Prasanna Kumar-trained Stud Poker did what the form book expected him to do, winning the Gr.3 Zavaray S. Poonawalla Mysore 2000 Guineas, the second classic of the season on Thursday at Mysore. But while the victory was convincing enough, it was hardly a demolition job.

The relatively inexperienced Black Irish, ridden by the lesser-known Alex Rozario, gave the favourite a surprisingly stiff fight. With a little more experience and perhaps a little more assistance from the saddle, Black Irish could have made Stud Poker work considerably harder for his classic crown.

Considering that the opposition for the Derby does not appear particularly intimidating at this stage, Stud Poker could well start as the horse to beat in the big race, unless, as so often happens in racing, the sport decides to introduce an unexpected plot twist.

Act of Life was a distant third, while Bullet Proof, who had won the Colts Championship at Kolkata, found his ambitious long-distance campaign coming apart at the seams. After travelling a considerable distance to Mysore, Bullet Proof appeared to have something go wrong approaching the final bend. Jockey Trevor Patel eased him down and the second favourite finished in distress.

Exactly what went wrong with Bullet Proof was not immediately clear, although the colt had already been asked to do rather a lot, both on the racecourse and on the road. The combination of hard racing and gruelling travel may simply have extracted its toll.

Stud Poker went to the post as a short-priced favourite, with jockey Anthony Raj deciding to make the running according to his own timetable. Black Irish came at him in the final furlong, but Stud Poker had enough in reserve to skip away and win with a measure of comfort in 1:35.09, almost identical to the time recorded by the winner of the 1000 Guineas.

Lesser-fancied Balgownie, from trainer Sebastian's stable, provided the punters with a more profitable surprise when landing the 1400 metres Hotel RRR Trophy, for horses rated 40 to 65, at nourishing odds. Top-weighted Spectacular raced far too freely in front and, having spent much of his energy early, had little left when the serious business began. Balgownie gradually reeled him in and went on to win with a fair degree of authority. Falcon Fury finished third, while favourite Zephyrine produced a disappointing effort under Akshay Kumar. The jockey received a chorus of boos on returning to the unsaddling enclosure, having once again found himself aboard a favourite that failed to live up to expectations. In racing, there are few things more dangerous than a favourite with a fan club.

Trainer Gnanshekar quietly landed a gamble on Martino in the 1200 metres Nainital Plate (Div. I), for horses rated 20 to 45. Lauterbrunnen was the strong favourite but finished a disappointing fourth under Kiran Rai. With Rai in the saddle, the unpredictable element seems to acquire a life of its own. There are horses running under so many names and connections that punters sometimes end up discussing a mysterious doosra even when it appears that the connections themselves are not connected. Martino, meanwhile, went about the job with considerably less drama and considerably more efficiency.

Trainer Shoban Babu provided the winner of the lower division of the Nainital Plate, with My Solitaire producing a resolute performance under Anthony Raj, who completed a rich haul of three winners on the day, including the classic. Fancied Star Symphony held the lead entering the final furlong but could not withstand the relentless pressure from My Solitaire, who gradually wore down the front-runner and went on to win comfortably.

Makato, who had attracted good betting support, was third under Kiran Rai. With Rai aboard, market expectations sometimes seem to be little more than a decorative accessory. Even an astrologer might hesitate before making a prediction. Jailor, who was also strongly fancied, veered out at the start and unshipped jockey A R Pradeep, thereby bringing his race to a rather premature conclusion.

Prasanna Kumar-trained Moon Oracle, who had finished an impressive fourth in a tightly contested Deccan Fillies Championship Stakes, looked a different class altogether in the 1400 metres Original Vel Racing Trophy, for maiden three-year-olds.

Moon Oracle cantered home by a widening eight lengths, leaving Sensuous a distant second and Evolvita third. It was the sort of performance that suggested the opposition had been invited along merely to provide the winner with company.

The lower division produced another emphatic performance, with Prithviraj-trained Your Sri Shakthi making virtually every yard under Rafique. Your Sri Shakthi flew out of the gates, established a healthy lead and simply kept increasing the gap, eventually winning by a widening seven lengths over Sigrid. Love On was third. Favourite Osaka, meanwhile, was never in the hunt and produced a performance that left his supporters wondering.

The concluding race, the 1600 metres Coorg Plate, for horses rated 20 to 45, went to fancied Star of Light from trainer Sebastian's stable. Saro Fly and Kalania broke away from the field and established a lead of six to seven lengths. Kalania then overhauled Saro Fly in the homestretch and appeared to have stolen the race. But racing has a habit of reserving its last joke for the punters. Star of Light produced a powerful run down the final furlong, gradually eating into the deficit before storming past Kalania to score a comfortable victory. Holy Valor was third. The Mighty Hero, despite the heroic name, was nowhere to be seen when the real battle began.