A closer look at the 2017 Indian Derby field - By Tom Krish
Posted on - 04 Feb 2017
A closer look at the 2017 Indian Derby field - By Tom Krish
Bold March..Recent races clearly indicate his inadequacy. I cannot see him elevating his game.
Dashrath Singh..Post 2
Germanicus…Won the Golconda 2000 Guineas on December 5. Fifth in the Indian 2000 Guineas and was over eight lengths off Serjeant At Arms. Looked impressive when winning the Golconda Derby on January 29. Diabolical accomplished the Golconda-Indian Derby double in 2007. The Indian Derby comes a week later. Yes, the rigors of travel will have an impact but the fact remains that he was outclassed in the Indian 2000 Guineas and he has a lot to find.
Imran Chisty..Post 7..Helpful post. Being in the middle in a 2400-metre race gives the jockey several options.
Highland Breeze..Third in the three-horse Ruia Cup. A good handicapper but there is no evidence to think he is in the major league.
N S Parmar..Post 13
Lucas…Graduated early October in Pune. Got an encore in a Class Four contest. Non-threatening second to Serjeant At Arms in the Indian 2000 Guineas. Needs to find a great deal to turn the tables. Remains a marginal possibility.
ColmO'Donoghue..Post 11..A great jockey booking. Colm has been riding in Dubai. He has won big races all over the world. Post does not hurt.
Mathaiyus…The Indian Derby is his fifth career start. Broke the duck in a Class Four 2000-metre race on December 11, 2016. Won again in a 53-79 (rated) 2400-metre race. He is ready. He is in form. In much deeper waters on Sunday. Yet to be tested but I believe that it is hard to give him a spot in the 'top contender' list.
Y S Srinath..Post 3..I find it difficult to be enthusiastic though we do not know, at this point, we do not know how good he is. Excellent draw.
Salazaar…Made a winning debut in Bangalore in August 2016. He repeated in a Class Three race on November 18, 2016 also in Bangalore. Fourth in the South India 2000 Guineas and a length adrift. Raced in the vanguard in the South India Derby (January 14, 2017) and took charge early in the lane. Was a tear-away winner. The bottom line is that the Guindy opposition lacked depth. His strength comes from the fact that he has won a 2400-metre Derby. Salazaar is a final entry.
Trevor Patel..Post 5..Likes to be in the first brigade and the post helps that cause.
Serjeant At Arms..Sure to carry the public purse. Has won seven times from eight career outings. Won the Bangalore Colts Championship (1600 metres) and took the Bangalore Summer Derby (2000 metres) in good style. Suffered a shocking loss in the Mysore Derby on October 23, 2016. Three parts of a length behind the Padmanabhan-trained Ice Glacier. Bounced back with a visually pleasing win in the Indian 2000 Guineas. Got some fresh air and had an opportunity to stretch his legs in the Ruia romp. He has been training forwardly. The pick of many a knowledgeable racegoer.
A Sandesh..Post 8..Jockey Sandesh should welcome this draw. He can look either side and will be able to decide what to do. Cannot be too far off the pace.
Supreme General…Two wins from six lifetime starts. Won the Morvi Gold Cup. It was a three-horse field. Took fourth in the Indian 2000 Guineas and not in contention at any point. Lacks the firepower to be effective in this Classic contest.
P S Chouhan..Post 6
Vulcan..A good servant to his connections. Twice winner in eight trips postward. Nothing in his resume that makes me put him anywhere near the top of the pecking order.
J Chinoy..Post 9
Hall Of Famer..A daughter of Win Legend who raced with success in Japan. Win Legend's sire is Sunday Silence. I saw Sunday Silence, trained by the legendary Charlie Whittingham win the 1989 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Sunday Silence was also victorious in the Breeders' Cup Classic that year. Hall Of Famer has won four of seven career races. Her win in the Golconda 1000 Guineas brought her national recognition. She was beaten a head by Mrs Patmore in the Indian 1000 Guineas. In the Kolkata Derby on January 8, 2017, she won by a jaw-dropping eight lengths in a splendid time. Silver Beauty and Accolade were behind her. The quality of that performance puts her at or near the top of the Derby hierarchy. Hall Of Famer is taking the Kolkata-Mumbai route that In The Spotlight and Desert God took. This is an extremely productive route that trainer Padmanabhan used in 2012 and 2016. David Allan and Padmanabhan is a team to be feared. We may not have seen Hall Of Famer's best yet but she has served notice that she is capable of reaching new highs.
David Allan.. Post 4..Very good draw no matter how you look at it. David Allan seldom stays well off the pace. He has the luxury of using the filly a bit to gain good position.
Mrs Patmore…Is a precocious daughter of Holy Roman Emperor who was Europe's leading freshman in 2006. I was at Longchamp in Paris on Arc Day when Holy Roman Emperor won the 1400-metre Prix Jean-Luc Lagerdere, Europe's top race for two year-olds. Aidan O'Brien was the trainer and Kieren Fallon was the jockey. Mrs Patmore was second in her Pune debut. She graduated on the opening day of the Mumbai season. In only her third start, she was waited with and came up with a rattle to edge ahead of Hall Of Famer in the waning yards in the Indian 1000 Guineas. Enjoying favoritism in the Indian Oaks, she was beaten two lengths by Temerity. I will not hold the Oaks defeat against Mrs Patmore. The pace was not brisk. She is sharp. She has class. She is open to improvement. She has been over the 2400-metre distance. Without question, she has a prominentplace in the shortlist.
Louis Beuzelin..Post 1..On paper, the inside is always an advantage. However, Mrs Patmore appears to be a 'hold up' type. Post 1 could see her get shuffled back. I am sure that jockey Beuzelin will have an answer. After all, he won the Cesarewitch (3200 metres) at Newmarketin 2010. That was a 33-horse field. Aaim To Prosper was the name of his mount.Aaim To Prosper won the Cesarewitch a second time in 2012 with Kieren Fallon.
Silver Beauty..A final entry and that is an indication of the confidence of her connections. Five wins from eleven starts. She is a grey and her sire, Aussie Rules was a grey. I did see Aussie Rules race in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Mile (Turf) at Churchill Downs. He was unplaced. Silver Beauty won the Kolkata 1000 Guineas and the Oaks. She met with interference in the Kolkata Derby. She was just two lengths off Temerity in the Indian Oaks. Given the form she is in and her ability to stay the trip, she merits earnest attention.
Suraj Narredu..Post 12..Post will demand extra from this big-hearted filly. She has had one good after another. Suraj has fine reflexes.
Temerity..A filly with enormous talent. She was fourth in her debut in January 2016. Temerity left the maiden ranks on March 13, 2016 in Mumbai. She won the next two in Pune. She beat a non-descript group on November 24, 2016 in Mumbai. She drew the far outside in the Indian 2000 Guineas. She had problems at the gate. After being cleared to race, she ran listlessly and Neeraj Rawal pulled her up. In the Oaks, she was not fancied. She accelerated willingly when asked to win easily. I have no doubt in my mind that she was going to hold Mrs Patmore and Silver Beauty readily. The pace was tepid but there is no denying the fact that Temerity showed heart and class in that Oaks win.
Intense Focus is Temerity's sire. Intense Focus, from Jim Bolger's yard, landed long odds in the Dewhurst Stakes, an important race for two year-olds, on October 18, 2008. I was at Newmarket that day and it was a photo finish. Kevin Manning, Bolger's son in law, was the winning jockey.
Neeraj Rawal tells me that Temerity is working well. She came out of the Oaks with no problems. Nereraj is fully cognizant of the tough task ahead but he is, to use a worn out phrase, 'cautiously optimistic.'
Neeraj Rawal..Post 10..Cannot be entirely happy with this post but no need to lament either. The pace is likely to be lively (faster than in the Indian Oaks) and that should help Neeraj use his filly's late kick to good advantage.
Winter Renaissance..Once winner is six lifetime starts. Lacks the tools to be effective.
C S Jodha..Post 14
Accolade, Whomakestherules and Ice Glacier, one time contenders, are out for different reasons.
Here's my verdict..I am taking Temerity. Her Oaks win clearly tells us that we need to draw a line across her Indian 1000 Guineas race. Temerity is a course-distance winner. She beat two accomplished rivals in Mrs Patmore and Silver Beauty. Neeraj Rawal, Temerity's jockey, is going through a purple patch. He won the Bangalore Winter Derby with Tororosso, a maiden. He is finding a place in the top echelons of the Indian jockey colony.
Serjeant At Arms has done nothing wrong. I had considerable reluctance going against him. He has been consistent. I saw his Indian 2000 Guineas win in Mysore. It was impressive. Jockey Sandesh understands Serjeant At Arms very well. Ikhtyar, sire of Serjeant At Arms, trained by John Gosden, raced in England. There is one race I saw in which Ikhytar finished third. It was the 2004 Prince Of Wales Stakes (2000 metres) at Royal Ascot. The race was won by Rakti and Powerscourt was second.
Serjeant At Arms is a deserving favorite. It is going to take an extraordinary horse to beat him on Sunday.
Hall Of Famer is in the form of her life. That was an eye-popping score in the Kolkata Derby. Padmanabhan has won this race in 2012 and 2016. Jockey David Allan has been an ultra effective jockey for Padmanabhan. Hall Of Famer has had a race at Mahalakshmi. She is indeed dangerous.
Mrs Patmore and Silver Beauty, I am hoping, will give good accounts of themselves. Both are in the realm of possibility.
In handicapping, beyond all analysis, there is a visceral element that always creeps in. My cerebral side tells me that it will be Serjeant At Arms. My visceral side makes me lean toward Temerity and I am influenced by Neeraj Rawal's 'on fire' spell.
***
