The spotlight was firmly on Dabeet, and the J.S. Pillay-trained trainee did not disappoint, delivering a performance that justified every ounce of confidence placed in him. In the feature event of Thursday`s Mysore races, the 1400 metres M S Suresh Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, the progeny of Moonlight Magic left nothing to chance, sealing the race well before the final furlong with a devastating turn of foot. Under a restrained ride from jockey Vivek G., Dabeet effortlessly surged past the tiring High Opinion, wrapping up the race with ease.

From the very start, High Opinion set out on a front-running mission, determined to dictate the pace. But Dabeet, stalking calmly along the rails, seemed content to bide his time. The debutant Absolute Conqueror, though positioned in second, was wide and slightly off balance, while Dabeet was cruising. As they hit the final furlong, it was clear that the writing was on the wall. With Vivek barely having to ask, Dabeet quickened in style, gliding past High Opinion as if it were a formality. High Opinion, though game in defeat, had no answer and settled for second. Meanwhile, a late-charging Dynamic Force relegated Absolute Conqueror to fourth in the dying strides, adding some drama to an otherwise straightforward affair.

The day, though mostly filled with lower-category races, saw a predictable pattern unfold. Horses with strong form and the backing of punters delivered as expected, leaving most of the day`s excitement confined to the betting ring

However, there was one story that defied the trend—a surprise that left the punters floored. In the hands of jockey Alex Rozario, Saint Emilion, a mare who had won just once in 38 previous starts, shocked everyone by pulling off a thrilling, narrow victory. Having not visited the winner`s circle in nearly a year, Saint Emilion was all but written off by bettors, but she had other plans. Leading from the break, she showed remarkable tenacity despite veering off course in the closing stages. As the well-fancied River of Gold found her stride and came charging home, it looked for all the world like the fancied runner might sweep past. But Saint Emilion, against all odds, clung on by a neck to seal the upset in the 1200 metres Denis & Yvonne Memorial Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Flying Falcon, the last-start runaway winner, was left to settle for third, while the disappointing Emerald Queen could only muster a distant fourth.

Dominic-trained Smile of Beauty made light work of the competition to claim the Division II of the Denis & Yvonne Memorial Trophy. After Infinite Possibility set the early pace and led well into the straight, it was Smile of Beauty who emerged from the wide outside like a storm, sweeping past the front-runners with ease. Apprentice jockey Koshi Kumar timed his challenge perfectly, and within the final 100 metres, the pair surged ahead to clinch the win in impressive fashion.

Meanwhile, Super Kind, the favourite, only found his rhythm too late in the race. Despite a spirited late rally, he had to settle for second. Natural Light, who had shown early promise, faded in the final stages to finish a distant third.

In the Division III of the Denis & Yvonne Memorial Trophy, Warren Singh-trained Chotipari was simply in a league of her own. Facing what could only be described as submissive opposition, she stormed to a commanding victory, crossing the line more than seven lengths ahead.

With Sai Kiran guiding her on a start-to-finish mission, the favourite was never under any real pressure, leading the field by daylight. Powerful Lady trailed in second, five lengths ahead of Thalaiva, who could only manage third as the race turned into a one-horse procession.

Santosh Rao-trained Celerio delivered a bold and expected performance with an authoritative victory in the 1100-metre Squanderer Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 0 to 25. Jockey Afsar Khan had little to worry about as the fancied runner comfortably tracked Tropical Mist before taking control in the final stretch to secure the win with ease. Tropical Mist barely held on to second, edging out Benzema by the slimmest of margins.

It was a memorable day for trainer Warren Singh, who notched up a double. His success kicked off early with Meghann, the hot favourite, cruising to a start-to-finish win in the hands of apprentice jockey Abhishek Mhatre in Division II of the Squanderer Plate. Meghann faced minimal resistance throughout, with Epsom Downs offering only a token chase. Meanwhile, Firefinch finished with a late flourish but narrowly missed snatching second place, settling for third instead.

In the 1200-metre Shivakasi Plate, a race for horses rated 0 to 25, H. Moses-trained Super Sexy pulled off a surprising yet commanding win at long odds. Apprentice jockey Koshi Kumar, who enjoyed a double on the day, sent Super Sexy straight to the front and never looked back. The long-shot ran unchallenged, crossing the line well ahead of the late-finishing Square Cut and Country`s Light. Meanwhile, the favourite Elevado faded out in the final furlong, failing to make an impact when it mattered most.