The true essence of horse racing les in the thrill of competition—though lately, that thrill seems to have taken a sabbatical. Sure, punters enjoy those rare, golden days when favourites oblige, but when racing turns into a rehearsed recital of solo gallops, one begins to wonder: is this horse racing or just a guided tour of the track?

Let`s be honest. These days, races at most centres resemble scripted theatre, with the best-prepared horse or the one which received maximum support in the betting ring, practically getting a red-carpet welcome to the finish line, while the rest trail behind like extras waiting for their cue. Favourites win in canters, and their rivals—who range from undercooked to semi-retired—do little more than jog along for cardio. It`s not a pretty sight, unless your idea of excitement is watching paint dry… on a treadmill.

Monday`s Hyderabad card, for instance, could easily have been mistaken for a sequel to Pune`s weekend action. Favourites ruled the roost with a solitary upset thrown in—perhaps to remind us that racing used to be unpredictable. The competition? Missing. Horses were present in body, not in spirit. Nowadays, the mere sight of a good horse at the gate sends the rest into an existential crisis. Here`s hoping the rest of the season adds some spice to this bland broth.

Even the feature event, the 1600 metres P G Reddy Memorial Cup, couldn`t escape the cruel irony of luck playing gatekeeper. Corte Madera, a horse everyone had already penciled in as the winner, found his fortunes abandoned at the start. After missing an early position and being shoved forward into traffic, he was sandwiched between a wandering Dapper Look and a surging Gloria at a crucial stage of the race in the homestretch. As Gloria charged clear, Corte Madera flew home along the rails—only to miss the party by a neck. A good thing beat? Most definitely.

The highest-rated race of the day—the 1400 metres Royal Revive Plate—was more of a weather challenge than a contest. Visibility was so poor, one suspects the commentator was working on sonar. Imperia, however, didn`t need directions. With the confidence of someone who knew the result, she led from the front and slipped home just ahead of the fast-finishing Darling`s Boy. Annhilator came in third, though many would struggle to spot him through the downpour. Fittingly, the last race was called off due to the weather—because who needs drama when you`ve got rain?

Earlier in the day, Walking Thunder doing just what his name promised—walking early, thundering late, and winning the 1400 metres Basara Cup with theatrical ease. Trained by Vittal Deshmukh, and shadowing the pacemaker Hawk King, Walking Thunder was only too happy to wait before launching a solo act in the homestretch. The race turned out to be a socially distanced affair, with each of the first three runners spaced out wide enough to fit a bus in between, while the rest of the field? Either jogging for fitness or trying to remember what sport they were in.

In the day`s opening act, Star of Opera—trained by Donald Netto—delivered a performance worthy of its name in the 1200 metres Sultan Pheroze Plate (Div I) for maiden three-year-olds. The only runner in the race who looked like it had read the manual, Star of Opera took control and bolted clear, winning by six and widening. The others? Well, they were there. Gusto`s Baby came second—by default more than effort—and Whistldown somehow edged out Suryavanshi to sneak into the frame. Beyond Star of Opera, the field resembled a pre-training school outing, and it`s hard to imagine any of them troubling the judge unless confined to similarly undercooked company.

The lower division wasn`t much different—Turiya, trained by Bharat Singh, played the role of “runaway winner” with gusto, finishing over eight lengths clear of Bestie, while Moonlite Rose brought up the rear in what was essentially a solemn procession rather than a race.

Then came Dubai Touch in the Palampet Plate (Div I)—and if there was any doubt about the result, it evaporated once the gates opened. With the form of a strong second to Brilliant Lad, Dubai Touch made the rest of the field look like they were practicing social distancing mid-race. Neeraj Rawal sat motionless as the mare coasted to a one-act victory. Blazing Saddle and Dontlbockmyway were next best—not that anyone was looking for fireworks.

In the lower division, Pacific Heights—trained by Leo D`Silva—didn`t just win; she issued a public notice to the rest of the field, winning by eight lengths at odds that made fixed deposits look adventurous. The only mild intrigue? Zuza just about nudged past Sadiya for second in what was otherwise a non-event.

One of the few races that vaguely resembled a contest was the 1400 metres Three Wishes Plate (Div I) for the lowest class horses, where Golden Inzio, trained by Sreekant, caught up with the front-running Always Special before pushing past in the final furlong. Exponent, who seemed to have spent most of the race trying to remember which direction to run, came flying home to snatch second ahead of Deccan Ranger. A decent finish—for this card, that counts as an achievement.

As for the lower division of that race? Called off. The weather finally did what the rest of the field couldn`t: add some drama. With rain turning the ground into a bog, racing was sensibly halted. After all, no point risking horses and riders when the script was already written.