On a dreary Tuesday card where favourites were as rare as a polite bookmaker, Golden Gazelle was one of the few to actually deliver the goods. With the season limping towards its end like an overworked stable pony, the racing schedule has increasingly become a sanctuary for non-winners, making punters feel like they`ve been handed a losing ticket before they even place a bet. A well-balanced race card, catering to both the form horses and the unpredictable ones, would go a long way in keeping racegoers interested—because the past two days felt more like a financial ambush than a sporting event.

Amidst the chaos, Golden Gazelle stood out like a beacon of sanity in the 1400-metre Black Jack Plate for horses rated 40 to 65. Having caught the eye with a strong second-place finish in her previous outing, she was backed with unwavering faith—one of the rare moments punters weren`t left questioning their choices. Jockey Akshay Kumar and trainer Srinivas Reddy ensured there were no unpleasant surprises, with the favourite sealing the deal well before the finishing post.

Happy Soul attempted to live up to his name by leading from the front and keeping things interesting deep into the straight. But once Akshay Kumar shook the reins, Golden Gazelle moved up from fourth place like she had a plane to catch, swallowing up the leader well before the final furlong and breezing past to score with authority. Clefairy came from frr behind to claim second, while Happy Soul, despite his best efforts, had to settle for third, just a neck ahead of NRI Sport, who played the role of the diligent chaser but lacked the finishing punch.

For a brief moment, sanity prevailed as Torchbearer ensured the punters didn`t suffer a complete meltdown in the 1100m Winter Star Plate. The lesser-fancied runner made short work of Calistoga, who was backed as if he only had to show up to win—only to put in a finishing effort lazier than a sunbathing cat. From a prominent position at the top of the straight, Torchbearer ran true to his name, illuminating the way to victory while Calisa, who might have mistaken this for a training gallop, barely held on to second ahead of Born Brave.

Trainer Satheesh has an uncanny ability to win when least expected, and he did it again with Misty Night, a 10-to-1 shot who was so neglected in the betting ring that even the bookies barely remembered to price her. Meanwhile, the money poured in for Honey Luna, presumably under the illusion that jockey Akshay Kumar alone could carry her to victory. However, Misty Night, ridden with confidence by R S Jodha, hit the front early and never looked back, dashing clear in the 1200m Alaindair Plate for maiden three-year-olds. Tootsie Darling did her best to keep up, finishing second, while Honey Luna was last seen searching for the winning post somewhere in the distance.

The Basha Plate (Div I) turned into yet another Satheesh special, as his 15-to-1 shot Star Medal led from pillar to post, leaving the heavily backed Shadow Baby and the well-supported Bold Beauty gasping for answers. The punters, yet again, were left staring at their betting slips in disbelief, wondering if their luck had taken a permanent vacation.

The Division II of the race saw jockey Akshay Kumar earn his paycheck, driving home the favourite from Sandeep Nkalanzinzi`s yard in a thrilling finish over long shot Morning Mist—and then surviving an objection to keep the win. The battle for third was an all-out underdog brawl between two 20-to-1 shots, with If You Like It nosing out Char Ek Char in the final stride.

The Division III was a knockout punch to punters as Magan Singh Parmar`s Pancho delivered an upset for the ages. Just when it looked like Classical Music would orchestrate a victory, Pancho, under B Nikhil, came flying in the final stride to steal the show. Smarty Boy settled for third, while favourite Star Cruise turned out to be more of a spectator than a serious contender, finishing a lacklustre fourth.

The day however had begun on a positive note as the heavily backed Normui looked a cut above the opposition in the 1200 metres Diego Riveira Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The Magan Singh Parmar trained Normui was taken on a start to finish mission by jockey Mukesh Kumar and the favourite was not under pressure to win with a great deal of ease. Knotty Senorita gave a valiant chase but the front-runner was too good. Palash covered lot of ground to finish a suggestive third.

Great Giver—sent off at a generous 20-to-1—proved to be anything but a gift for the punters. Apprentice jockey Shivansh wasted no time in pushing the Vittal Deshmukh trainee to the front in the 1400m Gift of Grace Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, and from there, it was a game of cat and mouse.

Enjoying an uncontested lead, Great Giver looked home and dry until stablemate Total Control decided to make a late but serious challenge. The two went at it in the final furlong, with Great Giver just about hanging on in a thrilling finish. Meanwhile, short-priced favourite Dream To Fly turned in a performance so uninspiring that it should`ve been renamed Dream To Stroll, finishing a lacklustre third.