Shashikanth-trained Northern Waves clearly has a flair for drama. Just 13 days ago in the Madras Gold Vase, the horse decided that a straight path was far too dull and instead drifted outward, throwing away a golden opportunity. This time at Malakpet, the favourite once again meandered towards the outer rail like a tourist. Jockey Mukesh Kumar had his hands full trying to keep Northern Waves in line, but despite the wayward route, the filly still managed to hold off the fast-finishing Cherry Chevalier to land the 1400-metre Deccan Bookmakers Welfare Association Alcock Arabian Million, the feature event of Sunday`s races held at Malakpet.

The opposition was certainly more forgiving this time around. Cherry Chevalier, ridden by Akshay Kumar, had a more measured approach, biding his time at the rear before launching a late bid. For a moment, it seemed like Northern Waves` love for the outside world might cost him again, but Mukesh Kumar somehow managed to drive him out to a narrow win. Brilliant Lad finished third, though "third" is a rather generous description considering he was more than seven lengths adrift. In truth, this was always a two-horse contest, and the rest were merely spectators.

Meanwhile, in the 1600-metre Chief Justice Trophy, Hilton Sequeira`s Sugar had a slightly more complicated script to follow. Installed as a strong favourite, Sugar justifyied expectations with a hard-fought victory. Great Giver played the front-running role, hanging on gamely before stablemate Divine Destiny took over in the final furlong. But Sugar, lurking in the rear, suddenly found a VIP lane along the inside and surged ahead, holding off Just Incredible and Clefairy, who had a sluggish start but came alive late. Divine Destiny, after briefly flirting with success, faded into fifth place like a side character in a racing thriller.

The 1200-metre Telangana Race Horse Owners Association Trophy was split into three divisions, and while Romantic Grey and Leather Back played out a gripping finish in Division I, the other two divisions saw long shots turning punters despairing their choices.

In Division I, Rival seized the initiative at the top of the straight, with the well-backed Leather Back in hot pursuit, while Romantic Grey, trained by Leo D`Silva, biding her time in fifth. Just when Leather Back was gearing up for a strong finish, Romantic Grey decided it was showtime. The mare flew home with a late burst, slightly hampering Leather Back in the process—not quite a traffic violation, but enough to raise eyebrows. With a comfortable victory in the bag, Romantic Grey confirmed her class, while Leather Back had to settle for second, narrowly edging out Rival.

Division II saw trainer Magan Singh Parmar and jockey K Mukesh Kumar pull off another surprise win, continuing their productive season. The more fancied Happy Soul seemed to be enjoying an unchallenged lead, blissfully unaware that Burgundy Black—scratched last time due to lameness but apparently feeling like a new horse—was gearing up for a late ambush. With a well-timed move, Mukesh Kumar urged Burgundy Black forward, and the six-year-old gelding stormed past the leader with three lengths to spare. Calista Girl flew in from the rear but found Happy Soul a little more alert this time, only managing third place.

In Division III, long shot Shadow Fax—yes, named after Gandalf`s legendary horse—delivered a magical finish to pip Challenger in the dying strides. Favourite Lady Danger lived up to her name in all the wrong ways, failing to pose any serious threat. Challenger led from the start with Shadow Fax on his heels, but in the final stretch, the leader`s energy reserves ran out like a battery. That gave Shadow Fax the chance to surge past and claim victory at generous odds to provide the win for jockey B R Kumar and trainer Donald Netto. Meanwhile, Inderdhanush sneaked past Lady Danger, who showed up fashionably late—too late, in fact, to make any real impact.

When trainer Prasad Raju`s horses get backed, you don`t need a crystal ball to notice—it`s as obvious as a parade. The money floods in, the odds shrink faster than a cheap cotton shirt in hot water, and the horse suddenly looks like a mythical creature incapable of losing. Black Dust, who had narrowly missed out last time, was one such “can`t-lose” proposition in the 2000-metre Yadadri Plate. The bookmakers, in their infinite wisdom, offered miserly odds, almost daring punters to look elsewhere.

The race itself followed the expected script. Federer, a last-start winner, took the field into the straight before Take A Breath briefly flirted with the lead. But then, Akshay Kumar decided it was time to stop playing and sent Black Dust on his way. The favourite stormed clear with such authority that the rest of the field might as well have been running in another postcode. He won by over three lengths, leaving Varaneek Gold to recover from a sluggish start and steal second place at the post from Take A Breath. As for the others? They were there for decorative purposes, all running at double-digit odds.

Jockey Mukesh Kumar practically owned the track with four wins. His first success came aboard Miss Smiley Angel in the 1100-metre Sea Bird Plate, a race for three-year-olds. Despite being a last-start winner, Miss Smiley Angel was allowed to run at generous odds—because logic always defy what transpires at the betting ring. Mukesh Kumar brought her into contention at the right moment, breezing past Zuza, who led briefly, before surging clear. Beverley, another well-backed runner, snatched second place from Dubai Touch in a tight finish. For the record, the so-called favourites, Beverley and Zuza, were 4-1 shots—not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Mukesh Kumar wrapped up his dream day by guiding the well-fancied Coming Home to a decisive victory in the 1400-metre Dream Girl Plate for trainer Magan Singh Parmar. After tracking Quality Warrior into the straight, Coming Home decided to put on a clinic, accelerating away to win by a massive six-length margin. Quality Warrior was a respectable but distant second, while Exclusive Spark barely edged out Char Ek Char for third.