Vittal Deshmukh-trained High Command seized the moment to pull off a nail-biting victory in the 1400 metres K Raghupathi Reddy Memorial Cup, the feature event of Sunday`s races for horses rated 80 and above. With everything falling into place, the four-year-old colt, having tested over long trips, proved his versatility in a tightly contested finish.

As Candy Girl led the field into the homestretch, jockey Aashad Asbar urged High Command into action, taking charge by the final furlong. But the race was far from over. Truth threw down a valiant challenge, while favourite Huntington unleashed a furious late rally after an unlucky trip that saw him baulked for room until the final turn. Forced to swing wide, Huntington showed tremendous acceleration, but the effort came just too late.

High Command held on to win by a neck from Truth, with Huntington a further half-length adrift in third, covering plenty of ground on the wide outside. The rains may have drenched the track, but they didn`t dampen the excitement—or alter the track`s character significantly.

Favourite Silver Act had to play the role of Houdini in the 1800 metres K R Arvind Reddy Memorial Trophy, navigating a severe traffic jam between Armstrong and Trishul at a critical juncture. But once jockey Mukesh Kumar, riding a wave of sublime form for trainer Magan Singh Parmar, found daylight, Silver Act came alive with a breathtaking burst of speed to snatch victory in the dying strides.

Trishul, who looked poised to script a win, could only watch as Silver Act flew past in the shadow of the post, leaving him to settle for second. Meanwhile, Painted Apache, making a rare cameo of competitiveness, unleashed a strong late run from way off the pace to claim a notable third. Perhaps he finally remembered what it means to race. This thrilling win by Silver Act highlighted not just his class but also Mukesh Kumar`s ability to stay cool under pressure—a vital ingredient in turning chaos into triumph.

Jockey Mukesh Kumar once again proved that sticking to the script can deliver box-office results, guiding Barbet to an encore victory in the 1600 metres Brave Dancer Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Employing his tried-and-true tactic of hugging the rails before angling out in the final furlong, Mukesh executed the plan to perfection, ensuring the fancied runner Barbet got the job done when it mattered most.

Detective, fresh off a come-from-behind win, seemed to have picked up a new hobby—leading from the front. Jockey Gaurav Singh decided on a bold start-to-finish strategy, but the move appeared more adventurous than effective. Detective faced relentless heat from Decoy down the straight, the latter making sure the leader never had a moment to breathe.

Just as the tussle between Detective and Decoy looked set to determine the winner, Barbet unleashed a late, powerful surge, swooping in like a seasoned scene-stealer to snatch victory close to the post. Decoy lived up to his name, doing all the hard work only to set things up beautifully for the eventual winner. To add insult to injury, Decoy edged out Detective for the second spot, leaving the early pacesetter to contemplate the perils of premature ambition. Hugh Capet ran on well towards the close to finish fourth.

Sreekant-trained Star Cruise, sent off at juicy odds, turned the 1200 metres Nalgonda Cup into a nail-biter before claiming victory with a gutsy performance. The race for horses rated 20 to 45 saw the gelding fight tooth and hoof in the straight, finally asserting his dominance in the final 100 metres.

Silver Lining gave chase with the kind of determination that promised an upset, looming dangerously close and making the frontrunner look vulnerable. But Star Cruise dug into reserves of grit, finding that little extra when it mattered most to pull clear and silence any doubts.

Late in the day, American Affair appeared out of nowhere with a flying finish to grab second place, denying the well-fancied Antidote a better showing. The favourite settled for third, narrowly edging out Silver Lining, who faded to fourth, perhaps still reflecting on how the winning post wasn`t quite close enough.

Everything clicked for Leo D`Silva`s Dontblockmyway, who lived up to his name and favouritism in the 1100 metres Flying Treasure Plate, a race for maiden two-year-olds. The race unfolded almost as if the competitors took the name of the horse as a polite directive, clearing the path for the favourite to lead all the way and scrape home by a narrow margin.

Star Envied seemed determined to make things dramatic from the get-go, veering out at the start, and losing a heap of ground. Meanwhile, Northern Waves, who came armed with the experience of a mock race, decided to take a sightseeing tour of the final turn, drifting wide and effectively waving goodbye to any winning hopes.

Back at the front, Dontblockmyway, with Saqlain in the saddle, led from the start, blissfully unaware of the chaos behind. But things got dicey in the closing stages as Star Envied, having found his feet, unleashed a powerful late surge that fell agonizingly short. It was a photo finish that saw Dontblockmyway clinging on for dear life to claim the win. American Affair secured third, ahead of the misfortunate Northern Waves, whose wide-turn escapade likely left connections wondering if the horse thought he was in a scenic trail ride. In the end, Dontblockmyway was lucky to survive the late heroics of Star Envied.

Prasad Raju-trained Black Dust, who had previously decided to start races like a groggy teenager waking up for school, finally got his act together in the 1400 metres Ardent Knight Plate, a contest for horses rated 20 to 45. With the smart money backing the three-year-old gelding, he took a sharp jump at the gates and made it count this time around.

Eminency led the field into the homestretch, setting the pace and daring the others to catch up. But when jockey Sai Kumar gave Black Dust the go-ahead, the gelding responded with purpose. The front-runner Eminency didn`t give up without a fight, putting up a spirited resistance like a seasoned underdog, but eventually ran out of steam in the final furlong.

With Eminency fading, Black Dust surged ahead and had enough left in the tank to comfortably fend off a late rally from Always Special. The latter`s late dash looked threatening for a brief moment but lacked the firepower to upset the winner. Eminency held on for third, his early enthusiasm costing him dearly in the end.

The 1400 metres Solitaire Plate, a race for horses stuck in the elusive quest for a maiden win, was more about "Who will finally cross the line first?" than "Who`s the best horse?" It was a battle of mediocrity, where picking a winner felt like predicting a coin toss—blindfolded. Laxman Singh-trained Jungle Girl lured punters with her tag as the favourite, while Amboseli took a backseat on the betting boards, drifting out faster than enthusiasm at a Monday morning meeting.

With no standout form to inspire confidence, punters clung to the age-old mantra: "The favourite must know something we don`t." And so, Jungle Girl carried the weight of expectations into the race.

Amboseli took the field along, as if eager to shake off its “perpetual struggler” tag, leading them into the homestretch. But the race got spicy in the final furlong when Jungle Girl finally showed some life and began reeling in the leader. Just as the punters dared to dream, in stormed Sargent, the dark horse from trainer Srinivas Reddy`s yard. With jockey H M Akshay aboard, Sargent came charging like he had just realized winning races is the point of all this.

What followed was a fleeting duel for supremacy, but Sargent had more gas in the tank—or perhaps just more motivation to leave the bottom rung. He pulled away effortlessly, leaving Jungle Girl huffing and puffing to settle for second. Amboseli brought up a distant third, still wondering where it all went wrong.

Ravinder Singh-trained High Heels proved that slow starts are no match for a flying finish in the 1100 metres Air Command Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. After lumbering out of the gates, High Heels steadily improved her position, delivering a jaw-dropping burst of speed in the final stages to upset the favourite Normui, who had led from the start and seemed destined for glory.

Normui might have looked like a sure bet halfway down the straight, but High Heels had other ideas, swooping in from nowhere to dash those hopes with a decisive late surge. The victory came at nourishing odds, much to the delight of those who had kept the faith in this consistent performer. Meanwhile, Linda did just enough to hold off Opera Queen in a tight tussle for third, securing place money in a finish that added some extra drama to the undercard.

The day ended with a classic twist as trainer Satheesh`s Challenger delivered a knockout blow in the 1100 metres Galactica Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. The gelding, who had been knocking on the door with consistent runs, was inexplicably overlooked by punters—a lapse that proved costly.

Jockey Nakhat Singh had Challenger on the offensive right from the gates, seizing the lead and never looking back. The front-runner controlled the pace with authority, making it look all too easy as he cruised past the winning post. Favourite Rulethewind tried to mount a challenge but found himself chasing shadows, extending his streak of futility to a painful 700 days.

Challenger`s commanding win left the favourite`s connections scratching their heads and the punters licking their wounds. Meanwhile, Nucleus ran on late to snatch third from Winning Attitude, who, despite the name, seemed to lack the spark needed for a podium finish. This upset was a sharp reminder that in racing, consistency often hides in plain sight.