Arjun Mangalorkar-trained La McQueen put on quite the show, snatching an exciting win from local challenger Hand of God in the lucrative 1200-metre F K Irani Memorial Million 2024. A race for three-year-olds, it was the headline event of Friday’s Mysore races. La McQueen surged ahead inside the final furlong; hanging on for dear life as Hand of God came thundering down with a dramatic late charge only to miss the berth by a neck. Favourite Rodney, however, continued his now trademark tradition of leaving his fans sighing in despair, while Phenomenon was a lackluster third.

Rodney, trained by Irfan Ghatala, is the horse that punters can't help but believe in, despite every reason not to. First, he tumbles off the charts with a jockey mishap, then reappears at the end of the Bangalore Summer Season, only to lose in a thriller. This time, punters thought, Rodney could do it but ever the disappointment, crushed their dreams yet again with a timid performance. One of these days, he might just decide to win, but only when no one expects it..

As for Phenomenon, expectations were high after his flashy win in Bangalore. He managed to limp into third place, but not before NRI Ace, had exhausted herself.

The race itself started with NRI Ace leading the pack over the six-furlong trip, followed by Rodney, Phenomenon, Divine Art, and La McQueen. Hand of God tailed the field. Divine Art, proving everyone right who expected little, fell behind quickly, and by the final turn, was as relevant as yesterday’s news. NRI Ace valiantly held the lead until the straight, but Phenomenon’s lack of speed meant La McQueen had the perfect opening. She breezed past the tiring frontrunner, just as Hand of God stormed down the track with a flourish that, alas, came a few strides too late.

Arjun Mangalorkar bagged a double for the day, courtesy of Czar, a horse that once promised the world as a three-year-old but delivered very little until recently. Having finally found some rhythm, with occasional trips to the winner’s circle, Czar was handed a golden opportunity in the 1200 metres M W Chinnappa Memorial Trophy. With modest competition and form on his side, the progeny of Western Aristocrat made light work of it, clinching yet another victory. His main rival Brave Trooper who, after 330 winless days, was a noteworthy second.

Jockey Anthony Raj, brimming with confidence, didn’t bother to break a sweat. While Stag’s Leap set the early pace, Raj sat cool before with a gentle nudge inside the final furlong got Czar to respond. Czar sailed past the front-runner to win comfortably. Brave Trooper, for once, looked like he might actually make a bid for victory soon, Segera made a late dash to snatch third, just ahead of Seolfor Bullet, who'll likely need to reload for next time.

Meanwhile, in the 1100 metres Yelahanka Plate, Silver Spring, trained by Vishesh V Naik, appeared to be racing against, well, no one. Looking every bit the class act in a field of horses rated 40 to 65, the punters had clearly done their homework and flooded the betting windows with their precious money.And they were not disappointed..

Jockey Aman was in no rush, casually allowing Saro Gold Mine to burn herself out with a runaway lead. The real race began in the straight, where Silver Spring finally kicked into gear, cruising home in glorious isolation by a ridiculous eight-length margin. Behind The scramble for the minor placings ended with Hastings Cruise edging out Spiritual Force for second, while Tower Quest followed closely, for fourth.

The short-priced runner from Dominic’s stable, Jersey King, cruised to an easy victory in the 1200 metres Police Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. With jockey Suraj Narredu in the saddle, Jersey King went straight to the front and comfortably maintained his lead, winning by over four lengths without needing much effort. Indian Blues finished second, as expected, while Flying Feet took third and looks likely to be in contention soon.

On a day dominated by favourites, H Moses-trained Confident Game secured an easy win in the 1600 metres Jog Falls Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Jockey K Mukesh Kumar kept the favourite in third place early on before making his move in the homestretch. Confident Game quickly pulled ahead, leaving the competition far behind, winning easily from Aurele, with Forest View taking third. The rest of the field was left trailing, underscoring the one-sided nature of the race.

Rakesh-trained O Manchali lived up to expectations in the 1400 metres Talakadu Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Jockey Anthony Raj pushed O Manchali to take the lead in the final 300 metres, and despite veering out slightly, the favourite pulled away comfortably. Her win was helped by Natural One, who could have been a threat but traveled too wide and slipped on the sand track, settling for second place ahead of NRI Touch.

The day’s opener saw a surprising result when Polar Wind, from C D Monnappa’s stable, won the 1600 metres Paddock Plate at long odds. In a race for the lowest category horses, Polar Wind led from the start under jockey Alex Rozario and held off the late challenges of David’s Delight and Eco System to secure the win. The rest of the day, however, was dominated by strong favourites.