Imtiaz Sait trained Opus Dei, a serial offender in the art of finding the winning post a fraction too late, finally discovered that races do not end at the 1400-metre marker. Stepped up to a mile, he made the 1600 metres Kailashpat Singhania Trophy look like a private gallop, strolling home with disdainful ease in Wednesday’s Mumbai feature for horses rated 60 to 86.

Punters, meanwhile, were wrestling with the familiar Pesi Shroff riddle, a betting crossword where two answers look correct and a third still ruins your day. The heavily backed Eagle Day and the less fashionable Chagall were expected to settle matters. Naturally, neither did. To complete the lesson, Singer Sargent, briefly recalling his youth, nosed out Eagle Day for second, ensuring that even those who got close went home empty-handed.

Chagall went hard, led bravely and held on till the final furlong. Eagle Day then surged ahead, giving his supporters a fleeting moment of belief. That belief lasted exactly until Opus Dei, held up and unhurried, found daylight. A sharp burst under Neeraj Rawal and the race was effectively over. Singer Sargent threatened, blinked, and settled for second.

Shroff returned to the scene with Puzzle No. 2 in the 1400 metres Edgar Desylva Salver for horses rated 40 to 66. Bishop was backed with conviction, while stablemate Matisse, the ante-post favourite, drifted alarmingly. Amazing Ruler, clearly tuned for the day by Faisal Abbas, attracted strong support and ran accordingly, prominently, encouragingly, and ultimately pointlessly.

Bishop loomed up and appeared set to justify the avalanche of money until apprentice Siddharth asked Matisse a serious question. The response was emphatic. Matisse flew home to neck Bishop, reaffirming a long-standing Mahalaxmi truth: when two horses from the same stable run, the one punters abandon often has the last laugh. Amazing Ruler finished third, extending his winless sequence beyond 500 days, a figure now bordering on historical.

Lord Murphy, trained by Shezan Shah, finally remembered how to win after a mere 783 days, scoring in the 1400 metres Dr A H Sayed Plate for the lowest category. Backed to the exclusion of the rest, the seven-year-old took charge early, opened daylight in the straight, and despite veering out, won by an ever-widening four lengths under apprentice Ramswarup. Baleno finished second from the clouds, ahead of the better-fancied It’s My Way, who once again honoured his name more than his supporters.

The punters’ misery continued when Land of Plenty, trained by Subhag Singh, resurfaced after nearly 300 days to land the 1600 metres Ravishankar Gupta Salver (Div I) for horses rated 20 to 46. A blistering final furlong sealed matters with insulting ease from Allez L’Etoile. Youreforfame threatened briefly before fading, as hope so often does at this venue. The lower division provided another sting, with Marius striking at fancy odds for Shroff, denying Her Charge and leaving Renoir a close third, a head and neck covering the first three and miles separating the punters from satisfaction.

Chelsea, trained by Pradeep Chouhan, had built a reputation for running prominently and then disappearing when it mattered. Under Nirmal Jodha, she finally broke that habit. Quietly fancied, she led throughout and won comfortably. The supposedly unbeatable El Moran chased gamely but lacked punch under apprentice Avinash Paswan and even surrendered second to stablemate Majestic Warrior. At Mahalaxmi, favourites continue to live dangerously.

The 1200 metres Nadia Mary Homi Wadia Trophy for three-year-old maidens produced a finish worthy of the entry fee. Caviar Queen, a full sister to classic winner Kavya, was strongly backed and looked home when she surged clear inside the final furlong. Unfortunately for her supporters, Queen of Beauties finished better, putting her neck in front under a persevering Akshay Kumar ride. Minari stayed on for third.

Ironically, the opener offered false comfort. Ensky, from Faisal Abbas’s stable, justified favouritism with ease, showing early speed and settling matters well before the line. Tropical Paradise warmed up late to grab second from Lara and Viennoise. In retrospect, it was a warning shot. The rest of the afternoon was about lessons, not rewards.