Casteel, trained by Satish Narredu, powered past a wavering Del Aviz to clinch victory in the 1400 metres Srikantadatta Narasimharaaja Wadiyar Memorial Multi-Million 2024, the highlight of the opening day`s races of the Mysore Regular Season on Thursday. While anticipation was high for this prestigious event, the race card surprisingly featured only four contenders, with two hailing from Bangalore. Ultimately, the real contest boiled down to the visiting horses, as the local runners fell well short, finishing far behind. Bettors had a good day, with the results largely favouring the horses attracting serious money.

Akshay Kumar set the pace aboard Casteel, taking the lead early, followed closely by Royal Defender, Channigaraya, and Del Aviz. Riding with patience, Suraj Narredu kept Casteel in check at the rear. As the horses rounded the final turn, Del Aviz surged ahead, carving out a comfortable lead that, for a moment, looked insurmountable. However, in the heat of the moment, Del Aviz veered wildly across the track, squandering her advantage. Seizing the opportunity, Casteel found his rhythm, charging through the stretch to win by a clear length. Royal Defender trailed far behind in third, with the fourth runner an additional seven lengths adrift, underscoring the overall lack of depth in the field. Once a key stepping stone for future classic champions, this edition of the race didn`t inspire confidence in the prospects of the participants.

Meanwhile, the Satish Narredu-trained Polished Girl was the hot favourite in the 1200 metres H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Trophy, a contest for horses rated 80 and above. Her strong showing in Bangalore made her the pick, especially given O Hansini`s shaky form, despite her once-prolific record. Yet, in a surprising twist, O Hansini, returning to form after a 200-day drought, edged out Polished Girl, who is still hunting for her first win in 290 days.

Havelock Cruise set a brisk pace early on, with Polished Girl tracking closely behind. Suraj Narredu pushed Polished Girl aggressively around the final turn, taking over from the tiring Havelock Cruise inside the last 100 metres. However, Polished Girl couldn`t hold off O Hansini`s late charge, as the latter swept past to claim victory in the dying strides. Segera narrowly beat Havelock Cruise to the line, salvaging a minor place in an absorbing finish.

In a dramatic finish featuring two well-backed contenders, Southern Force, trained by Faraz Arshad, narrowly edged out Macron in a thrilling final stride to capture the B K Krishnadevaraj Urs Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. After Perfect Perfecto led the field into the home stretch and quickly faded, it was Macron, ridden by Darshan, who surged ahead, with Southern Force hot in pursuit.

The final 100 metres saw an intense battle as both horses fought tooth and nail for every inch. Jockey Akshay Kumar, urging Southern Force with every ounce of effort, managed to snatch victory by the slimmest of margins—a short head separating the two at the wire. While Macron continues to be a model of consistency, victory remains elusive for him. For Southern Force, the win marked the end of a nearly year-long wait for a return to the winner`s circle, making the triumph all the sweeter in this absorbing contest.

A sudden twist in the Star of Mysore Trophy saw three horses, including the well-fancied Raise A Buck, withdrawn at the gates. This unexpected turn of events opened the door for Pratap Kamath-trained Mystic Bond to shine in the 1400 metres race for horses rated 40 to 65. Mystic Bond, already in fine form after a consistent summer season at Mysore, seized the opportunity with a commanding performance.

Divine Ray, who went off as the favourite, set a brisk pace from the start, but his lead evaporated as soon as Dhanu Singh Deor, aboard Mystic Bond, applied pressure midway down the home straight. Mystic Bond surged ahead, effortlessly fending off the late charges of Heroism and Nevada Gold. Divine Ray, under strain, wilted under pressure and quickly faded, leaving his backers disappointed in the performance of the favourite. Mystic Bond`s victory came with ease, solidifying his reputation as a reliable performer.

In a thrilling three-horse finish, Sira, trained by Michael Eshwer, edged out late-charging Drisana and the favorite, Absolute Kesari, to claim victory in the Varada Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Absolute Kesari set the pace from the start and maintained a strong lead throughout the five-and-a-half-furlong race. However, as the finish line approached, Sira, who had struggled to gain momentum early on, surged ahead just in time. Drisana made a late bid, closing fast to finish just a short neck behind Sira and a nose ahead of Absolute Kesari, capping off a nail-biting finish.

The smart money was on Girinath-trained Tower Quest in the lower division of the Varada Plate, and she did not disappoint. With Kiran Rai aboard, Tower Quest settled comfortably in fourth as Valkyrie led from the start. Entering the final furlong, Tower Quest smoothly closed the gap and breezed past the front-runner to win by five lengths—a margin that could have been greater if the jockey had pushed harder. D Golden Cup overtook the long-time leader Valkyrie to finish second.

The day`s opener, the 1400-meter Lavasa Plate, saw Imtiaz Khan`s Mystikos, ridden by Soufyane Moulin, secure a commanding victory. Positioned handily in third or fourth early on, Mystikos accelerated on the wide outside in the final stages, pulling away by six lengths. While impressive, the quality of the win remains uncertain, as the competition was relatively modest. Polar Wind and Double Vision followed in second and third, respectively.