M P Mahaesh trained Splendid Surprise bounced back to the form that had fetched him back to back classics during the last Mysore season while winning the richly endowed Maharaja`s Gold Cup, a terms race for four-year olds and over, one of the star events of the season, held on Friday. Splendid Surprise swamped a quality field in a record timing of one minute 35.45 seconds clipping nearly two seconds from the old mark of one minute 37.21 seconds, clocked by Spark of Life in the same race, seven years ago. Splendid Surprise seems to love the Mysore track and it is on this track that he had come into full bloom last year, winning the Mysore 2000 Guineas and the coveted Poonawalla Derby. Splendid Surprise has proved to be a veritable money spinner as his career earnings have touched close to Rs 1 crore mark. Incidentally, Splendid Surprise was the first ever horse owned by mining baron Santosh Lad.

Splendid Surprise hadn`t won a race after Mysore Derby as a setback had seen him race just once during the winter season in Bangalore. However, he had shown glimpses of his old form while losing the Gr 1 Super Mile at Hyderabad by a whisker to Diego Rivera. Splendid Surprise did not do anything noteworthy during the summer season and his last outing earlier in the season, was not suggestive of an imminent transformation. Splendid Surprise raced keen and showed his zest while taking the turn four deep and then sailing past the front-runners with ease to win pulling up by a shade less than three lengths from late rallying Rio Bravo and Green Bax who essayed the mile long trip in a manner that was entirely unexpected. Strongly fancied Secret Song who had come into this category with two impressive wins found the company tough to handle though he ended up a fair fourth. Guest Connections failed to reproduce her old spark while Western Command who raced with the pace, packed up too easily for comfort and finished poorly.

The odds indicated that there was no clear cut favourite but Secret Song was more fancied by default as he was expected to show improvement on his impressive efforts during the season. In a fast run race, Green Bax led the field with Western Command, Mother`s Pride racing in close attendance ahead of Guest Connections, Lionheart, Secret Song, Café Coffee, Guided Missile with Rio Bravo bringing the tail end. Jockey Harish on Splendid Surprise made his move at around 800 metres marker by quickly improving his position on the wide outside and coming within striking distance of the front-runners.

Green Bax kicked on as the field straightened out but Western Command faded out, with Guest Connections joining the issue. However, Splendid Surprise who covered ground swiftly on the outside ranged alongside Guest Connections though he did jostle the horse on his inside while surging ahead. Splendid Surprise showed his patented speed and went well clear of the field and it was left to Rio Bravo to come up with a big run from the rear to take the runner up spot. Green Bax ran on to be third while Guest Connections was displaced from the fourth position by stablemate Secret Song.

Command who lost the race in the Stewards room in his last outing was the firm favourite to win the 1400 metres J Tyrrell Memorial Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 35. However, Command reared up at the gates and hurt himself and was withdrawn from the fray. Luckily, there was not enough time for the punters to charge to the bookmaker in search of an elusive winner because in the event, the race was won by Amatol who paid a dividend in excess of 100 to 1 on a Rs 10 ticket on the tote. Allegro shaped to win the race but she drifted out from a straight course when in sight of the winning post and lost her chances. Amatol who rallied from way behind slipped through the rails to just about win from a late-flashing Excellent Speed. A long neck apiece separated the first three finishers. During the race there was a mishap and it caused two jockeys, Shoban Babu on Paint Me Red and Ashok Kumar on Starry View to be dislodged. The lower division of the race was won by on money favourite Beauty Dancer who brooked no opposition, winning as she pleased from Star of Paradise and long time leader Super Chieftain.

Swift Sword, who has been running consistently this season, won the Thundering Plate (Div I) quite capably at nourishing odds. Rebellious ran on to be second ahead of Zafar whle last outing winner Ballerina Girl was withdrawn from the fray. In the lower division of the race, a king-sized gamble was brought off on Holiday Date. Holiday Date led the field from the straight but drifted out in the final furlong allowing favourite Auchinlech to surge ahead. However, Holiday Date fought back to regain the lead in the shadow of the post to record a narrow win. Turbo Babe finished with a flourish to be third.

The Air Force Gold Cup, a nine furlong race for horses rated 60 and above, threw the punters into a state of confusion as stablemates Reflected Glory and Mischief Inhiseyes came in for sustained support. The price on Reflected Glory drifted out and the race exactly ran as per the market expectations. Srinath had Mischief Inhiseyes placed handily with the front-bunch as Local Warrior raced ahead of the pack. But the front-runner failed to sustain his effort allowing Mischief Inhiseyes to take control inside the final 200 metres. Reflected Glory came with a late flourish to edge out Flaming Lamborgini from the runner up spot.

Different Opinion had let down a few times as she had become a habitual bleeder but this time out; the three-year old filly was taking on a poor quality opposition. As such she did not come under pressure to last out the 1200 metres trip of the Police Cup without bother. Activisto finished second ahead of Prince of Argyle.

Star News had the best chance to win the 1600 metres Hyderabad Plate but the confusing scenario in the ring ensured that Senna got more support than he deserved. In the event, it was Star News who managed to prevail at the expense of Worth A Gold while Senna was third. In the day`s other action, in what appeared to be a minefield for the punters, Rule The Fashion won at nourishing odds from Dom Perignon.