Kiara proved that she is a breed apart steam rolling the opposition in the Gr 3 Bangalore City Gold Cup which featured Thursday`s races Despite taking on seasoned contestants, three-year old Kiara proved that she is head and shoulders above not only her contemporaries but also against proven customers by winning without having to be extended. Despite running for the 10th time in such a short span, perhaps a record for a three-year old at this stage of the career, Kiara showed that she simply loves to race. Each of her runs has been an improvement over the other. The only occasion when she finished second best was to her stablemate Set Alight in the Gr 1 Fillies Trial Stakes over a mile but in the form that she is in, she can beat the rest of her contemporaries even over a mile long trip with equal felicity. The Pesi Shroff trained Kiara has really blossomed into a top class performer and her sojourn in Bangalore seems to have worked wonders for her. She seems to revel on the Bangalore track which has a cut in the ground and this daughter of China Visit is simply unstoppable.

	Kiara (C Alford up) winner of the Bangalore City Gold Cup (Grade III), being led in by trainer S S Attaollahi & joint owner Yohann Shroff.

Kiara was the shortest priced runner of the Bangalore City Gold Cup which was won last year by the seasoned Haunting Memories. Lady One led the field as the field set about for the six furlong trip, with Mark of Gibraltar in second position followed by Kiara and Aurelian. The last named who is a known front-runner was sluggish at the start. Lady One had a break of over five lengths on the rest of the runners, with Kiara in third position, just waiting for the signal to quicken. Kiara covered places on Lady One without any apparent effort and in the straight, sailed past the front-runner with minimum of fuss to win by a widening margin of over five lengths. Lady One in turn was quite clear of Mark of Gibraltar. The winner clocked a smart time of one minute 13.48 seconds in soft to heavy underfoot conditions.

Milagro has always led the field at the bend whenever he had won and on occasions he has been lethargic, he has not put his best foot forward whether he had run as a favourite or as a rank outsider. War Child who had blazed the track became the public rage in the 1400 metres S Jayaraman Memorial Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65, as race goers were unsure of what to expect from the stable whose horses are not known for their consistency. However, the odds close to race time came down on Milagro and it was a clear indication that things could be different. Predictably, Milagro raced in right earnest, took over the running from the outside draw and kicked away from the field to record an impressive win. War Child failed to take a forward position and struggled right through and did not finish on frame. Sangini was a surprise second ahead of Our Lancer who had a good forward run.

The well backed Axiology won the lower division of the Jayaraman Memorial Cup from Milford. Axiology came up with a big run in the final furlong and sailed past Milford who was racing along the rails but slackened close home and this enabled the former to narrow the verdict. Milford who was struggling for speed when overhauled by Axiology, came up with a re-run after being pulled out possibility more due to the front-runner tiring out than him picking up speed. Jockey Appu, who rode Milford, raised an objection against Suraj Narredu who rode the winner, for crossing his path at a crucial stage of the race which cost him a certain race. The Stewards rightly overruled the objection as Appu`s contention did not have merit in it. Good Companion was third.

Despite the odds drifting out alarmingly in the betting ring, Calming Influence proved too good for Immortal who was in receipt of inspired betting close to race time. Galloping Blues too was backed down spiritedly to favoritism but the Ganapathy trainee lost steam approaching the final bend, and traveled very wide into the straight and was a beaten cause long way from home. Galloping Blues who shifted course, affected the running of She`s Big who clipped the front-runner and her jockey Chandrasekhar, however, managed to stay in the saddle. The Stewards hauled up Prakash for careless riding and suspended him for four race days.

Though Gleaming Sky had received considerable penalty, she was backed to the exclusion of her rivals in the 1800 metres Doaba Stud Plate. Gleaming Sky was prominent till turning for home, packed up and finished miserably. Blink shaped like a winner and even headed Scimitar close home but the latter fought back and wrested the initiative to post a narrow win. Echoes of Light came up with a late bid to finish a close third. Somehow, jockey C Alford and Echoes of Light don`t seem to like each other`s company.

Kyles of Bute had let down as a favourite in controversial circumstances, with the jockey getting the benefit of doubt. But this time out, Kyles of Bute, despite running over an abridged trip of five and half furlongs, won start to finish by a margin of over nine lengths. Stunning Grey, who received solid support in the ring, ran on to be second. Arnatta was the ante post favourite but the odds on her drifted out and she ran without hope in the race.

The day`s opener which was run over 2000 metres for horses rated 0 to 25, saw an exciting finish, with Attaturk getting up just in time to edge out the late rallying Prince Norbert and Royal Filly. The son of Brave Act, Attaturk showed a liking for both the soft ground and the extended trip that he was asked to cover, by winning in the hands of four kg claimer Shiva Kumar.