Padmanabhan trained Desert God steamrolled the opposition with a commanding performance in the Gr 2 Bangalore St Leger, the last classic of the season, with a decisive start to finish victory. Jockey Sandesh was not required to move a muscle as the son of Burden of Proof out of multiple classic winning mare Running Fame did all the front running and beat the opposition on the bridle, the best performance from the champion over this testing distance in adverse underfoot conditions. Desert God who is easily one of the best horses to have graced the Indian turf, has proved to be amazingly versatile having won over varying distances. From seven furlongs to 14 furlongs, a rare feat indeed. This was Desert God`s seventh straight win in richly endowed races.

There was no doubt about Desert God asserting his supremacy as he had beaten the opposition he was taking quite easily in the past. Since the progeny of Burden of Proof have rarely proved their mettle over the gruelling trip of 2800 metres, if one harboured a doubt whether the distance could be a chink in the armour of Desert God, he was not wrong in believing so. The heavy rain the previous night had also rendered the going soft which was bound to demand additional fitness and staying capability. Desert God proved that he is simply the best by winning as he pleased.

Sandesh found himself in front as there was none in the race to do the job of a pace-maker. To the credit of Sandesh, he did not panic and set a pace which suited his horse most. The horses raced in an Indian file right from the start with only Captain Cook moving up approaching the final bend to cause some buzz. Desert God, however, was not perturbed as he was travelling on the bridle into the straight and jockey Sandesh was not required to drive out the horse to storm clear. Desert God broke clear without a question being posed by the jockey and Sandesh could afford to look back repeatedly to see if any of the horses was within sight. There was none. Azzurro came from the rear to take the second position while Festive Cheer was third a distance behind. The winner clocked a time of three minutes 03.56 seconds. Quasar had won this race last year in a time of three minutes 8.83 seconds.

Burnished Gold, also running in the same colours as Desert God, proved her staying credentials over a trip of 2000 metres in the Pronto Pronto Plate, a race for horses rated 30 to 50. Saptajit did the pace setting even as Sandesh eased favourite Burnished Gold in a comfortable third or fourth position. Burnished Gold closed the leeway in the straight without having to be extended and surged clear of the field to have the race won long way from home. Swiss Eagle showed some spark to bridge the gap to take the second place ahead of Turf Tactics. Burnished Gold who looks a stout stayer, could possibly win a Oaks during the winter at any of the southern centres. The two wins recorded by Sandesh got the jockey five point lead over Suraj Narredu in the race for jockeys championship. There are still six race days left for the season to complete.

Padmanabhan`s another ward Feliciana flopped in the 1400 metres S M Ramakrishna Rao Memorial Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 45 to 65. Feliciana could not hit the front from the start as is her wont and was left with a difficult task in the straight. All that the daughter of Ace could do was to finish a tame third. Samar Singh trained Hillsboro who enjoyed the underfoot conditions and the pull in weights due to three kg claimer in Dhebe, led all the way and checked in well clear of Striking View who showed some zest while finishing second best. Arjun Mangalorkar trained Ayrton fulfilled the promise of his last run while taking the lower division of the race. Backed strongly to oblige, Ayrton came very wide into the straight and though he had lot of ground to cover on front runners, he did so with alacrity to win going away from Madame Bovary. Wise Guy held off Jersey Bride to get the third place by a whisker.

The Manjri Stud Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 30 to 50, saw lesser fancied Life Awaits from the yards of trainer Sriram Komandur win at nourishing odds. Veteran jockey Srinath had Life Awaits lead from the start and had no problem in checking in well clear of late finishing Ambleside. Native Elements who was bidding for a hat-trick was third. Miss Adler who came in for strong betting, took the turn wide and struggled thereafter and finished poorly. The filly who has had a tendon problem surely was not at ease on the surface. The betting ring in the lower division of the race provided an amazing turn of events. Rare And Bold began as favourite but the odds began to drift. Top Smiles attracted good volume of betting but the one get the maximum attention were All Thats Nice and Topaz. The former was backed down from 10 to 1 and closed at 3 to 1. Topaz too came down from a higher quote to end up as a strong favourite. In the event, Rare And Bold who hit the from the start and went on a catch me if you can tactics was so far ahead of the rest that the race was as good as over well before the runners approached the final furlong. All Thats Nice showed zest while coming up with a spirited bid to take the second place ahead of Better Than Ever while the ones which were strongly patronised in the ring, lost in the crowd.

When horses are switched back and forth in distances, it is always difficult to gauge their potential as also the intentions of the connections. There are instances of horses running in terms races over longer trips and subjected to forward runs and then coming back and win over a sprint. Inayathulla trained Papadokia had run over a trip of 1100 metres and had lost to Blue Blazer by two lengths. Then the gelding ran over a trip of seven furlongs where he finished 16.3 lengths behind Escala in a race meant for three-year-olds. It is always difficult to expect such horses to show an amazing reversal of form if the alibi is the shorter distance. Papadokia led from the start and had no problem in keeping the favourite Zafrina at a safe distance in the 1100 metres Manitou Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. It was a case of in and out running of the horse both in terms of the pattern of racing as also the performance of the three-year-old. Papadokia did not hit the front last time out at any stage of the race in his last effort. Industrialist nosed out the well backed Unbelievable to clinch the third place.

The withdrawal of a couple of horses who could have possibly have figured at the finish saw Prithviraj trained Fotogenic backed to on money favouritism in the 1400 metres Kranji Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. Dhebe brought Fotogenic wide into the straight and the progeny of Verenar cruised into a commanding position displacing the front running Tic Tac Toe and went away for an effortless win. Wholelottalove came from a long way back to finish third.

Rashid Byramji trained Noble Sapphire won the 1200 metres Noble Prince Plate, a race for horses rated 15 to 35 at long odds. Favourite Real Generous led from the start but began to slacken approaching the final furlong. Noble Sapphire burst through the pack in the centre of the track in the final furlong to eventually to win comfortably from late finishing Feet On Fire who left herself with too much of leeway to cover in the final furlong. Real Generous disappeared from the scene under pressure. Reformer took the third place ahead of Cool Springs.