Adhiraj Jodha`s trained Golden Kingdom roared back to form after a prolonged lull, clinching victory in the 2000 meters Mysore Race Club Trophy at Pune on Friday. This race, reserved for horses rated 80 and above, was the feature event of the day. Golden Kingdom, who had shown promise with a runner-up finish behind Magneto at Kolkata but faltered in her subsequent outing in Mumbai, finally found her winning stride after nearly a year.

Magneto, who had bested Golden Kingdom in their last encounter, was no match this time, trailing in a distant second, a full four lengths behind. Dual classic winner Jendayi continued her downward spiral, finishing third. Her performance suggests that the form that once earned her a high rating in the Indian classics at Mumbai may be fading. Perhaps, Jendayi was simply in the right place at the right time for her previous wins, as she struggled to keep up with her lesser-credentialed rivals.

Jockey Kaviraj, who last partnered with Golden Kingdom for a win at the same venue 362 days ago, was in the saddle once more. Despite Jendayi`s status as the public`s favorite, many hoped she would recapture her past brilliance, but it was Golden Kingdom who seized the day. Setting off on a start-to-finish mission, Golden Kingdom enjoyed an uncontested lead, with Magneto, Jendayi, and Rasputin spaced out behind. As they rounded the final turn, Golden Kingdom quickened decisively, leaving his rivals in the dust. Meanwhile, Jendayi failed to find her stride, struggling as Magneto and Rasputin along the rails tried to make up ground. In the end, Golden Kingdom crossed the finish line unchallenged, with Magneto second and Jendayi barely holding on to third, just ahead of Rasputin.

In another notable race, M.K. Jadhav-trained Miss American Pie, who had been withdrawn at the gates during her last outing due to her antics, showed better behavior on Friday. She went to the gates without fuss and then showcased her undeniable talent in the 1400 meters S.R. Captain Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. The Gleneagles daughter, who had previously thrashed the competition at Kolkata, seemed back in form after an underwhelming performance in Mumbai.

Jockey N.S. Parmar had Miss American Pie stalking the pace-setter, It`s My Time, right from the start. As they approached the final furlong, he asked her to take charge, and she responded with authority. Miss American Pie cruised past the front-runner and stretched her lead, securing an impressive five-length victory over It`s My Time. The remaining runners were outclassed, with Golden Glow finishing a distant third, eight lengths behind the runner-up. If Miss American Pie can maintain this form—and assuming the stable`s notorious form fluctuations don`t catch up with her—she looks poised for more wins in the future.

Karthik Ganapathy-trained Bashir dominated the 1400-meter Magan Singh Jodha Trophy (Div I) for maiden three-year-olds, with an emphatic victory. Both Bashir and Amadeo had shown promise in their previous outings, making them favorites for this race, but Bashir outshone them all.

Jockey Anthony Raj positioned Bashir a close second behind the pace-setting Triollonaire. As they approached the home stretch, Raj made his move, and Bashir responded with an electrifying turn of foot. The son of Dali left his rivals trailing in his wake, sprinting away to an impressive seven-length victory.

Amadeo, who had kept pace with Bashir until the final turn, couldn`t find an extra gear and finished well below expectations. Star Impact ran on to secure third place, while Expedite, who made a late charge from the back, managed to edge out Continental Frame to claim fourth.

It`s often said that when a stable has two runners, and one is heavily backed, it`s the underdog that ends up in the winner`s circle. This adage played out perfectly in the lower division of the Magan Singh Jodha Trophy, where Adhiraj Jodha`s Fable was the strong favorite, but it was the stable`s long shot, Ghirardelli, that pulled off a stunning upset.

With jockey Sandesh aboard, Fable took the lead early and seemed well on course for victory. However, Ghirardelli, lurking in mid-pack, suddenly surged forward with a powerful run. In a matter of moments, Ghirardelli closed the gap and stormed past the field, eventually winning by a staggering 10 lengths, leaving the favorite in his dust. Fable had to settle for second, while Dancing Star claimed third place, finishing ahead of Wild Child.

Narendra Lagad continued his dominance over the lower category races as Mirare, who narrowly missed victory last time out, made amends by comfortably claiming the Panel Service 247 Gaming Trophy. This race, open to horses rated 1 to 26, saw the lesser-fancied Mirare take the lead from the start under jockey Mustakim Alam`s guidance.

Setting off on a start-to-finish mission, Mirare never faced any serious challenge from the field, cruising to a comfortable win. Phanta, who was well-backed, had to settle for a distant second, while the favorite, Reciprocity, failed to live up to expectations and never looked like a serious contender.

Hoshidar Daji-trained Wanderlust finally broke his maiden status in his seventh attempt, living up to his favoritism in the 1200-meter Oriental Express Plate, a race for horses rated 1 to 26. Heavily backed by the punters, Wanderlust didn`t disappoint.

Jockey Nazil guided Wanderlust, taking command at the top of the straight. From there, the favorite encountered little resistance, storming ahead for an easy victory. The real contest was for the minor placings, where She`s A Teaser, Sorrento`s Secret, and Talking Point finished in close order, with only a head and a nose separating them at the line.