The Hyderabad Winter Season finally stirred into motion nearly five months after the monsoon curtain fell in October. The long pause had created enough suspense to make one wonder whether the horses had been hibernating. Thankfully, once the gates opened, the racing moved along smoothly and the much-feared heat behaved with surprising restraint. Even more astonishing was the day`s biggest rarity: races largely went the way of the horses the public actually backed.

Espionage, who had already advertised his credentials with a smashing monsoon win, continued the habit in the 1200 metres Attractress Plate for horses rated 80 and above. Jockey Kuldeep Singh followed the time-tested Hyderabad formula of jumping smartly from a wide draw and heading straight for the front as if the rail carried a “Reserved” sign. Espionage opened up a healthy lead approaching the final furlong.

But Hyderabad`s famously long straight has a reputation for turning confident punters into temporary philosophers. No race is considered won until the horse actually crosses the winning post. NRI Superpower arrived late from somewhere near the neighbouring district with a blistering run and almost pulled off a spectacular ambush. Espionage, however, managed to cling on by a neck, while the well-supported Vivaldo had to settle for third.

The 1200 metres Republic Plate, for horses rated 40 to 65, delivered the sort of finish that keeps bookmakers alert and punters nervously clutching their tickets. Ananth Vatsalya trained Bharava swooped in the final stride to snatch victory at nourishing odds. Lifes Journey, the favourite, showed early enthusiasm but soon suggested that the “journey” part of the name might require more preparation, fading away when it mattered.

Hilton Sequeira trained Knight Crusader led into the final furlong and looked all set to claim the spoils until Bharava appeared with a determined late charge. Under a vigorous ride from Ashhad Asbar, Bharava stormed home, proving that class can occasionally compensate for a trip that is slightly sharper than ideal. Rival finished strongly to edge out First Lady for the minor money.

The opening race of the season, the 1200 metres Bhupalpally Plate for horses rated 20 to 45, went to the well-supported Turiya from the yard of Bharath Singh. Jockey Anthony Raj had the favourite dictating terms from the start and Turiya looked comfortably in charge entering the final furlong.

Equine Lover and Dream To Fly suddenly decided to make things interesting with strong finishing runs. Dream To Fly, in particular, lived up to the name by flying in from the tail end of the field and very nearly upsetting the script. The runner-up and the third placed horse both hinted that their day in the sun may not be far away.

Bharath Singh completed a double when Andre obliged in the concluding event, the 1400 metres Red Satin Plate for horses rated 20 to 45. Vittal Deshmukh trained Term Deposit had been widely promoted as the day`s most reliable betting proposition, a description that aged poorly once the race began.

Andre, again ridden by Anthony Raj, challenged strongly in the homestretch and the favourite folded with surprising politeness. Andre went on to score with ease while long-shot Kaizen finished third. Beyond the first two, the remainder of the field appeared to interested in minor berths without attracting too much attention.

Donald Netto trained Star of Opera made short work of the opposition in the 1100 metres Astonish Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Jockey Akshay Kumar allowed the favourite to relax in mid-division before unleashing a decisive run in the final furlong. Star of Opera quickly settled the issue, winning comfortably from Brilliant Lad, who managed to edge out Foxy Girl. The rest of the field seemed content with a gentle exercise under race-day supervision.

Trainer Satheesh, who has long cultivated the art of landing winners at big odds, added another chapter to that tradition. Genie, returning to an easier category after a gap of over 560 days since the last victory, appeared to have spent the break acquiring wings. The horse bolted to the front and never looked back, eventually winning by an expanding margin of eight lengths over City Cruise, who gamely chased early before accepting the inevitable. Mauser finished third.

Vittal Deshmukh trained Super Splash also made a noteworthy impression while winning on debut, a race meant for three-year-old maidens who were all running for the first time in their career. The progeny of Excellent Art looked thoroughly prepared, drawing clear of the opposition by the final furlong to beat Yali and Quattro with ease. There was some market support for Gacchanmanasvin, but the filly looked out of sorts and ran a race that her backers would prefer to forget quickly.