Wet weather conditions continued to haunt racing at Bangalore, as the Stewards of the Club called off the last three races in Sunday's race card. After the cancellation of the last race on Saturday and a long spell of rain late into the evening, the Club authorities were quite sceptical about holding racing on Sunday afternoon. However, the clearing of the skies and an extended spell of sunshine on Sunday morning helped matters, and racegoers thronged the race course to watch the day's proceedings. The day's feature event, The Karnataka Cup generated a lot of excitement as nine top-class milers were billed to cross swords with each other. The presence of multi-classic winners Bourbon King and Southern Empire from Ganapathy's yard along with the Mysore Derby winner Splendid Surprise added colour to this race. The bookmaker's odds in the morning indicated that it was an open affair with Bourbon King enjoying a slight edge ahead of Splendid Surprise and Southern Empire.

There was a great sense of expectation as the horses began to arrive in the paddock. It is not often that you see such wonderful looking horses at the same time. A steady drizzle greeted the jockeys as they mounted their respective horses and cantered them to the starting gates. The bookmakers ring saw a flurry of activity as large sums of money were wagered on Southern Empire leading to the shortening of the odds against this champion. The odds against the others began to expand as the rainfall got heavier and heavier. The antics of Khaleels Pride did not help matters as he refused to be stalled. It took a while before he was declared a non-starter and the other eight took off in blinding rain. The speedy Rhapsidion Snow showed the way to Bourbon King, Southern Empire and Splendid Surprise while the others were seen struggling in the early stages of the race. The order remained the same as they entered the straight. Rhapsidion Snow was the first to feel the pressure and allowed the field to sweep past her, led by Bourbon King and Southern Empire. These two champions gave a treat to the racegoers as they galloped stride for stride before Srinath extracted that little bit extra from Bourbon King. The duo was able to hold Southern Empire at bay and lift the well-endowed trophy. The runner-up was gallant in defeat and lives to fight another day. Splendid Surprise, Lionheart and Coral Gables finished in a heap and the camera confirmed that they had finished in that order.

The rain stopped briefly and the authorities thought that they might be able to go through the rest of the card. The horses for the next race were sent to the starting gates. But the heavens opened up once again and refused to relent. The Stewards had a quick meeting and decided to call off racing for the day. It was a decision which was in the interests of all concerned. The track got saved from further wear and tear and, of course, the punters were saved from getting mauled by the bookmakers.

The day's proceedings commenced with the penetrometer reading standing at 4.7 cms. Although the going was officially announced as "Good Going", the timing of the first race indicated otherwise. It was a class B race in which a recent demotee Trafalgar Square was sent to the post as an odds-on favourite. At the jump itself it became evident that the top handicapped favourite was finding it difficult to handle the underfoot conditions. The front-running Princess Emily led till the last couple of strides before she was headed by Word To Word. Ziggy Stardust was third ahead of the favourite Trafalgar Square. The runners were literally plodding at the end and it was apparent that the underfoot conditions were tough.

Champion trainer Ganapathy kept up his good work and completed saddling a dozen winners in the first three weekends of racing that we have had so far in the season. He saddled a hat-trick of winners in the four races that were conducted during the afternoon. He started with the unbackable All My Colours in the second race of the day. Srinath held up this filly behind Paint Me Red and released the grip on her after entering the straight. She galloped resolutely and pegged back the challenge of Wayne Smith on Leagues Apart. The rest were outclassed.  In the next race he saddled Gentle Knight and Celestial Treasure to a first-second finish. The well-performed Gentle Knight was favoured ahead of the rest on the basis of his two runner-up efforts during the winter season. Prakash rode him in a very workmanlike fashion and guided him to an effortless victory. Celestial Treasure finished on purposefully taking the second spot ahead of the early leader Excellent Ability. There was a lot of support for the Mallesh-ridden Seven Star but that seemed to be misplaced. Seven Star started plodding at the end and finished way down the field. She should be left alone for the rest of the season.

The Summer season has been acknowledged to be the most competitive season in the country. It has been known for its big and competitive fields, wide odds, close finishes and surprising results. Trainers have been known to plan the campaigns of their charges meticulously and bring them out looking their very best. All this is missing this year. The fields have been small and unattractive, a few horses are being run in unfit condition, others are seen looking dull in the paddock and many races have gone void owing to paucity of runners. It is time for the trainers to put up their hands. They are known to fight for their rights and demand proper working conditions and a conducive environment. They must realize that it is their duty to do justice to their owners. Races must not be allowed to go void, horses should be entered regularly and most importantly a well-filled and attractive race card should challenge the racegoers when they come racing over the weekends.