The feature race at Bangalore on Saturday turned into a procession rather than a contest as Iron Mirage demolished an ordinary field in the Juvenile Sprinters` Million. The afternoon once again underlined the growing imbalance in the horse population, with a handful of leading stables monopolising quality runners and producing predictable results. Promiseofthefuture, Youremanorborn, Rampage, Kabali, Defence Counsel and Shining Ways completed a day of mostly one-sided victories.

It was little more than an expensive public workout for Prasanna Kumar-trained Iron Mirage in the 1200 metres S M Cama Music and Production Pvt Ltd Juvenile Sprinters` Million, a terms race for three-year-olds, the feature event of Saturday`s Bangalore races. The quality of opposition was so modest that the race was over almost as soon as the gates opened. Iron Mirage bounded to the front and from that point onwards was effectively racing against his own shadow. The son of Dreamfield stretched his lead with every stride to score by an ever-widening nine lengths. The only contest worth watching was the battle for second, with Shrishti edging out A Great Buzz.

Such one-sided spectacles have become an unwelcome hallmark of Bangalore racing. A handful of powerful stables corner the cream of the horse population, leaving the rest to make up the numbers. The bookmakers knew exactly what they were dealing with. Offer attractive odds and they would have been signing their own obituary. Iron Mirage therefore started at odds that required a microscope to read.



Irfan Ghatala-trained Promiseofthefuture found the opposition equally obliging in the 1600 metres Managing Committee Gold Cup for horses rated 80 and above. Jockey Neeraj Rawal rode a textbook race, keeping the favourite within striking distance as Queen of Kings did the early donkey work before predictably waving the white flag on the bend. Promiseofthefuture sauntered past to win by over three lengths. Xanthe finished second ahead of the weary Touch of Grey.

The benefit of a recent outing brought Pradeep Chouhan-trained Youremanorborne to concert pitch in the 2000 metres Astronomical Plate for horses rated 40 to 65. Sandesh tucked the favourite neatly behind the pace-setting Badshaah, who ran out of fuel entering the straight. Winfield briefly threatened to spring a surprise by taking charge in the final furlong, but the favourite merely flicked the switch close home and asserted his superiority by just under a length. Storm Shadow stayed on to finish third.

Shazaan Dhah-trained Rampage was all the rage in the betting and justified every rupee invested. The opposition looked as though they had wandered into the wrong race. Yash Narredu dictated matters from the front and never looked remotely vulnerable. Ashwa Newyork, after giving the field a generous head start, recovered well to finish second ahead of Shining Path, but the winner belonged to a different postcode altogether.

Gregory Sandhu, whose training licence finally returned after what seemed an archaeological age, celebrated the occasion when Kabali behaved impeccably to land the 1200 metres Poonawalla Stud Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Punters still carried emotional scars from the previous outing when the gelding had whipped around at the start and donated their money to the bookmakers. This time the gates opened, Kabali jumped straight, stayed straighter than a surveyor`s line and handed jockey A. R. Pradeep one of the easier victories of the afternoon. Favourite Aquastic added another chapter to the ever-growing anthology of disappointments from the Sulaiman stable. Felisa finished second ahead of Aquastic, while Senor Cherie completed the frame.

The lower division witnessed another twist in the tale. Strongly-backed Bestidentification attracted all the support, but it was Dominic-trained Defence Counsel who delivered the closing argument with a devastating burst in the final furlong. The favourite had to settle for second after just managing to collar long-time leader La McQueen near the post.

Suraj Narredu, still searching for the rhythm that has so often defined his riding, partnered Shining Ways to an effortless victory in the 1300 metres Malakpet Plate for horses rated 20 to 45. Settled near the rear early on, Shining Ways swept around the field widest of all before settling matters by the final furlong with authority. Power of the Sea finished second ahead of Lasya.