Mysore racing produced a refreshing change on Thursday, with favourites obliging in race after race, much to the relief of punters who had come armed with form books rather than crystal balls. At a centre where unravelling the betting ring can sometimes seem more rewarding than studying past performances, the results were a pleasant reminder that horses occasionally do what the form book says they should. The betting trends, for once, did not have the last laugh.

Prasanna Kumar trained Sassy Sarah completed a hat-trick of wins when she held off the late challenge of Vishwas to land the spoils in the 1400 metres JK Thammanna Gowda Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 and above and the feature event of the afternoon.

Favourite Power of Beauty, who was widely expected to oblige, suffered a setback after bursting a blood vessel and finished down the field. Sassy Sarah, a progeny of Gusto, has clearly taken a liking to the Mysore track and produced another gutsy performance. Apprentice jockey Alemuddin brought her into contention early in the homestretch, and the filly responded gamely, establishing a decisive advantage in the final furlong. Vishwas came charging late but ran out of ground, going down in a tight finish. Spectacular, who had set the pace, stayed on to finish third.

If the feature event offered a minor disappointment to Power of Beauty's supporters, the rest of the afternoon provided considerable encouragement to those who had trusted the market leaders. For once, punters did not have to decipher mysterious betting signals or chase last-minute plunges. The favourites were doing the talking on the track.

Satish Narredu trained Gloriousness had signalled her readiness with an encouraging previous effort and started a clear favourite in the 1200 metres Maj Sardar L Mahadevaiah Memorial Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Jockey Darshan wisely resisted the temptation to complicate matters, keeping the filly in touch with the field before asking her to stretch out in the straight. Gloriousness responded smoothly to win with the minimum of fuss.

Selma finished on late to take second place, while Smiles of Fortune just managed to nose out front-running Joondalup to save place money. It was a straightforward result, the sort that makes punters wonder why they spend so much time trying to outsmart the obvious.

The lower division of the Mahadevaiah Trophy, however, provided the afternoon's most thrilling finish, with the betting market offering its own pre-race drama.

Brave Heart, bidding for a hat-trick, drifted in the betting, while Quantum attracted substantial support and eventually went off favourite. In the process, Bright Thunder, a two-time winner who had enjoyed a forward run at Mysore, was available at generous odds. Punters who took the hint from the betting ring backed Quantum; those who studied the horse's credentials had reason to consider Bright Thunder.

Apprentice Aleemuddin sent Brave Heart straight to the front, with Bright Thunder tracking him closely under Anthony Raj. Brave Heart continued to dictate terms until the closing stages, when Bright Thunder produced his challenge and surged past him.

Quantum, meanwhile, took time to warm up and veered out when jockey Shreyas Singh asked for an effort. By the time the rider corrected the drift and the filly began to fly home, Bright Thunder had already thrust his neck in front.

The finish was as close as it gets, with the first three separated by a neck and a long neck. The remainder were beaten by more than a distance. The betting market had correctly identified Quantum as a serious contender, but it was Bright Thunder who supplied the winning answer. In racing, the last word belongs to the horse, not the odds board.

The B Vijay-sponsored Sarvang Stud And Agricultural Farm Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, went the way of favourite Renoir from trainer Faraz Arshad's yard. Quoted at short odds, Renoir had little difficulty in containing Estelle.

Jockey Aashad Asbar kept Renoir in a handy second position behind runaway leader Tiger Bay, who had apparently decided to spend all his energy before the serious business began. With 300 metres left, the front-runner had little petrol in the tank, allowing Renoir to take charge and settle the issue comfortably. Conquistador finished ahead of Natural Speed to claim the remaining place money.

The two divisions of the Sea Mist Plate, a 1200 metres sprint for horses in the lowest category, also went to strongly backed favourites. Somashekar trained Saro Fly was backed almost to the exclusion of the opposition, leaving little doubt about where the money was concentrated. The favourite justified the confidence by breaking clear early in the straight and drawing away to win by an expanding margin of five lengths. Indra Sena finished second, with Delstar in third place.

The lower division saw Seductive, trained by Rakesh, get the better of front-running Nakshatra inside the final 100 metres to score an easy victory. Super Sexy held off Saffron Breeze in a tight finish for third.

Anthony Raj, who had partnered Bright Thunder and Seductive to victory earlier, rounded off the day's tally in the concluding 1400 metres Esquire Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, with Dear Lady.

Dear Lady was driven out to get the better of Super Stride before building enough of a cushion to withstand the late flourish of Eco System. The finishing effort ensured that Anthony Raj ended the afternoon with another winner, capping a productive day in the saddle.

Thursday's Mysore card was, therefore, something of an aberration in the local scheme of things. Favourites won in most of the races, form largely stood its ground, and punters who followed the obvious were rewarded more often than not. At Mysore, where the betting ring can sometimes command greater attention than the race card, such a day deserves special mention.