Ganapathy trained Eternal Flame who had run way below par last time out, touched her peak form when she trounced the opposition in the Gr 1 Fillies Championship Stakes, the first classic of the season, on Sunday. The daughter of Poonawalla Stud Farm resident stallion Arazan, Eternal Flame regained her status as the best three year old filly in the country. Arazan is a first season stallion.

Sixteen horses lined up for the championship; more so because Eternal Flame which was reckoned to be cut above her contemporaries had flopped miserably in her last run. The race had an open look about it barring Eternal Flame regaining her wonted form. The odds offered by the bookmakers were generous with Eternal Flame closing at 4/1. The track had received good bit of rain the previous night and conditions were bound to test the inexperienced horses as also place a premium on the post positions. In this regard, Eternal Flame met both qualifications.

Let There Be Light from the innermost draw led the field as the contestants set out for the mile long trip followed by Miss Adler, Angel Dust, Myrtle Wood, Sacred Fire, Eternal Flame, Conspicuous, Sacred Fire, Star Formation, Tronada, Ageless while Nostalgic Memories from the wide outside draw had to be settled in the rear group. When the field straightened for the run in for home, the field split into parts with those sticking to the rails and the other group going wide at the turn thus providing a dream run in the centre for Eternal Flame. The experienced Eternal Flame quickly grabbed the opening and went storming clear. Within a trice, Eternal Flame had gone away from the rest with Mysore based Star Formation running a noteworthy second ahead of late rallying Nostalgic Memories who covered acres of ground to finish third.

Eternal Flame thus reclaimed her rightful place at the top while the promising performers of the race were Star Formation and Nostalgic Memories. Conspicuous who was well supported on the back of her two impressive wins, struggled throughout, unable to handle the underfoot conditions while Angel Dust who had finished ahead of Eternal Flame in winter, being a beaten horse well before the race came on the boil. Eternal Flame`s success gave Dr M A M Ramaswamy, his 599th classic success as the doyen of Indian racing keeps setting new marks. The outstation challengers have been really struggling in Bangalore this season and the performance of Ageless and Myrtlewood was in keeping with this trend.

Nityanand trained New Emperor built on his forward run over seven furlongs by trouncing the opposition over a furlong short in the Elusive Pimpernel Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 and above. Backed to the exclusion of the rest, Chisty had New Emperor dictate the pace from the beginning and broke clear of the rest at the top of the straight. The jockey could afford to look back in the final furlong to see if there was anyone nearby but found none. Eragon ran on from behind to finish second ahead of Eternal Desire.

Padmanabhan trained Heaves Is Here overcame a tardy effort and recorded an impressive win in the 1400 metres Cape Dance Plate a race for maiden three year olds. Heaven Is Here was sluggish at the start and trailed the field as the well backed QED led from the start. Jockey Zervan had to work Heaven Is Here steadily and brought the daughter of Multidimensional wide into the straight. Though she had considerably leeway to cover, she did so briskly and collared the front runner inside the final 100 metres and went away for an easy win. Native Elements ran on well towards the finish to edge past long time leader QED for the runner up berth.

There was sustained support for last start winner Light of Magic and Mumbai challenger Persian Prince to win the 1400 metres Justice P Medappa Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65 but both of them flopped miserably. The Manjri Stud Farm bred The Lieutenant took control of the race from the start and was not challenged by any of the runners when checking in well clear of the rest Stimulate made a late rally, relishing the underfoot conditions and was a noteworthy second.

Favourite Garuda had no problem in winning the 1200 metres His Majesty Plate, a race for three year olds, with a start to finish mission, skipping clear of the rest in the straight. Kolkata`s Stevalena who chased in earnest found the eventual winner too good for comfort. Rare And Bold was third. Downton Abbey broke into what looked an unassailable lead in the lower division of the race but faltered in the final 100 metres which enabled favourite Cameron to cover ground and edge past the front runner in the shadow of the post. Downton Abbey reportedly came back lame.

Karthik Ganapathy`s First In Command met with a meek opposition in the 1400 metres Star Supreme Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45 and trounced the same with a start to finish mission, winning by a widening margin of seven lengths. The race was a mismatch, with Festive Cheer finishing a long way back second while the third placed Colossal Moments who necked out Color of Gold for third place another six lengths adrift of the runner up.

Nikhil Punna trained Shideh who had made his last outing in winter a winning one, recorded an encore, claiming the 1100 metres Fire Haven Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Though the winner appeared to be in some sort of a bother, the filly pulled through to win from late finishing Vallee Secrete who was full of running when the cause had been lost.

Favourite Dancing Princes packed up as quickly as she showed up at the top of the straight, allowing Dancing Laurie to take charge inside the final two furlongs of the 1600 metres Mahalakshmi Plate. However, Dancing Laurie could not shake off the challenge of Imtiaz Khan trained Love Is Life who came home with a powerful surge in the final furlong and had to be satisfied with the second spot. To The Future was third.