By Punters Mind
It was a mixed day at the Bangalore races where only a few favourites like Sicyon, Rosario, and Challenge Accepted stood their ground. For most punters, it turned out to be a rough day, with many popular choices underperforming and throwing the betting markets into chaos. Yet, for racing professionals, it was a day of skill and planning. Champion trainer Pesi Shroff and young talent Adhirajsingh Jodha stole the show, each saddling a double and proving their horses were ready despite the uncertainty in the ring.
Rosario Finds his Rhythm in the Endorsement Plate
After failing to impress in his first run at this centre, Rosario came back stronger in the Endorsement Plate, a mile-long race. With Vivek G in the saddle, Rosario settled nicely behind the front-runner Mystic Charm, showing patience and control. As they turned for home, Vivek asked for an effort, and Rosario responded beautifully. He accelerated past Mystic Charm and was never challenged thereafter. He won by daylight, showing class and readiness for higher-level events.
Andre, trained by Bharath Singh, ran on to take second without really threatening the winner. Einaudi from the Sulaiman Attaollahi yard filled the frame in third. With this win, Rosario has not only “broken his maiden” at this track but also stamped himself as one to watch going forward.
Bishop Stuns in the SG Madhukar Memorial Trophy
The seven-furlong SG Madhukar Memorial Trophy had most eyes on Prokofiev, who was coming off a win in Mumbai after a failed attempt at this track. Unfortunately, he once again failed to deliver, finishing a disappointing third.
But it was Bishop, a 10/1 outsider trained by Pesi Shroff, who stole the limelight. Patiently ridden, Bishop was settled in the mid-pack early on, before being angled out and asked to go in the final 300 metres. He responded like a seasoned campaigner, surging forward and overtaking Laguna Seca to win with ease.
Laguna Seca from Vijay Singh’s yard ran a strong race to finish second, while Prokofiev didn’t show any real spark and had to settle for third. Bishop’s turn of foot and composure at the business end suggests he’s got more wins in store at this centre.
Challenge Accepted Silences Doubts
Despite not making the board in his last two starts at Mumbai, Challenge Accepted was the talk of the track in the Udhagamandalam Plate, a six-furlong sprint. Backed heavily, punters believed the Adhirajsingh Jodha-trained colt was sitting on a big run—and he delivered.
A. Sandesh, riding with supreme confidence, had Challenge Accepted in striking position throughout. As they entered the final furlong, he simply cruised past his rivals to win with something more in hand.
On the other hand, Imperador, from Prasanna Kumar’s yard, was expected to pose a threat but ran a lacklustre race, never making an impact. Interestingly, punters sensed something was wrong when the odds on Imperador drifted from 4/1 to 6/1. Many smart players switched their money to Challenge Accepted just in time.
Flaming Sword ran a solid second, redeeming himself after a poor effort last season. Doncaster Belle narrowly claimed third, just edging out the fancied Scent Of Rain, who was a popular choice in place betting.
Sovereign King Shocks the Stars in the Juvenile Million
The Benaka Developers Karnataka Juvenile Million was the day’s feature event. The spotlight was on the unbeaten Fynbos, trained by Pesi Shroff, and Big Bay, a strong contender based on the Poonawalla Multi-Million result. But it was Sovereign King, from Adhiraj Jodha’s yard, who grabbed the headlines after the race.
Carrying five kilos less than Big Bay, Sovereign King had an edge on paper. But when the connections declared Antony Raj, who was two kilos overweight, punters went back to supporting Big Bay and Fynbos only to be shocked by a spectacular turn-of-foot by Sovereign King and streaking clear in the smart timing of 1m 23.286
Despite that, Sovereign King ran a cracker of a race. He tracked the leaders early, made his move approaching the final furlong, and pulled away impressively. Big Bay tried hard but couldn’t match the King’s turn of foot. Fynbos was caught flat-footed and could only manage third, raising doubts about her chances in the upcoming Fillies’ Championship.
Sicyon: Effortless Victory Confirms Class
In the Elite Force Plate, Sicyon started as a firm favourite and justified the confidence with an easy win over 1300 metres the new race trip tested for the first time in BTC. The filly showed class beyond her rating, cruising past her rivals with Sandesh not even needing to go full throttle.
She looked well above the rest of the field and will now be aimed at stronger company, likely among colts and fillies of classic potential. Silicon Star ran well to finish second, confirming place expectations. Perfect Attitude ended up third and could benefit from a drop in class next time.
Glaze Makes a Mockery of Betting Boards in the Last
The final race, the Aureole Time Plate, was a classic case of “favourites flop, fluke wins.” Darrion and Satin Lass were heavily backed, but neither delivered. Darrion looked poised to win after hitting the front in the straight, but faded in the last 100 metres. That’s when Glaze, trained by Narayan Gowda, came flying down the centre and shocked everyone.The best of Punters missed this winner as it was neither shining on the track, nor some better jockey rode and not even a distance of the trip had a change.The stewards must have pulled the socks of the Trainer for explanation on its sudden improvement as was thought by many punters, but again this is the racing uncertainity of unexpected things to unfold.
With odds of ₹394 for a ₹10 bet at the tote, Glaze rewarded the few believers and punished the crowd followers. Satin Lass never entered the fray, and Estefania was outpaced from the start.
The Strikingly Begins the Day in Style
The opening race, the Prince Khartoum Plate, saw The Strikingly demolish the opposition. Trained by Joseph and ridden by Sai Kiran, the filly went straight to the front and never looked back, winning by a big margin.
Ebotse, the favourite from Arjun Manglorkar’s yard, found the winner too sharp and managed only second, just ahead of Mega Success, who ran a promising race in third.
📝 Horses to Follow – Put These in Your Notebook
Here’s a list of standout runners and potential improvers worth tracking in their next outings:
✅ Rosario – Has found form and should be followed in mile and middle-distance races.
✅ Bishop – Surprised a quality field; should improve further.
✅ Sovereign King – Beat the best in the Juvenile Million; a live classic contender.
✅ Sicyon – Dominant win suggests she’s a future star.
✅ Flaming Sword – Back in form, could go one better next time.
✅ The Strikingly – In great nick and primed for another win.
✅ Doncaster Belle – Consistent; deserves a close watch in weaker fields.
✅ Andre – Finished second behind Rosario; could strike in a suitable race.
✅ Laguna Seca – Improving; capable of surprising in similar company.
✅ Mega Success – Eye-catching third in the opener; one for the lower class handicaps.
