Malakpet witnessed another afternoon when the betting ring had plenty to celebrate, with favourites obliging in most races and well-backed runners largely justifying the market`s confidence. Espionage made a decisive return to winning ways, while Prasad Raju`s runners completed a double. Torobravo provided a welcome upset, but the day`s strangest twist came in the last race, where a seven-year-old maiden nearly ended her long wait for victory.

After four runs at odds of over 10 to 1, Donald Netto-trained Espionage had shown a little more life last time out with an improved performance. That was apparently all the market needed to see. Just 34 days after being quoted at 20 to 1, the horse was backed down to favouritism in the 1200 metres Bold Venture Plate, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of Saturday`s Hyderabad races. Espionage duly obliged, adding another chapter to Malakpet`s increasingly fascinating betting chronicles.

Favourites ruled the roost in most of the afternoon`s races, barring two races. In the last race, a seven-year-old with a dismal record and not a single win to her credit was backed to the exclusion of her rivals, only to finish second. At Malakpet, the betting ring often seems to possess a script of its own, though the final act does not always follow the expected screenplay.

Espionage`s earlier record had been impressive, and the substantial support for the horse suggested that the required fitness had finally been attained. Uchchaihshravas, who had finished a good second to Perception last time out, was also strongly backed. In the event, jockey Mukesh Kumar sent Espionage straight to the front and made a start-to-finish mission of the assignment. The favourite travelled comfortably within himself until the final furlong, when a gentle reminder from the jockey was enough to unleash a tremendous burst of speed. Espionage surged clear to win comfortably.

Uchchaihshravas gave a determined chase but found the leader in no mood to entertain any late challenges and had to settle for second place. One N Only edged ahead of Reigning Beauty to claim the third spot, while Diablo, who had disputed the pace with the winner until the bend, weakened alarmingly to finish last.

Betting plunges have become almost routine at Malakpet, and the striking feature is how frequently they have come off. The last race, however, provided a curious twist to the afternoon`s proceedings. Seven-year-old See My Attitude, trained by Mir Faiyaz Ali Khan, had raced 36 times without winning, though she had finished second on six occasions. Her last four runs had seen her finish more than 15 lengths behind the winner. Yet, the mare attracted one-sided support, as though the betting public had suddenly discovered something that 36 previous outings had failed to reveal.

Bold Indian, however, had other ideas. Taking charge in the final furlong, the horse broke clear and built up enough of a cushion to withstand the favourite`s late challenge. See My Attitude came charging but fell short by half a length, leaving her maiden status intact. Amboseli, a well-backed winner earlier in the season, raced prominently before weakening to finish third. The plunge came close, but the elusive first victory remained just beyond reach.

Trainer Prasad Raju`s horses invariably carry the weight of money, and there is usually a reason for the confidence behind them. His runners are often backed after a careful assessment of their superiority over the opposition, with the betting plunge appearing to be the final stage of a well-laid plan.

Equine Power was the market choice in the 1200 metres Peddapalli Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The favourite justified the confidence but had to work harder than expected to subdue the spirited challenge of long-shot Lion`s Gate. Varada, the second favourite, finished third.

The lower division of the Peddapalli Plate also went to the Prasad Raju-Sai Kumar combination. Surrealist, sent out at a short price, lived up to expectations by keeping Red Hot Punch at bay, while Trust Me finished third, four lengths adrift. Two divisions, two winners for the same trainer-jockey combination. The betting ring had little to complain about in this particular department.

Magan Singh Parmar-trained Kingship, who had finished a noteworthy second behind Love In Paris, was confidently supported in the 1600 metres Hard Held Plate. Jockey Akshay Kumar bided his time before asking the favourite to produce its effort, and Kingship responded well to win with a measure of comfort from second favourite Zorba. The remainder were beaten a long way, making it clear that the contest had effectively been reduced to a two-horse affair. The rest were present, but apparently not in the mood to participate.

Imran Khan-trained Torobravo finally interrupted the procession of market leaders by pulling off an upset in the 1600 metres Rani Rudramma Devi Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65.

Pristine Glory, who had shown plenty of keenness from the gates before losing in a tight finish to One Nation last time out, was backed to the exclusion of the rest. This time, however, the filly was sluggish at the start and never quite found the acceleration needed to make a serious challenge. Torobravo, meanwhile, slipped clear in the final furlong and stayed on resolutely to land the spoils, leaving the heavily supported favourite to finish a disappointing second.

Special Star edged out long-time front-runner La Quinta by a neck to claim third place. Torobravo`s victory served as a timely reminder that, even on a day when the favourites were largely obliging, the opposition had not entirely surrendered its right to be heard.

Satheesh-trained Love In Paris recorded an encore in the 1400 metres Mir Mushtaq Ali Khan Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Backed to the exclusion of the opposition, Love In Paris was entrusted to jockey Akshay Kumar, who timed his challenge to perfection down the final furlong.

Greif had threatened to steal the race after making a determined bid to break clear, but Akshay Kumar brought Love In Paris with a well-judged run to measure the rival in the closing stages. NRI Range finished third.

For much of the afternoon, the favourites had made the betting public look remarkably well informed. Yet the last race, with See My Attitude`s near-miss after a career of fruitless attempts, ensured that Malakpet retained its customary capacity to surprise. At this venue, confidence may be rewarded, plunges may succeed, and form may eventually come good. But the betting ring always reserves the right to deliver a punchline.