Adhirajsingh Jodha-trained Time And Tide did what most punters can only dream of—bounced back from adversity—with a fluent win in the Gr 2 Dr S C Jain Sprinters Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds that served as the Derby eve appetizer on Saturday. The RWITC, ever the master of suspense, followed up this high-class contest with a truly spectacular disaster—a card so uninspiring that picking winners was akin to solving a Rubik`s cube blindfolded. As usual, punters, ever the eternal optimists, walked in hopeful and walked out bludgeoned by the sport`s many beautifully concealed landmines—dodgy favorites, inscrutable trackwork, and, of course, the sacred rule that top yards must have their horses installed as favorites, regardless of trifling concerns. Jodha, reveling in his Midas touch, led in three winners.

Time And Tide, last year`s Sprinters Cup winner, had suffered an ego-bruising defeat to Miss American Pie at Pune 111 days ago when generously gifting weight to her rivals. But with the weights in her favor this time, the daughter of Dali strutted into the paddock looking every bit the part, attracting strong support. Consistent performer Magileto was another with fans, hoping he would pull off his usual front-running escapade.

Magileto obliged, dashing to the front, trailed by Miss American Pie, Dream Seller, Irish God, and Time And Tide, while Market King, Jade, and Snowfall made up the rear, seemingly sightseeing. Miss American Pie disposed of Magileto with ease, but just as Sandesh tactfully slipped through a dream opening, Time And Tide, in no mood for small talk, exploded past and sauntered home in the final furlong, leaving Miss American Pie and Dream Seller trailing in her wake. Snowfall, who had been loitering at the back, woke up just in time to sneak into the frame.

Predictability—a rare guest on race day—showed up thrice. In the last race of the day, Amadeo, despite making an absolute mess of the start, recovered and finished with a wet sail to blow past Flashman in the final furlong. A better class horse disguised in modest company, Amadeo was one of the three winners saddled by Adhirajsingh Jodha, while Daulat Mai and Storm Cloud completed the frame, giving Narendra Lagad something to smile about in the Enigma Trophy (Div II) for the 20-46 rated warriors.

The Division I of the Enigma Trophy, however, took punters straight to the depths of despair, reminding them why this game is not for the faint-hearted. The enigmatic Blue Bird, who had miraculously won last time after missing the start, was expected to defy logic yet again. Hopeful backers loaded their bets, convinced of another Houdini act. Blue Bird, ever the entertainer, decided that merely missing the start was too basic this time—so he went all in and whipped around at the gates, ejecting jockey Bhosale with a level of efficiency that would make a fighter pilot proud. The punters` dreams crashed alongside the poor jockey.

The drama, however, was far from over. Divine Star, confidently ridden by Suraj Narredu, led from the get-go and shaped like the winner, only for long-shot Quicker, trained by Malesh Narredu, to swoop in like a thief in the night under apprentice Aditya Waydande and snatch victory in the final strides. Eloquent, despite raising hopes, ran out of steam and settled for third.

The writing was on the wall from the very first race—punters were in for a long, painful afternoon. The Forest Flair Trophy, a 1000-metre sprint for the lowest-class gallopers, saw Moonlight Kiss—a horse that had been flirting with form—heavily backed under the charming illusion of an imminent turnaround. But the only turnaround was punters turning away in disgust, as the Narendra Lagad trainee pulled a disappearing act faster than a magician`s rabbit.

Instead, Adonis, trained by Kasbekar, a man who wins about as often as a rare Comet makes an appearance, surged late under Bhawani Singh to snatch victory. Milli and Untitled chased in vain, while punters were left floundering.

Next came the Weizhou Trophy (Div I), where Pesi Shroff`s Attaturk entered as the firm favorite despite having done nothing of note. But hope springs eternal in punters` hearts, and the presence of the legendary Christophe Lemaire in the saddle was supposed to provide divine inspiration. Attaturk, however, was having none of it. Not impressed by reputations, the horse stood stubbornly at the gates, waving goodbye to backers without so much as a token effort.

With Attaturk out of the equation, Stalin, trained by Imtiaz Sait, took full advantage. Anthony Raj got to work early in the straight, and Stalin bolted home, leaving the rest to battle for scraps. Red Dust edged Continental Drift and Precioso in a tight finish for the minor placings, but the real battle was in the stands, where punters were left clutching their heads in disbelief.

The lower division of the Weizhou Trophy provided some relief (a rare sight) as the heavily backed Exconido, trained by Waheed, actually did what favorites are supposed to do—win. But, of course, it wasn`t without drama. The favorite had to scrap every inch of the way with the front-running Alpha Gene before just about pulling off a narrow victory. Mohsin trailed in third.

Then came the Tattersalls Million, a 1000-metre sprint for maiden three-year-olds, and yet another sharp dagger to the hearts of backers of the favorite. Adhirajsingh Jodha, enjoying his purple patch, saddled Rafael, who made a mockery of the betting market by racing prominently and sealing the deal by the final furlong—at juicy odds, of course, ensuring most punters were left watching in horror. Eastern Monarch bravely held off Exciting for the runner-up spot, while the well-fancied Heart proved he had none, meekly finishing fourth.

Former champion jockey Pradeep Chouhan, now donning the trainer`s hat, has been quietly pulling off winners since acquiring his license last Pune season. Ardakan completed a hat-trick in the Lexus Cup (1600m) under a confident ride by Sandesh at glorious 10-1 odds—a price that ensured only the clairvoyants and the eternally optimistic were on board.

Meanwhile, the fancied brigade did what they do best—arrive too late or not at all. Chagall made a belated bid but had to settle for second, while his stablemate Angelo, seemingly inspired by a Google Maps glitch, decided the outer track was far more scenic. Despite this self-imposed detour, he still managed to pip Treat for third. Had he actually run in a straight line, he would have won with his head in his chest.

Then there was Expedite, a notable second in the Oaks, ran way below expectations. Perhaps she was weighed down by expectations—or maybe she just wanted to remind everyone why punters should never trust a short-priced runner in a handicap.

And thus, the theme of the day continued: overhyped favorites crashing and burning, long shots having the last laugh, and punters doing what they do best—suffering in silence (or very loudly, depending on their temperament).