenings don`t help racing`s image, which is already wobbling like a three-legged table.

Joseph Awale`s trainee, Vayu, had been withdrawn last time when jockey V R Jagadish was declared medically unfit, and no suitable replacement could be found. This time, Vayu entered the fray for the 1200-metre Mandya Plate, looking a class above the competition—a sentiment echoed in the betting ring. Jockey Jagadish wasted no time, pushing Vayu to the front right from the start. The favourite quickly opened up a significant lead and held onto it comfortably to the finish. The second favourite, First Impression, could only trail in vain, eventually securing second place ahead of Dalhousie.