Sharat Kumar trained Smile Stone who has proved that he is a quality horse over a sprint, won the second graded race of the season, the Gr 3 Bangalore City Gold Cup, a sprint race for three year olds and over, the highlight of races held on Friday. Smile Stone who struck amazing form last winter season and maintained it, was driven out to victory by champion jockey Suraj Narredu to a resolute win.
Though Smile Stone had won over a similar trip in more or less the same company, the five year old was not made as a favourite. The odds were generous on most runners with Speed Six who isn`t seen in regular work due to various niggles that he has suffered during his remarkable career and achieved bagful of wins, was backed to bounced back. Nesto also had his share of supporters though he was graduating into this exalted company for the first time.

Dancing Phoenix who had lost some of the sparkle that was associated with him, set a hot pace followed by Nesto, Rock With U, Speed Six, Treasure Mountain, Smile Stone, Shivalik Star and IM Different. Rounding the final turn, Dancing Phoenix kept going in front with Speed Six showing some aggression before being squeezed out. Suraj brought Smile Stone on the wide outside and this perhaps paid rich dividends as he had a trouble free passage and went away to register an impressive win. IM Different who was coming in the centre of the track was hampered by the outward drift of Dancing Phoenix and ended up a close third behind the pace setter. Jockey Sandesh took an objection against Zervan who rode Dancing Phoenix for interference which cost him the second spot as well as a possible winning chance. It was a straightforward case where Zervan kept using the whip on the right and the horse was drifting without being restrained. The objection should have been upheld straightaway but strangely the two stipes believed that the objection should be overruled. Wayne Wood felt that the interference was material and that the objection should be upheld. Luckily the Stewards went with Wayne Wood and upheld the objection. There was no ambiguity about the interference and the decision of two stipes came as a surprise.

There was a good gamble on Ace Bucephalus in the 1400 metres Rajah S R K Ranga Row Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 60 and above. Possibly the presence of A Qureshi did not attract too much of attention on the five year old who was once reckoned to be a classic hopeful and even placed in graded company. There was solid support for three year old Tronada to make a quantum improvement after her effort in the Fillies Championship with Schiavone also enthusiastically backed to record an encore. In the event Schiavone was held up for room deep into the final furlong by Frankness which prevented Trevor from pulling out the fancied runner for a clear run. In the meanwhile, Ace Bucephalus improved powerfully from the rear group and got all the splits to record a profitable win. Schiavone was full of running when finishing second ahead of Kingston Town. Tronada weakened to finish fourth after doing all the front running.

Only Princess was backed to the exclusion of the rest with support for I`ve Got Clout waning in the betting ring in the 1200 metres Commanche Trophy (Div I), a race for maiden three year olds. The odds on I`ve Got drifted out dramatically giving the impression that it was going to be a one-sided affair. Only Princess duly obliged, well positioned in front by Suraj and taking over the running inside the final furlong and half. I`ve Got Clout was not energetic at the start and was a lost cause thereafter as he had to cover up the leeway which in the end proved to be impossible to bridge. Nevertheless he ran a good second ahead of Shining Armor. Topsonsie was the betting rage in the lower division of the race but the favourite failed to contain the spirited run in front of long shot Top Star who held on gutsily with a start to finish bid and brought off a win at nourishing odds.

Ganapathy trained Light of Magic came in for big support in the 1200 metres Capricorn Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65 after an unplaced effort. Light of Magic chased Miss Adler well into the straight before choking the opposition to record an impressive win. Castle Key was a well beaten third.
Trevor pushed Sea Fairey to quicken from her rivals inside the final 300 metres and the progeny of Multidimensional steadily swept away from the rest to win the 1400 metres Set Alight Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45 with a measure of comfort. All In was the only one who shaped to put up a challenge but found the front runner unrelenting.

Cheddar Face came in for big support in the 1200 metres Sha Tin Plate (Div I), a race for horses in the lowest category. However, Cheddar Face whipped around at the start and dropped her jockey Chetan Kalay. The race was won by rank outside Conquistador who held off the late rally of I Smile. Fioroloco was third. Ice Cream pulled off a thrilling win in the lower division of the race, getting the nod in the final stride of the race over Hard To Get.

Pradeep Anniah trained Summer Dawn was the betting rage in the 1600 metres Adrian Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Apprentice jockey A Ramu brought Summer Dawn into contention from way off the pace in the final 300 metres. The progeny of Ikhtyar settled the issue within the next furlong and won drawing away from Western Union and Power And Strength.