In the world of horse racing, where upsets lurk around every corner, John Wick wasn`t having any of it. Trained by James McKeown, the aptly named John Wick casually brushed aside the competition in the Gr 2 Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club Mysore 2000 Guineas on Friday, living up to the "legend" in his bloodline—Win Legend, to be exact. This marks his third win on as many tracks, confirming his talent while leaving his competitors gasping. With French jockey Julien Moulin piloting, Wick`s aggressive front-running left no doubt who was in charge.

Bourbonaire with a late rally from the last position, finished second in the hands of jockey Yash Narredu while  Mandarins rounded out the placings, but this race went exactly as the market predicted.

John Wick`s prior wins had the hype-train running full steam, and all he had to do was avoid derailing it. Suraj Narredu, who could`ve ridden Bourbonaire, instead jumped ship to take a shot on The Leader—who, by the way, was working well but performed like he`d gotten lost on his way to the track. Yash Narredu, perhaps sensing the inevitable, grabbed the ride on Bourbonaire instead, leaving racegoers wondering if any horse was up to challenge Wick.

Aabushan, the local Mysore hero who had everyone whispering that maybe, just maybe, he could throw a wrench in the proceedings. But when the dust settled, it was clear: all the talk of dethroning John Wick was nothing more than wishful thinking. Wick toyed with the field galloping to victory while Bourbonaire scrambled from the back to secure a somewhat flattering second.

As for Julien Moulin, let`s just say he`s been flying under the radar on the Indian circuit. But this ride was his "take notice" moment. Trainer McKeown and the owners must`ve seen something others missed because they trusted Moulin with their prized horse, even when more experienced jockeys were itching to get their hands on Wick`s reins. Moulin seized the opportunity, and once Don Carlos handed him the lead in the first furlong, he never looked back.

Now, if you like your racing unpredictable, then Sulaiman Attaollahi`s horses are your ticket. His charges run the full spectrum from disappointment to delight, depending on the day, the weather, or maybe just how the horse is feeling. Take Il Volo, for instance. Twice this horse had disappointed, with a "soft mouth" being blamed for his erratic behavior (fancy racing talk for "the horse wouldn`t cooperate"). But lo and behold, something firmed up—perhaps the odds, perhaps Il Volo`s mood—and he decided it was time to win. Jumping smartly and taking command like a seasoned pro, Il Volo cruised to victory in the 1200-metre Maj Sardar L Mahadevaiah Memorial Trophy, leaving favourite Art Gallery eating his dust in second.

A modest field of maiden three-year-olds lined up for the 1400-metre Justice P Medappa Memorial Cup on Friday, and it quickly became clear that Sherpa was the best of the bunch. With little reliable form to go on, the betting market leaned towards Absolute Katrina as the favorite, with Sherpa also receiving some support.

Once the race began, Sherpa wasted no time taking control. Leading from the start, Sherpa galloped comfortably ahead, holding off a challenge from Sapient, who secured second place. Absolute Katrina followed in third, unable to make any significant impact. Jockey A Baanndal had an easy ride, guiding Sherpa to a decisive victory, leaving the rest of the field with little chance of catching up.

Mysore is known for its racing gambles, and Friday was a good day for those in the know. Unlike the usual unpredictability, all the major gambles came through, rewarding punters who backed the right horses.

One such gamble played out in the 1600-metre Nainital Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The Sizable, trained by Santosh Rao, had finished a distant 14 lengths behind the winner in its last outing 29 days ago, hardly inspiring confidence. But despite this form, the horse attracted significant betting interest, hinting at some hidden potential known only to the connections. True to market expectations, The Sizable delivered, coming into contention in the final furlong and winning convincingly under jockey A Ramu, who rarely finds the winner`s circle. Thailava finished second, followed by Wind Whistler, while Aurele, heavily fancied to perform, disappointed with a fourth-place finish.

After a 239-day hiatus, Ramesh-trained Brilliant Light returned to action in the 1200-metre Coorg Plate (Div I) for horses in the lowest category. Any concerns evaporated as money poured in faster than a monsoon downpour, signaling that someone, somewhere knew something the rest of us didn`t.

In the final stretch, Kiran Rai barely had to twitch a muscle. One shake of the reins and Brilliant Light exploded forward, leaving the competition in the dust to win by an impressive seven-plus lengths. It was almost as if the other horses collectively decided they`d rather spectate. Only A Star and Pette`s Choice came in second and third.

In the lower division of the Coorg Plate, Narayan Gowda-trained Ice Storm was another one to keep an eye on. Though several horses seemed in with a shout early on, the late betting surge in favor of Ice Storm made it clear where the smart money was going. Jockey Rajesh Kumar gave a patient ride, waiting until the right moment before launching Ice Storm from way off the pace.

Ice Storm made his move just in time to edge out Epsom Downs and Amazing Luck—who had plenty of fans of his own—settling for third.

Two horses came in for strong support namely Red Hills and Dalhousie in the 1200 metres Dupont Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Dalhouse looked like he was going to oblige but veered out. Red Hills who was in the vicinity ran straight and went on to win comfortably for trainer Ashwin Rao in the hands of Md Sameer. D Fighter was a close third.