The curtain finally fell on the Bangalore Summer on Friday, mercifully so for many bewildered racegoers and exasperated punters. Sulaiman Attaollahi-trained Positano did just enough to edge out Rise And Reign in the Gr 3 2400 metres Governor`s Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over. But the real story is less about a tight finish but more in the shambolic state of affairs behind the scenes.

The season limped to its end amidst an atmosphere of erratic form, administrative paralysis, and the kind of selective justice that makes soap operas seem credible. Turf Club authorities, either playing blind man`s buff or desperately trying to pin the tail on the wrong horse, have spent their time chasing minor offenders while conveniently overlooking the well-connected ones who have perfected the art of vanishing behind alibis.

If the decision-making appeared arbitrary, that`s because it was. The track conditions would`ve made a ploughed field blush, and the club`s administrative set-up had all the coordination of a three-legged sack race. Meanwhile, the tote, once the pride of Indian racing and the common punter`s playground, has practically collapsed. GST may have tied its hands, but the club`s solution has been to throw up those hands and hope for divine intervention.

The real head-scratcher? The Turf Club`s masterstroke of hiking entry fees and other sundries, successfully converting racegoers into stay-at-homers. Gone are the days of 7,000-strong crowds. Now, it`s more like a private gathering with a few bookmakers keeping things mildly interesting. Those who once bet legally now prefer underground operators who offer better odds, zero tax, and, crucially, zero hassle.

As if this weren`t enough, the club decided to raise the webcast fee to a comically ambitious Rs 1,000 plus service charges, thereby encouraging a mushrooming of cheaper or free alternatives online. Most punters, with wallets lighter than their betting slips, have decided racing is best enjoyed in pyjamas, from the comfort of home, with money saved on travel going straight into bets.

But back to the actual racing—Positano, despite looking the pick of the lot in the Governor`s Cup, needed every ounce of this season`s champion jockey title winner Trevor Patel`s skill to get past a stubborn Rise And Reign. The pace wasn`t scorching—perhaps more "evening stroll" than "Governor`s gallop"—allowing the front-runners to hang on for dear life. Meanwhile, the previously explosive Victor Hugo decided to opt out of relevance, and the top-rated Ramiel trotted in last.

Mandarino, from Irfan Ghatala`s yard, justified his favourite tag in the Leading Stud Cup, comfortably mowing down a fading Champions Way. Arvind Kumar kept it simple—wait, pounce, win. Global Influence did his job quietly in third, while Kalamitsi stayed true to this season`s theme: underwhelming.

Attaollahi, who finished the season with the Champion Trainer title, also led in Basilica, who decided to show up late but still managed to blow past the field in the Champion Jockey Cup (Div I). Carat Love charged in to snatch second from a tiring Eclipse Pulse, while Bellavita, apparently tipped off to the season`s tone, ran like she had better things to do.

The lower division of the race was bagged by Small Dreams, trained by M P Vishesh, with Akshay Kumar (sans whip, thanks to his enforced sabbatical from flogging) driving the horse home just in time to thwart Divo. Honest Desire trotted in third. As for Lg`s Star, the inexplicable favourite, its performance will be remembered chiefly for its impressive fade-out.

The Champion Trainer Cup for maiden three-year-olds was won by the lesser-fancied Tolkien, who clearly took inspiration from fantasy fiction by pulling a dramatic late burst to pip Andre. Pristine Glory, despite all the betting love, decided to snooze at the gates and, though making up ground, had too much to do. Cigar Galaxy, the subject of serious bets, was missing in action, possibly for the right occasion.

Bezawada Sultan, trained by Joseph B Awale, repeated his success in the Leading Owner Cup with a determined rail run, brushing off Aherne and Wellington in the final stages.

El Alamein, a consistent trier from Faraz Arshad`s yard, finally had his day in the Racing Officials Cup. The win was as easy as they come, with Vivek G doing little more than steering. Able One and Double Vision followed politely.

And lastly, Sea Diamond, trained by Umar Shariff, laughed off the opposition in the Sayonara Plate, skipping home under apprentice Asirvatham, while Double Scotch, the favourite, fizzled out.

So ends another Bangalore Summer—where the horses ran, the punters sighed, the administrators flailed, and the real winners were those who stayed home and kept their money.