For the second day in a row, Pune racing threw punters a bone, and a juicy one at that, with fancied runners mostly holding their ground. Of course, what`s a race day without an upset? Trainer Pradeep Chouhan made sure to stir the pot with Chelsea springing a surprise. But otherwise, the script seemed mostly pre-approved by the betting ring.

The feature event, the JSK1 Best Odds Eve Champion Trophy, lived up to its name — especially if you backed Dream Alliance at 5 to 1. Imtiaz Sait`s trainee, who had taken what felt like an ice age to graduate from the maiden ranks, galloped to a commanding victory over 2000 metres in this terms race for four-year-old and over horses to record the third win of his career.

Ironically, he had already beaten the firm favourite Arkadian before — while conceding weight. This time, he was receiving it. Logic, it seems, made a guest appearance in the paddock. Arkadian, who had his moment in the sun during the Maharaja`s Cup at Bangalore (where he finished ahead of the prolific Dyf), fizzled out to finish a rather apologetic third behind stablemate Duke of Tuscany.

Pyrite, meanwhile, apparently read his old form too literally and showed up as the duller version of himself, finishing fourth.

Despite the hype around Arkadian, the market was visibly nervous — the odds never quite collapsed the way they do when confidence runs high. Punters, clearly unsure whether he was a good bet and hence hesitated. Pyrite was second favourite, though he ran like he was saving energy for some future assignment. Dream Alliance, quoted at generous odds, made a mockery of the market`s misgivings.

El Greco, the artist formerly known for defeating Dream Alliance, was slow out of the gates. His jockey then launched a hasty salvage operation, pushing the horse forward to grab the lead and run with the sort of energy usually reserved for desperate marathons. Unfortunately, the masterpiece unravelled. As Arkadian laboured to catch the fading El Greco, Anthony Raj — who`s currently on a golden streak — swept in aboard Dream Alliance and blew past the lot, sealing the race well before the final furlong.

Trainer Pradeep Chouhan seems to have decided he wants his summer trophies early. Ardakan, a double Mumbai winner, was ready for action in the 1400 metres Moosa M Hoosein Trophy, a Class II affair.

Celestial was backed with some faith, but that faith dissolved too rapidly for comfort. He threw in the towel long before things got serious and trudged home second last. Rambler, meanwhile, missed the bus and decided to stay on it — never once looking like he remembered what racing was about.

Ardakan surged forward with giant strides to overhaul Fortunate Son, who had set the pace with great enthusiasm. Ataash tried hard to spoil the party but jockey Sandesh, in textbook form, coaxed Ardakan home by a neck. Pride`s Prince was third, and based on that run, he might prefer a little more real estate next time.

When Pesi Shroff starts winning this early at Pune, you know the weather gods have been kind. Usually, he lets his horses warm up with leisurely yoga before unleashing them mid-season. But Superstar decided to break that tradition in the Indian Association of Equine Practitioners Trophy, a mile-long contest for maiden three-year-olds.

Still sulking over a nose defeat at Mumbai, Superstar returned the favour with an equally narrow victory over Golden Dancer, in a duel that went down to the wire. Jockey Vivek G kept his cool and his seat, edging past Sandesh on the latter. Phantasmique led for most of the way before remembering he`s not built for the final burst and settled for third.

As for Machiavellian, whose Bangalore second had caused minor excitement, he folded at the top of the straight and jogged home in camouflage mode.

When Esperanza is fancied, she doesn`t mess around — and she certainly didn`t in the 1000 metres Bushtops Plate. Shazaan Shah`s sprinter came out of the gates like she`d been insulted, burning up the turf and reducing the field to bystanders. Midnight Express tried to keep up but didn`t have the horsepower. Fast Approach and Timeless Vision completed the frame, the latter seemingly more focused on sightseeing than racing.

In the Aspinalls Plate, a 2000-metre race for those with minimum enthusiasm and maximum unpredictability, Escondino was backed like tomorrow didn`t matter. And she didn`t disappoint. Sandesh sat pretty while stablemate Willy Wonkaa did the hard work in front, then pulled away like it was all part of a well-rehearsed skit. Goldiva ran on for second, while Leo The Lion saved his roar for another day.

If racing had a plot twist, Chelsea was it. Pradeep Chouhan`s filly turned the Animal Welfare Board of India Trophy into a personal parade. Taken to the front by R Ajinkya, she kept going like someone forgot to tell her she was a long shot. Exciting ran on late to deny favourite Vincero even the consolation prize. Vincero, true to his name, was supposed to "win" but was not up to it.

In the Unicorn Plate, Precioso proved that 220 days without a win was just a dramatic pause. With T S Jodha aboard and money pouring in like it was a sure thing, the Nazak Chenoy ward stormed past She`s A Teaser in the homestretch. The favourite justified every rupee. Prince Igor ran on late for third, but the show was long over by then.