Prasanna Kumar trained Prana prevailed in an absorbing finish in the 1400 metres Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Memorial Multi-Million, a terms race for three-year-olds, the feature event of opening day`s races of the Mysore Main Season held on Friday. Trevor Patel`s opportunistic move to take Prana towards the rails as the front-runners were drifting out made a critical difference to the outcome of the race.

Satish Narredu trained Touch of Grey who had a bagful of wins was the firm favourite ahead of Prana. The aptly named Fast Pace set a fast pace followed by Ivory Touch, with the other fancied runners Prana, Neziah and the rest being spaced out behind. Fast Pace held on to the lead doggedly even as Ivory Touch failed to get into his rhythm and faded out of the reckoning. Under pressure, Fast Pace came off the rails and Trevor immediately changed course towards the rails and took the wide gap along the rails. Prana quickly established what turned out to be a winning lead. As the winning post was sighted, there were a host of horses that finished powerfully. Prana clinched the race by half a length over Neziah. Golden Peaks, Fast Pace, Aralina finished in close order with a head and nose determining the four positions on the frame.

Rakesh trained O Hansini who has proved to be a versatile horse, having won at multiple centres, with an impressive tally of five wins against formidable horses, was racing after a gap of 205 days. That was the reason why the Rakesh trainee was available at long odds as the betting was focussed on last start winner at Bangalore, Polished Girl in the 1200 metres H H Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Multi-Million, a terms race for four-year-olds and over.

Incidentally, in the last Mysore season, Polished Girl had beaten O Hansini at level weights but this time out, the latter was conceding seven kgs and as such, the former was reckoned to have a decisive edge. Galactical led the field with Polished Girl in the chase while O Hansini was in about the sixth or seventh position at the final bend. Polished Girl fought for a furlong with Galactical in the stretch before storming ahead in the final furlong. However, jockey Vinod Shinde was not able to drive out the favourite to victory as the finishing burst of O Hansini in the capable hands of jockey Akshay Kumar had the favourite beaten with a measure of comfort. Galactical stayed on to take the third position ahead of Raisina Star and fast-finishing Star Glory.

The season`s opener, the Lavasa Plate (Div II), a race for horses in the lowest category, gave a glimpse at what is in store for the punters. It was a simple warning not to take the raced for horses in the lowest category seriously because the surface form is unreliable. Any of the horses waited with can win out of turn. So, it was with Feroz Khan trained Country`s Magic who had run the least number of races for a five-year-old and hence his potential had remained undisclosed for whatever issues that the horse may have had. Country`s Magic who had just four runs to his credit was taken on a start-to-finish mission by jockey Vivek G and the front-runner had an uncontested lead and bounced clear in the final furlong to win as he pleased. Unity who was briefly in betting before the odds expanded ran on to edge out Natural Fly to get the runner-up berth. United reportedly burst her blood vessels. Mega Success who was the favourite despite the fact that jockey Vivek who rarely wins a race, was lost in the crowd right from the beginning and made no show. The upper division of the race was won by Satish Narredu trained Fearless Joey who was more alert at the gates this time. Fearless Joey covered enormous ground in the stretch to win the race from another late rallying favourite Echo Friendly. Sparkling Night was third ahead of Elite Agent who had a good lung opener. Nothing much can be read into the performance of the well-bred Fearless Joey as the field he was taking on was pretty mediocre.

Trainer Sharat Kumar who is expected to have it rich in the Mysore season, had a well-backed winner through Extraordinary who produced a strong gallop down the final furlong to collar Skyfire to win the 1200 metres B K Krishnadevaraj Urs Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Extraordinary hadn`t won for over 300 days but his preparatory races during the summer season in formidable company had sharpened him. The money came pouring on him with Sky Fire seen in significant betting. Rhythmic led the field followed by Sky Fire while Sai Kumar on Extraordinary had to be busy early in the race to ensure that he stayed with those in front. Sky Fire opened up a useful lead going into the final furlong but a strong effort by the jockey and horse put paid to the hopes of Sky Fire. Rhythm stayed on taking the third position.

The winner number two for Sharat Kumar came not as a trainer but as an owner through Iron Clad who was heavily backed to win the 1400 metres Star of Mysore Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Iron Clad who had won during the last season on the local track, came in one-sided support to land the spoils ahead of Land of Gold. Land of Gold had the first run on his opponents but the moment Sai Kumar got busy on Iron Clad after entering the homestretch, the favourite devoured ground and was hailed a winner a long way from home in what was a hopelessly one-sided contest. Iron Clad won by a widening margin of six lengths. Land of Gold was second ahead of Tom Cruiser. Sir Calculus who had some takers in the betting, made no show.

The concluding race of the day, the 1100 metres Varada Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, was won by Sajid Quereshi trained Ineffable who hadn`t won for 618 days. The five-year-old mare came in for big support in the betting ring close to race time. The favourite though was last-start winner Yasmin From York who had the services of apprentice jockey Ram Nandan Manjhi. Apprentice jockey Hasib Allam took Ineffable on a start-to-finish mission, with Yasmin From York in the chase. Ram Nandan chose to make his bid along the rails but shifted out in the final 100 metres which snuffed out his chances. Ineffable had enough leeway to win the race with a measure of comfort. Facets of Life ran on to take the third position.