Racing in Mysore is rarely short of surprises. It is a fertile playground for those capable of pulling off gambles and an equally fertile graveyard for favourites who, once confronted with a short price, appear to develop an inexplicable allergy to winning. Thursday’s opening day of the Mysore Regular Racing Season provided enough evidence to keep punters guessing, form students scratching their heads and the betting ring looking rather better informed than the form book.

Prasanna Kumar-trained Stud Poker, who had an imposing reputation to live up to, recorded a rather matter-of-fact victory in the 1400 metres Srikantadatta Narasimharaajawadiyar Memorial Multi Million 2026, a terms race for three-year-olds and the feature event of Thursday, the inaugural day.

Stud Poker had finished second to Bangalore Derby winner D’Artagnan in the Colts Championship Stakes at Bangalore and, following a gelding operation, returned with expectations running almost as high as his reputation. He won, but certainly not in the spectacular manner that many had anticipated. Seize The Grey, attempting to make the race his personal property from the front, made the favourite work hard before he finally asserted. Stud Poker was lugging in, but once he shot ahead, he travelled smoothly enough. Tyche was third. Astrid, reportedly injured in the float, was withdrawn.

The Bangalore brigade then discovered that Mysore has little respect for reputations. Czar and Star Glory were well supported in the 1200 metres H H Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Trophy for horses rated 80 and above, but both produced performances that left their supporters wondering whether they had backed the horses or merely their Bangalore form.

Tom Cruiser had no such complications. He went straight to the front and refused to surrender the initiative despite determined challenges from Gold Kite and the late-rallying Rise Again. He held on by a head. Sometimes the simplest plan remains the best plan, particularly when the opposition has forgotten to bring theirs.

The opening race had already offered a warning that the day would not be particularly kind to short-priced runners. Fine Silver, from the Darius Byramji stable, had produced a noteworthy effort at Bangalore before struggling and finishing a poor fourth. Sent off favourite in the 1400 metres Star of Mysore Trophy (Div II), he once again failed to justify the confidence placed in him.

Long shot Lords Grace, trained by Gnanashekar and ridden by R Ravi, meanwhile decided that the betting market was merely a work of fiction. He made merry in front and won with considerable ease from Your Sri Shakthi, while Fine Silver had to be content with third.

The upper division of the Star of Mysore Trophy produced another example of money finding its mark. Narayana Gowda-trained Auspicious King attracted substantial support and, unlike several others on the day, did not disappoint those who followed the money. Kiran Rai drove him out to beat ante-post favourite Shutterfly with considerable ease.

For trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi, however, it was another occasion to contemplate the increasingly familiar problem of well-backed horses failing to meet public expectations. Yarra Yarra was third.

The 1200 metres Lavasa Plate, for horses in the lowest category, provided another amusing twist. The odds on debutant Calculus drifted until he eventually found himself installed as favourite. Excellence, apparently unconcerned by either the market or the expectations surrounding her opponent, went on a start-to-finish mission and cantered home by more than a distance. Rock My Heart necked out Calculus for second.

Zulqarmain-trained Shibra was subjected to one-sided support in the 1200 metres B K Krishnadevraj Urs Memorial Trophy (Div I), for horses rated 40 to 65. This time the money had not made a mistake. Shibra, ridden by Aashad Asbar, held on to beat the late-charging Falcon Fury, with Grizzly third.

The lower division was another case of money speaking and the horse listening. Ranjeet Shinde-trained Selma was heavily supported and responded when it mattered, getting stronger in the final furlong and drawing away for an easy win over Mark One and Cynosure. Marzgovel, the ante-post favourite, was never in the hunt, even as his price in the betting ring kept drifting upwards.

That, perhaps, is the real story emerging from Mysore. It is not merely that favourites are losing. It is the curious consistency with which horses attracting serious money can suddenly find their form, while others expected to perform disappear from the equation.

Naturally, every bad favourite is not evidence of wrongdoing. Horses are unpredictable creatures, races can take unexpected turns and form can collapse for perfectly legitimate reasons. But when the same pattern keeps appearing, the sport cannot simply shrug its shoulders and blame the horse.

In Mysore, the betting ring often seems to be telling a parallel story to the form book. The trouble begins when that parallel story starts looking more reliable than the official one.

The result is a peculiar form of racing where studying past performances can sometimes feel like preparing for an examination in which the question paper is changed after the betting closes. The knowledgeable punter is expected to analyse class, distance, draw, jockeyship, pace and recent form, only to discover that the most important variable may be something that does not appear anywhere in the race card.

That is not healthy for racing.

Mysore has traditionally derived much of its appeal from its atmosphere, sporting character and the possibility that a good horse can produce a good performance on the day. The sport should be unpredictable because horses are athletes, not because the confidence of the betting public appears to bear little relationship to what happens on the track.

If racing is to retain its credibility, the authorities need to look beyond the result sheet and examine the patterns. The issue is not whether every upset is suspicious. The issue is whether the accumulation of such episodes is damaging public confidence.

For the punter, Mysore remains an intriguing puzzle. For the form student, it is an exercise in humility. For the betting professional, perhaps, it is business as usual.

For the sport itself, however, it should be a warning.

When the betting ring appears to know more than the form book, racing has a problem. When it repeatedly appears to know more than everyone else, racing has a much bigger one.