The only task jockey Suraj Narredu had on his brother Rajesh Narredu-trained Excellent Lass was to stay comfortably in the saddle and go through the motions in the Gr 3 Mysore 1000 Guineas—the first classic of the season at Mysore on Friday. Suraj wasn`t about to bother with pleasantries like letting someone else set the pace when he had a powerhouse under him. Instead, he launched the filly on a start-to-finish blitz, and the rest was a mere formality. Every 200 meters, the lead grew larger, with Excellent Lass romping home by over six lengths, making the competition look like a non-event.

Excellent Lass, a money-back favourite, had no real opposition—the rest of the field couldn`t have challenged her even in a handicap race with a big weight advantage. Her biggest competitor was herself, as the others merely filled out the numbers. Chotipari and Joon, who tried their best to keep up, ended up losing the chance for second place. That honour went to Finley, who had been lurking at the back of the field, but jockey Akshay Kumar worked hard to pick off the exhausted runners and claim the runner-up spot. The finish looked like an Indian line, with the horses stretched out in a long, trailing procession behind the uncatchable winner. The winning margins spoke volumes about how routine the race was for the top filly. This was Excellent Lass`s second classic victory, following her triumph in the Gr 1 Fillies Championship Stakes. The progeny of Excellent Art, Excellent Lass seems destined for even greater glories ahead.

The luck of the race certainly favoured Sulaiman Attaollahi-trained Galahad, who claimed the 1600-meter Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy Memorial Cup—but not in the dominant fashion expected of a short-priced favourite. Instead, Galahad`s victory came thanks to a fortunate turn of events over long-shot Aabushan, who nearly pulled off a dramatic upset in the race for horses rated 60 and above. Fittingly, Aabushan was running in the colours of the very man the race was named after, though now under a trust set up for this purpose.

Aabushan, fresh off a win, seemed poised for another triumph, but fate had other plans. After trailing at the back for most of the race, jockey Angad swung Aabushan wide, cutting a wild, erratic path. Just as he corrected course and surged forward in a brilliant late charge, he came agonizingly close—losing the race by a mere whisker.

Meanwhile, jockey Akshay Kumar kept things steady aboard Galahad, settling him in fourth as D Gold Star and Cavarozzi set a solid pace, with second-favourite Philosophy and Aabushan lagging in the rear. As the race entered the final furlong, Galahad hit the front with ease, looking to seal a comfortable victory as Philosophy`s challenge fizzled out. The real drama, however, unfolded in the closing moments, when Aabushan`s corrected run nearly stole the show, finishing in a flourish that left the crowd wondering what might have been. Mystic Bond grabbed third ahead of Splendido, while Philosophy turned in a disappointing performance.

The form of a horse is often the holy grail for punters seeking that elusive winner. But there`s another sneaky factor that can turn the tide: whether a horse has dropped a category. Now, even if a horse has come down a grade, you`d think common sense would rule out one that`s been trailing by nearly 30 lengths in its previous runs, right? Well, if there`s one thing horse racing loves to do, it`s throwing logic out the window. Sometimes, a horse`s past performance is more of an illusion than reality—thanks to the `strategic` decisions made by those in the know. After all, the runs have passed official scrutiny, so who`s to argue?

Take Ramesh-trained Sky Storm, for instance, who came in like a thunderclap of confidence in the 1400-meter Panchgani Plate (Div II)—a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The gelding managed to scrape by with a win, much to the delight (and relief) of his backers. The more consistent Pettes Love, trained by Neil Devaney and ridden by Anthony Raj (one of the rising stars of the jockeying world), was also fancied and positioned to make a bold bid. After sitting pretty at the final turn, Pettes Love surged into the lead. But just when it looked like victory was sealed, Kiran Rai aboard Sky Storm came storming—pun intended—down the stretch, snatching the upper hand in the dying moments.

Meanwhile, One Diamond made a late charge, but Sky Storm clung on by a neck to save a pile of money at the post, with Pettes Love and One Diamond breathing down his neck. For those keeping score, this was Sky Storm`s first win in over 1,000 days. Talk about a long time between drinks!

While the lower division of the race saw Sky Storm defy both form and logic to snatch a surprise victory, Division I of the Panchgani Plate turned into a comedy of errors. In a twist straight out of a racing thriller, the race was declared null and void due to a false start. But here`s where it gets interesting: the jockeys didn`t catch on. Oblivious to the chaos behind them, they rode their horses to the finish line, only to realize it was all for nothing! The punters were left scratching their heads while the horses, having run a race that technically never happened, trotted back to the stables, sweating and confused—just like everyone else.

Vinesh V Naik-trained Natural One, heavily backed as the clear favourite in the 1400-meter Psychic Strength Plate (for horses rated 20 to 45), snatched victory in the last possible stride under jockey Vivek G—and not without a touch of luck.

Free Spirited set the pace early, galloping freely at the front, with Cayote Girl and Natural One close behind, hugging the rail. But just as things were heating up, Free Spirited veered off course, leaving a golden opportunity along the inside. Cayote Girl was quick to pounce, showing an extra burst of speed, with Natural One hot on her heels. For a moment, it seemed like Cayote Girl had the race wrapped up, but Vivek`s determined riding turned the tables, ensuring the favourite`s backers didn`t go home disappointed. Meanwhile, Free Spirited, who reportedly pulled up lame, clung to third place ahead of NRI Touch, the second favourite, who only found his rhythm when it was far too late to make a real impact.

The two market fancies, Seolfor Bullet and Court Jester, turned the 1200 meters Original Vel Racing Trophy into a gripping duel, with Pratap Kamath`s trainee, ridden by jockey Akshay Kumar, pulling ahead of Court Jester in the final moments of the race. Apprentice jockey Faiz had ridden a clever race, holding back Court Jester until the straight before launching the fancied runner into action in the final furlong. However, Seolfor Bullet, who had edged out the same rival in their previous encounter, proved superior once again. Though the margin may have appeared narrow, Seolfor Bullet was pulling away at the finish, securing a more comfortable win than the verdict suggested. Emerald Queen finished third, while Sparkling Knight, another horse fancied in the betting, raced far too keenly on the wide outside and failed to find any rhythm, fading out of contention before the final turn.

The day`s final race was called off by the Stewards due to relentless rain, which left the track unsafe for any racing action.