Prasanna Kumar trained Evaldo who was the overwhelming favourite to win the Gr 2 1600 metres Maharaja`s Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, managed to stave off the spirited challenge of Santorino and won the feature event of Friday`s races with a resolute performance. Santorino who had his jockey Anthony Raj carry an overweight of 1.5 kgs, put up a big performance and possibly if he had run without the burden of extra weight, he could have made it very hard for the favourite.

The well-performed Evaldo who had the benefit of a race run on the track, was considered a cinch despite the fact that he was conceding as many as seven kgs to Santorino who had a good record of performing a hat-trick during the last Bangalore winter season and had finished a close third to Fire Power in his only appearance in June during the summer season. The front-running Shubankar held sway in front till turning for home and Santorino who was tracking the pace-setter went storming ahead. Santorino held the lead till the closing stages of the race before Evaldo was driven out by Akshay Kumar got the better of the front-runner in the shadow of the winning post. A Star Is Born ran on to finish third. The last named seems to be a pale shadow of his former self. This was the sixth win for Evaldo in 13 outings, the bag of wins including the Gr 1 South India Derby at Chennai last year.

G T Surender trained Ashtar won the K T Shamaiah Gowda Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 and above, with a measure of comfort in the hands of apprentice jockey T Pavan. The apprentice jockey kept Ashtar a handy second behind pace-setting Mountain Lion before pressing the accelerator in the home stretch. Ashtar produced a strong run and had built a sizeable lead by the final furlong and had enough cushion to last out when favourite Vijay Falcon came home with a powerful burst of speed on the wide outside. Achook who graced the wrong end of the field for most part of the journey, ran on well in the straight to finish a suggestive third.

Trainer Warren Singh has been of late enjoying good success. Spirit Of The Rose was backed down as a short-priced favourite. Spirit Of The Rose proved too superior to the opposition winning as she pleased by a widening margin of six lengths. The fight if any was confined to the duo of Cletus and Biometric, with the former getting the second spot by a neck. Another Bangalore challenger Ultimate Striker ran up with the field but had nothing much to offer in the homestretch and finished a tame fourth.

Warren Singh had another runaway winner through The King N I in the 1200 metres Son Of The Light Plate (Div II), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Apprentice jockey Koshi Kumar had The King N I dictate the proceedings in front. The favourite checked by a comfortable margin of over four lengths. Another fancied runner Solo Prince could not make an impression on the favourite who was far superior. Baltimore edged out Jersey Legend in a cluster finish to save place money. The upper division of the same was claimed by another favourite Air Display, from the stables of trainer Inayathulla. Apprentice jockey Inayat who is enjoying a good run, waited with Air Display along the rails till turning for home. He got a smooth run along the rails and the five-year-old mare had taken charge of the race by the final furlong. Air Display went on to win by four lengths. Ombudsman nosed out Four Wheel Drive to pinch the second spot.

Prasanna Kumar trained Ruling Dynasty who was ambitiously campaigned in the Bangalore Derby, was left with a mediocre opposition to take on in the 2000 metres Jayanagara Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Ruling Dynasty was not hard-pressed to score by a widening margin of eight lengths over Sand Castles. Dear Lady was third another four lengths adrift in what was a totally one-sided contest. Burmese led by lengths before weakening approaching the final bend and disappearing without a trace giving way for Ruling Dynasty to do his riot act.

The Indradhanush Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45, had been carried forward from the previous day due to heavy showers. Rembrandt and Seventh Samurai enjoyed equal support in the betting ring when the odds had opened but the trend totally changed on Thursday, with Seventh Samurai going to the post as a firm favourite while the odds quoted on Rembrandt expanding to five to 1. In the event, Rembrandt proved too good, establishing his superiority by the final furlong in the hands of jockey Shreyas Singh and sped away for an easy win. Mighty Swallow ran on to finish second while Seventh Samurai woke up to his task long after the race was in the safekeeping of Rembrandt.

Raw apprentice Faiz had reason to celebrate for the effort he put on seven-year-old Chilly Breeze when eking out a nose verdict over the heavily backed War Song in the 1400 metres Aunty Pip Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. War Song who had won in her first run of the season, was backed as if defeat was out of the question from a higher quote to end up almost as an even money favourite. Chilly Breeze who had the first run on his opponent, desperately hung on as War Song came home with a flourish only to find the front-runner reaching the post fractionally ahead. Faiz put all that he could on the eventual winner. Natural Fly was third.