Ask any seasoned punter what “in-and-out running” means and you`ll get a definition that sounds simple enough: horses should run consistently in line with their previous performances. But that`s theory — welcome to Bangalore, where that theory is laughed at, shredded, and tossed into the wind. Here, horses improve by fifteen lengths overnight or suddenly forget how to gallop, depending on... well, nobody really knows. And when the inevitable questions arise, the Stewards are all ears — giving a patient, almost reverential hearing to whatever excuse is floated. In fact, they often appear genuinely impressed by the creative genius on display.

Take Victor Hugo, for instance. Trained by Irfan Ghatala, he quite literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when he lost narrowly to Emphatic in his penultimate start. Punters, ever the optimists, fancied him next time out — only to see him trail in more than 11 lengths behind the field, like a horse out for a leisurely morning canter. But wait — in the Karnataka Police Cup, run over 1800 metres for horses rated 60 to 85, Victor Hugo returned as a reincarnated beast, absolutely bolting in by a jaw-dropping 15 lengths. Yes, that`s not a typo. And in the higher category race too.

Of course, alibis will now be rolled out faster than bookie odds on a hot favourite. "Wrong trip last time." "Bit off his feed." "Didn`t like the going." "Raced too soon after the last run." "The pace didn`t suit." "The boy made a mistake." Take your pick — it`s an endless playlist on loop. The usual chorus, hummed with remarkable conviction. Meanwhile, punters — hardened by years of heartbreak and hollow hope — have perfected the art of silent suffering.

In the race itself, Splendido did the early pace-making, with The Leader shadowing close behind. Victor Hugo loped along smoothly in third, looking like he was out for a Sunday sightseeing tour. Meanwhile, hot favourite Secret Saint — backed with much fanfare — was anchored at the rear by Trevor Patel, and stayed there for most of the journey, more spectator than participant. He did rouse himself late to grab second, but the effort was about as convincing as the post-race explanations regularly served up by professionals when things don`t go to plan — fluent, familiar, and thoroughly unconvincing.

As they turned for home, Victor Hugo swooped past The Leader and Splendido like they were standing still, and jockey Vivek G had the easiest job in Bangalore— just point and let him go. The Ampere progeny could`ve stretched his lead to 20 lengths if the race had gone on for another furlong. That`s how dominant — or should we say, mood-dependent — he was.

In the end, it`s yet another chapter in the saga of Bangalore`s mysterious racing form. Today`s dud is tomorrow`s superstar, and punters? Well, they`ll keep turning up — armed with hope, blind faith, and a pocketful of excuses.

Scent of Rain smelt the moisture in the air before bolting away with the 1400 metres Dr K M Srinivas Gowda Memorial Cup, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Having let down backers as a warm favourite last time (finishing a disappointing third), the filly was clearly in a better mood this time, seizing the lead from the outset and never looking back. She tore through the straight with purpose, leaving Vibrant Queen and Blue Storm to merely follow the leader in orderly fashion. There was some excitement — misplaced, as usual — around Husnara, who returned to action after over 100 days. The money came pouring in like the rain that preceded the race, but it dried up by the final bend as she was clearly just out for a gallop, plodding along like she`d missed the bus and didn`t care.

Scent of Rain`s win was a much-needed boost for trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi, who also saddled the heavily fancied Aquastic. After an impressive last run behind Ice of Fire, there were expectations as data and split times looked good on paper. But on race day, Aquastic looked like he`d rather be anywhere else, struggling throughout and finishing dismally. That now makes it a dirty dozen of failed favourites this season for Sulaiman.

Reiko, trained by Pradeep Annaiah, showed true grit. Despite being bumped at the start by Scarlette Lady and returning after a 218-day layoff, the gutsy performer won in the hands of jockey Sai Kiran to post an eye-catching win — a proper "no excuses" job that stood in stark contrast to the mood swings of the more fashionable stables in the 1400 metres Yeravada Stud Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Some of Sulaiman`s horses dazzle one week and do vanishing acts the next. Others look like slow coaches until they suddenly sprout wings.

The last race of the day was postponed to Sunday, with “underfoot conditions” cited as the reason. There had indeed been a spell of rain — but nothing torrential, more of a polite drizzle than a downpour. The official penetrometer reading stood at 4.1 cm, and the going was officially declared “good.” So naturally, one must ask: how did the track`s character suddenly turn from “good” to unfit for racing in the span of an hour?

There are questions — and then there are racing questions — the kind that echo unanswered in stewards` rooms and punters` WhatsApp groups. No one seems to have a clue, or more accurately, no one seems willing to offer one. One can`t help but wonder: was the decision more about the surface or the spiralling trend of favourites losing left, right and centre? Perhaps someone feared a brewing storm — not from the skies, but from the stands.