Time And Tide is as close to a sure thing as it gets—provided the race conditions don`t stack the odds against him. Trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, this powerhouse has made a habit of beating his rivals with ease, even while carrying heavy weights. His recent wins have looked more like routine workouts than hard-fought battles. Unless race terms demand he run backwards blindfolded, it`s hard to see him getting beaten any time soon.



On Saturday at Bangalore, the dual Sprinters Cup champ turned the Bangalore City Sprint Championship Gold Cup into a solo exhibition. The race did allow three-year-olds to enter, but none turned up as always. Jockey Sandesh took one look at the non-existent pace and decided, “Fine, I`ll do it myself.” He let Time And Tide stroll ahead, only bothering to mildly nudge him in the final furlong, which resulted in a five-length win. Imperial Blue, Aldgate, and Crown Drive squabbled over leftovers.



Bred at Mukteshwar Stud, Time And Tide has done it all—carried crushing weights, swatted aside rivals, and even shrugged off a mid-race issue in Mumbai to still dominate. In the past five years, there hasn`t been a sprinter to match him—and the scary part? He`s only getting started.



Sulaiman Attaollahi-trained Don Carlos is the kind of horse that keeps punters humble. Last time, he was late out of the gates like a college student for a 9 a.m. lecture. This time, he showed up fashionably on time — and how! At eye-catching odds, he tracked the pace politely before launching himself past a tiring Perfect Legend, winning by four widening lengths with the flair of a matador.



If you ever manage to decode Don Carlos` bipolar gate behaviour, congratulations — you may just unlock the punting jackpot. Perfect Legend, meanwhile, is making a habit of being the legend that never quite lives up to the name. Knotty Blush and Whirlwind decided to add drama to the postscript, with the former grabbing second by a literal nose hair.



In the Xisca Plate, a race apparently born out of someone`s 2 a.m. whim for a 1500-metre event (why not 1537 while we`re at it?), Kiss of Grey vanished into the horizon. The grey filly left the pack gasping six lengths behind.


Sunlit Path, Thrill of Brazil, and Hyperdrive did their best impersonation of a close finish for the minor slots. The stewards may want to reconsider inventing more weird distances unless they want to turn the sport into equine sudoku.



After switching owner, Defence Counsel is clearly enjoying his new legal representation. He came back with a solid closing argument to clinch the Lumbini Stud Plate, making it two wins in a row and giving trainer Dominic something to smile about.



Knotty Scotty set the pace like he was chasing a mirage, only to predictably fade under cross-examination in the final furlong. Storm Shadow and a very forgettable Run For The Sun rounded up the finish, the latter disappearing like your Wi-Fi during a live bet.



Trainer Shoban Babu had a day to remember, nailing a brace and sending the bookmakers reaching for antacids. In the Honey Day Plate, his Double Vision did everything right — well-backed, well-timed, and well gone once she got going.



She left Super Kind looking super tired, while Able One showed just enough ability to beat the exhausted fancied runner. Not bad for a filly who swishes her tail like she`s brushing off questions about form.



In what felt like a mock trial of a race, the Brave Dancer Plate featured all of three contestants — an equine pub quiz where the only real question was “Who wants to win?” Double Scotch did, with minimum fuss and maximum effect, leaving Highland Cream and Sea Diamond to argue over the scraps. With only three runners, this race should`ve been held in someone`s backyard with folding chairs for stewards.



After being withdrawn twice — once for colic and once for catching feelings at the gates — Efficacy finally showed Bangalore what the fuss was about. In the Red Divine Plate, a race for maiden three-year-olds, he won with a seven-length canter, suggesting he had been training against ghosts the entire time. My Honey came second, and Midnight Blue ran late enough to qualify for a post-race brunch, just edging out White Secret for third.