UNRAVELLING THE CLASSIC CONUNDRUM - A PREVIEW OF THE KINGFISHER ULTRA INDIAN DERBY 2019 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 02 Feb 2019
UNRAVELLING THE CLASSIC CONUNDRUM – A PREVIEW OF THE KINGFISHER ULTRA INDIAN DERBY 2019
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
The 77th running of the Indian Derby has attracted plenty of conversation from the railbirds and after a long time, appears to wear a fairly competitive look. Generally every year leading upto the Blue Riband there is one horse that catches the public’s imagination and is sent off a warm favourite although the record of favourite’s in this race is not too flattering. Last year, it was Prevalent Force, the supposed ‘wonder horse’ from Bangalore who came down with a formidable reputation but came a cropper with Rochester galloping to glory and achieving his greatest moment in Indian racing. The year before that it was Hall of Famer and Serjeant At Arms – arguably the best Colt and Filly who locked horns with each other in a thrilling duel for Supremacy, battling it out all the way up the straight with the filly ultimately having the final say. Ironically, Serjeant At Arms will be gracing the casual racegoer with his presence once again, returning from a year and a half off the track to contest the Rusi Patel Trophy (Grade 3) and what a fairy tale it would be if he could return victorious.
This year too was no exception with a truly outstanding Colt in the mix – the brilliant grey Sir Cecil. The unbeaten colt has rattled off a string of 8 victories in a row and is the first unbeaten colt to enter this race since the mighty Exhilaration way back in 1989. Winner of the Bangalore Summer Derby and the Mysore Derby, he won his first battle with age old rival Star Superior by claiming the Indian 2000 Guineas decisively to complete his 8th consecutive win and now enters unknown territory looking to tackle the gruelling mile and a half trip for the first time. Post the Guineas though, rumours of an injury to the brilliant colt began to make the rounds and speculation was rife that all was not well with the Champion. He missed his prep race leading upto the Derby and his preparation has clearly been under a cloud although his last couple of workouts have been most impressive. He will be contesting the Derby after a gap of 48 days – the longest gap that any previous Derby winner has endured and ironically the last horse to do so after such a gap was Exhilaration. Had it not been for this interrupted preparation, Sir Cecil would clearly have been head and shoulders above his rivals although he is still likely to be sent off a warm favourite and it is this speculation that all is not well that has brought other horses into the mix and added a more competitive look to this years renewal.
A summary of the leading contenders is given below
SIR CECIL
(Win Legend x Elusive Trust)
TRAINER :- S. PADMANABHAN
JOCKEY :- DAVID ALLAN
RATING :- 92
DRAW :- 7
STARTS :-8
WINS :-8
Has looked in a different league to the rest of his age group and has dominated the Classic picture right from his juvenile days. Beginning from January of last year in a 6 furlong maiden, he has rattled off 8 straight victories in a row, barely breaking a sweat in most of them and the only time he was seriously tested was by Star Superior in the Bangalore Colts Trial Stakes. His last 5 victories have all been Classic Races – romping home from Star Superior in the Bangalore Summer Derby and then routing his opposition in Mysore, scoring double digit distance wins in both the Mysore 2000 Guineas and the Grade 1 Mysore Derby where he clocked an astonishing sub 2 minute time without being fully ridden out. He has proved he conclusively stays 2000M and appears to have no worries about getting the extended trip on his pedigree. The only lingering question and one which nobody can answer with any certainty is how fit Sir Cecil really is and how much his little niggling problems have affected his preparation. It is this uncertainty which has added an element of doubt and intrigue to this year’s Derby although true Champions have always found a way to overcome adversity. A fully fit Sir Cecil would probably be far too good for his rivals but at 80 – 85% fitness could one of them exploit a chink in his armour. He still appears to be a worthy favourite and is clearly the one to beat
STAR SUPERIOR
(Excellent Art x Ramjet )
TRAINER :- RAJESH NARREDU
JOCKEY :- SURAJ NARREDU
RATING :- 82
DRAW :-11
STARTS :-10
WINS :-6
A top quality Colt in his own right and along with Sir Cecil have been the dominant force of this years Classic Crop, towering head and shoulders above the rest and was unlucky to have been born in the same year as Sir Cecil, as he probably would have been outstanding in another generation. He has played 2nd fiddle to Sir Cecil on every occasion that the pair have locked horns in the past, going close on a couple of occasions but never being able to get the better of the grey. Added to that are serious doubts and stamina concerns about his ability to endure the gruelling mile and a half trip with most experts feeling that he will not stay. He too is a dual Classic winner, winning the Deccan Colts Championship and Derby albeit in a much more workmanlike fashion and in a much poorer timing for the mile and a quarter. Clearly at his best over a mile, he showed his class in the Ruia Cup over 2000M when coming with a powerful late run to wear down Sacred Roman close home but the margin of victory was half a length while in the 2000 Guineas he had finished almost 7 lengths clear of the colt. He has worked brilliantly since his last run and appears to be in the pink of condition at present and Suraj is likely to hold him up again and try and preserve his stamina for a final late thrust. He should run his heart out and if he does manage to stay the trip then another thrilling duel with his old adversary is very much on the cards and if Sir Cecil is not a 100%, maybe today is the day that he can gain a famous victory
SACRED ROMAN
(Holy Roman Emperor x Cliquot)
TRAINER :- PESI SHROFF
JOCKEY :- Y. S. SRINATH
RATING :- 60
DRAW :-1
STARTS :-5
WINS :- 2
One of the most lightly raced in the field and perhaps the one who is showing the most recent improvement and he could conceivably be peaking at the right time. He has always looked a very workmanlike and no nonsense individual, getting the job done with a minimum of fuss and expending just the right amount of energy that is required. Both his wins were hard fought affairs in handicaps, rallying to come back with a 2nd run and get the better of Jetfire in his maiden win over 1400M and battling hard to hold off the late finishing Bronx to win narrowly over a mile on his debut on the Mumbai track. He finished a faraway 3rd behind the 2 Champion Colts in the 2000 Guineas but put Star Superior to a stern test in the Ruia, taking a long lead at the bend in a strongly run affair and just being collared close home and narrowing the difference between the pair to just ½ a length. With an abundance of stamina in his pedigree and with further improvement likely, he stands a very strong chance to reverse the placings with Star Superior over a mile and a half and that would put him in the mix with Sir Cecil as well, especially if he is not fully fit. Disregarded by most experts, he looks a very live threat to the big two and like Rochester last season – this may be his moment to shine.
ADJUDICATE
(Multidimensional x Alvarita)
TRAINER :-J E MCKEOWN
JOCKEY :- A. SANDESH
RATING :- 102
DRAW :-9
STARTS :-8
WINS :-4
The Queen of Kolkotta and the highest rated horse in this field, she has been touted by many as likely to be the main threat to Sir Cecil and is the only one of the frontline contenders to have proven form over a mile and a half having scored a hugely impressive in the Kolkotta Derby, clocking a very smart time in the process. Spending much of the early part of her career in Western India under MaleshNarredu, she was well beaten over middle distances, by Pioneer in the Breeders Produce Stakes and later by Excellent in the F.D. Wadia and the S.A. Poonawalla in Pune but she appears to have been transformed in the care of James Mckeown and could be another who is peaking at just the right time. She won the 1000 and 2000 Guineas in Kolkotta in great style and could not have been more impressive in the Kolkotta Derby, proving far too good for her rivals and romping home with plenty to spare. It will clearly be a drawback for her not to be partnered by David Allan who has ridden her in all her 3 Classic wins and he will clearly be wary of her and her abilities and A. Sandesh will have to very quickly become familiar with the filly’s nuances and style of racing. She looks head and shoulders above the other fillies in the fray and could clearly pose a serious question to the Colts as although she has not beaten much opposition, her manner of victory and her timing bear testament to her brilliance.
PIONEER
(Phoenix Tower x Riyasat)
TRAINER :-MALESH NARREDU
JOCKEY :- P.TREVOR
RATING :- 79
DRAW :-6
STARTS :-7
WINS :-4
Has long been one of the top Colts in Western India winning his first two starts with consummate ease and easily accounting for Adjudicate in the Breeders Produce Stakes but was found to have picked up an infection after his dismal run in the Poonawalla Million and it took him a long time to recover from that. Finishing on late to be 3rd to Excellent and Adjudicate in the S.A. Poonawalla Multi Million over a mile, conceding weight, he was a courageous winner of the Pune Derby albeit in a relatively slow time but has not seen the race course since. He suffered a setback since that win and has been slowly nursed back and patiently be prepared but it is nearly an impossible ask for a horse to come out and win a Derby on his first run of the season and he clearly seems very much up against it. Likely to stay with his mother being the Oaks winner Riyasat he would clearly be up there with Sir Cecil and Star Superior on his best form and one would consider him the Joker in the pack but it will be a truly incredible training feat if MaleshNarredu can produce him to win this and register his 2nd Indian Derby winner after Be Safe.
A few pieces of interesting stats and trivia to round out the discussion
· The similarities between Hall of Famer and Sir Cecil bring about a sense of déjà vu. Both are progeny of Win Legend, both are grey and both represent the same combination of owner trainer and jockey
· Y.S. Srinath won his only Indian Derby exactly 5 years ago breaking a streak of 7 consecutive wins for foreign riders before that
· David Allan has won 3 of the last 10 derbies – the last two for Trainer S. Padmanabhan who himself has won 3 in the last 10 years
· Malesh Narredu’s only derby win till date has been Be Safe who was ridden by Suraj Narredu. Rajesh Narredu has yet to win an Indian Derby but it will be a Narredu combination again with Suraj on board
· 4 Fillies have been successful in the last 10 years but only one in the last 5
· The previous time the Derby was run on February 3rd, S Narredu claimed his only Classic success with rank outsider Super Storm with the initials S.S. This time another Narredu – Rajesh Narredu has a contender ironically also with the initials S.S. Will lightning strike twice ?
· In spite of his phenomenal record as a Jockey, Pesi Shroff has won only one previous Indian Derby with Jacqueline
In the overall scenario, one expects a thrilling duel between Sir Cecil, Adjudicate and Sacred Roman with Star Superior added to that bunch if he stays the trip.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
