Mrs Patmore emerges crowd favourite for Ladies only Derby -By Shiven Shivendranath
Posted on - 19 Jan 2017
Mrs Patmore emerges crowd favourite for Ladies only Derby
-By Shiven Shivendranath
The Ladies have always held a special place in horse racing across the world and it is only natural that The Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalaxmi, has extended this courtesy to all those ladies who choose to grace its beautiful heritage venue, spread over a sprawling 220 odd acres to watch a Derby that is a “ladies only”.
Mahalaxmi is probably amongst the few race courses which can also speak of a Ladies Ring in its members enclosure, where one can almost imagine bundles of crisp currency being taken out of Gucci handbags disappear into the rough but agile fingers of bookmakers, as if by magic.
Ladies, who aren’t particularly brand conscious, have it even better and those who strut in aluminium shoes rather than Louboutin’s and walk on four legs and not two, are rewarded with not just a mere betting ring but with their very own Derby —The Ladies Derby! Or The Oaks.
Occasional race goers would be forgiven for believing that The Oaks is possibly a tribute to the tree that has inspired poets across the ages but racing history will patiently explain to them, that in actuality, The Oaks is named after the estate of the 12th Earl of Derby, where he and his guests first planned this race in 1778.
How many fillies finally run The Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks this Sunday, 239 years after the Earl of Derby’s indulgence, is yet to be known. However, at the handicap stage, 10 have shown serious intent and one gets the feeling, most will choose to run, making this race worth travelling miles for.
Aster Rose, for one, has travelled roughly 615 miles from Bangalore to Mumbai, not to watch the race of course but to run and win it and the Indian Derby after that. She may not have the support of the Mumbai crowd but she ticks all the necessary boxes.
From the Bombay girls, too, quite a few will fancy this chance to etch their name in the haloed pages of Indian racing history.
While Mrs. Patmore will be the crowd favourite after sensationally winning the Indian 1000 Gunieas, in just the third run of her life, she would be vain to forget that her main rival that day, Temerity, hurt herself at the starting gates to finish last. Further, Mekong Delta finished third that same race from such a long way back, that for some she is the one to watch out for.
As if three serious challengers aren’t enough to stress out Mrs Patmore, there are a couple of others who could spoil her party. Silver Beauty, skinnier than a ramp model, has paid a final entry to run this race within two weeks of running the Calcutta Derby while Frosty runs this Indian Oaks after finishing 2nd in the Golconda Oaks.
Whichever filly wears the tiara this coming Sunday, she could next be looking at winning the ultimate crown in Indian horse racing two weeks later, on Derby day .
Thursday’s evening racing
While horse racing is all about quality over quantity, it is a relief to see some badly needed quantity in today’s race card. A big card of nine races will bring smiles on the faces of railbirds who have been suffering race days with barely seven races, some of them with extremely small fields which further reduces interest.
While not being as big a day as the coming Sunday, Thursday evening racing gives you an opportunity to check if you have the eye to spot a champion in the making in The Singapore Turf Club Trophy, which is a race for “babies".It is sometimes in races like these that a future star makes an appearance. A star who you might see a year from now running The Oaks or The Derby and hoping to win it.
