Kishan Thomas had every reason to wear a satisfied smile as his ward Mayne Magic extended his winning streak to a remarkable six straight victories, delivering another dazzling performance in the Karnataka Mile Championship Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s Bangalore races. The four-year-old, who has quickly become a darling of the stable, showed once again that the magic in his name is more than mere marketing.

A progeny of Moonlight Magic, the four-year-old gelding has now won eight of his ten starts, proving to be an absolute money-spinner for his connections. With both sire and son flaunting “magic” in their names, the spell seems to run in the bloodline — and judging by this latest effort, it`s a potent one.

The race wasn`t handed to him, though. Monteverdi shot off to the front and looked intent on stretching the field but paid the price for his early exuberance, weakening by the final bend. Favourite Prana, who had scraped home narrowly in his last start, then took over, only to be immediately tackled by the resolute Galahad, who briefly threatened to stage an upset.

But just when it seemed the finish might get messy, Mayne Magic, who had been switched off and saved for the final act, unleashed a devastating turn of foot. Produced with a well-timed run from well off the pace, he collared Galahad with ease in the closing strides and drew away to win comfortably, once again underlining his class and composure. Jockey Anthony Raj has struck a fine partnership with Mayne Magic.

Sulaiman Attaollahi could well be preparing a familiar script if the Stewards were to question him about the continued failure of his fancied runners. Circle of Dreams became the latest addition to a growing list, making it thirteen beaten favourites from his yard this season alone — a number that`s beginning to sound more like a trend than a coincidence.

Circle of Dreams came into the fray with an imposing reputation, save for one blot on his copybook — a disappointing run over a mile in the Colts Championship Stakes, where the explanation was that he went too fast in front and ran out of steam. This time, the classic pattern repeated itself, though the explanations, like always, could be varied and suitably vague. The pressure of expectations, the burden of being a firm favourite, or perhaps the soft underfoot conditions didn`t suit him — all possibilities will be on the table. Or maybe the horse is simply overrated. Or, the opposition was actually better.

Whatever the post-race reasoning, the outcome was unequivocal: Circle of Dreams finished a dismal last, offering nothing in the straight and leaving punters bewildered. This was the same horse who had finished second to Big Bay in the Multi-Million and had comfortably beaten Bishop in the season opener — performances that had fuelled hopes of a bold showing in the Colts Championship.

With Circle of Dreams failing to live up to expectations, it was left to Pradeep Annaiah`s Power of Beauty to provide some redemption for the punters. The gelding who carried solid support as the second favourite, just about held off a strong surge from the rank outsider Sir Winston to win the 1400 metres Admiral Henry John Rouse Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65 in the hands of jockey Anthony Raj. The margin may have been narrow, but in the context of the day, it was enough to salvage some money for those who put faith in the experience of Power of Beauty.

Rajesh Narredu-trained Excellent Lass, who had bounced back to winning ways last time out after a string of indifferent performances, showcased her return to form was no fluke. The daughter of Excellent Art unleashed a strong burst in the final furlong under Suraj Narredu`s determined handling to land the Salazaar Plate, a 1200-metre sprint for horses rated 60 to 85. The contest for the minor placings was more spirited than the one for top honours, with Never Give In narrowly edging out Victoria Doresani for second. Grizzly finished close behind in fourth.

The Narredu duo—Rajesh and Suraj—completed a double on the day when Eleanora, who had the benefit of a forward run, cruised to a facile win in the Camineto Plate (Div I), run over the same distance but for horses rated 20 to 45. Suraj Narredu had no second thoughts about hitting the front early, and the Leitir Mor progeny kept widening the gap, leaving the favourite Mutual Trust chasing shadows. True Punch closed in late to snatch third from Carat Love.

In the lower division of the Camineto Plate, Silicon Star from Warren Singh`s yard attracted solid support in the ring, thanks to a noteworthy last run. However, the stable`s curious tendency to entrust their hopefuls to less-than-reliable jockeys continued. With Ramu astride, Silicon Star decided to skip the opening act altogether, missing the jump and leaving punters fuming. The race was instead captured by the less-fancied Royal Deccan, from Arjun Mangalorkar`s yard, who romped home unchallenged. Roadrunner ran a good second, while Equalizer nosed out Cascais to take third.

It was all in the name as Romping Home, trained by Deepesh Narredu, lived up to expectations in the Esquire Plate, a 1200-metre maiden race for three-year-olds in the hands of his brother Yash Narredu. Hitting the ground running, the favourite made every post a winning one and won with plenty to spare. Konkrah, a familiar bridesmaid, had to once again settle for second—his fourth runner-up finish. Solara took the third spot.

The curtain raiser, the Lively Emprey Plate for the lowest class, delivered an early shock. Meghann, from Warren Singh`s stable, caught punters off guard by dashing to the lead from the outset and staying there till the end at long odds. The well-fancied Embosom was second best, with Phoenix Surprise filling the frame.