Friday`s card at Pune served up a curious cocktail — a dash of excitement, a shot of upsets, and a whole lot of predictable outcomes. Beer Magical lived up to the hype, while a few longshots like Semurg and Looking Like A Wow crashed the punters` party. With the Pune season nearing its finish line, the day belonged to the favourites — and the occasional rebel who refused to read the script.

Imtiaz Sait`s Beer Magical justified the short odds, fending off the late lunges of Lord Eric and Abhicandra in the 1200 metres P. Hadow Trophy, the “highlight” of an otherwise nap-inducing Friday card at Pune. It was the penultimate day of the season, but the races seemed to have run out of caffeine — save for two mild upsets, it was a day when favourites did what favourites are supposed to do: win, and bore us senseless while doing so.

Beer Magical, with Neeraj Rawal aboard, took the sensible route — burst through the middle, took charge in the final furlong, and coasted home before the others even realised the race had started. Lord Eric produced his trademark “too little, too late” sprint, while Abhicandra looked impressive for a photo or two before settling for third. Aperol, who briefly threatened to spike the party, fizzled out, finishing fourth, just ahead of Liam, who suddenly remembered he was in a race and flew home for fifth.

Himmat Singh`s Once-a-Season Miracle

When Himmat Singh wins, the stewards usually double-check the replay. His rare strike in the To The Manor Born Plate (Div I) was one for the record books — and the punters` nightmares. The 1400-metre contest for maiden three-year-olds saw punters split between Machiavellian and Majesticus, both proving that democracy doesn`t always yield good choices.

Machiavellian briefly looked the part, chasing American Eagle before grabbing the lead — only to be blown away by Semurg, who must have remembered his wings just in time. The long shot swooped in and won by a street in the hands of jockey Amyn Merchant who himself rides a winner at long intervals, leaving the favourites gasping for oxygen. Renoir, from the Pesi Shroff yard, carried the weight of serious betting and finished with the enthusiasm of a bored tourist — dead last. Ante-post fancy Claude saved face by being a non-starter.

The lower division went as expected, with Hazel, trained by Prasanna Kumar, taking off from the gates like she had an early dinner reservation. Vivek G barely broke a sweat as Hazel widened the gap to eight lengths, while Jackson and Magical Moments dutifully filled the frame, probably wondering what they were doing there.

Looking Like A Wow — and Running Like One

Subhag Singh`s Looking Like A Wow lived up to her name — and stunned everyone, especially the punters — by sneaking up the rails to win the 1600 metres Shamu Chavan Salver (Div I). Exciting and Little John, both touted as the big guns, stood frozen in disbelief as the winner shot through with a late flourish. Exciting did some face-saving work by nabbing second from Little John and Allez L`etoile.

The lower division saw Narendra Lagad channel his inner poker player. After a quiet outing last time, he sent out Come September, who came home in style — and at mouth-watering odds. The “quiet touch” landed beautifully as Dussenberg, the favourite, found himself overtaken faster than a scooter on the expressway. The rest of the field participated mainly for cardio. Sands of Dubai, the early leader, finished nine lengths behind and probably needed a map to find the winner. As for Beyond Stars, well, the name said it all — they stayed well beyond the frame.



The well-backed Foxy from Bahram Cama`s yard did it again — storming home in the Maddox Plate (1000m) like she owned the track. Akitania, trained by James McKeown, fluffed the start so badly it was almost performance art. Rookie jockey Ritesh Gocchi did what he could, but when your mount jumps like it`s late for a nap, there`s only so much you can do. Foxy cruised clear, with Majestic Warrior and Viennoise following in an orderly queue.

The day opened with the A J Wadia Plate (1400m), where Lion King and Yuletide shared top billing. In true Shazaan Shah fashion, Lion King led from the front — because that`s the only way his runners win — and cantered home without so much as a glance back. Yuletide followed in festive spirit but lacked the sparkle, while Marlboro Man trailed behind, puffed out and gasping for air.

Trainer Narendra Lagad and jockey Mustakim Alam wrapped up a profitable double with Samson, who finally delivered on the promise he showed last time. The 1200 metres Star Millionaire Plate was vintage Lagad, a category of races he dominates. Samson tracked Windbone until the straight and then took off like a horse who`d just realized payday was today. Menjou`s Moustache made a hairy bid for second, edging out We Still Believe, while Windborne wilted faster than yesterday`s bouquet.