THE RACING SPECTACLE - By Shailendra Awasthi | TNN
Posted on - 30 Jan 2012
THE RACING SPECTACLE
Shailendra Awasthi | TNN
It doesn’t get bigger than this. The Indian Derby is the day when people from all walks of life in Mumbai assemble at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse to see and be seen, and to witness the top-class thoroughbreds putting their best to clinch the most sought-after crown in Indian racing.
The most prestigiousrace is contested by fouryear-old colts (male horses), fillies (female horses) and geldings (castrated horses) over a distance of 2400 metres.
In 1780, The 12th Earl of Derby had instituted a race for three-year-old fillies over a mile-and-a-half and called it the Oaks. Run at the Epsom, the first Oaks was won by Lord Derby’s filly, Bridget.
That night, during the postrace party, it was decided to hold a similar race for three-year-old colts.
When it came to decide the name of the race, the choices came down to either Derby, or the other prominent guest in the party, the Earl of Bunbury. When all the debate and arguments remained futile, a coin was tossed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Lord Derby won the toss but for which the most famous race in the world would have been known as the Bunbury Stakes.
The first running of the Indian Derby was held on Saturday, January 30, 1943. It was won by Princess Beautiful, owned by Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda, trained by M C Patel, and ridden by jockey E Britt.
I n t e re s t - ingly, when geldings were permitted to race in 1973, the first two horses in the Derby were Mansoor and Bade Miya, both geldings.
Trainer R R Byramji twice trained the winners of the Indian Derby for three consecutive years. He first did it with Commanche (1976), Squanderer (77) and Manitou (78). He followed it up with Astronomic (93), Littleover (94) and Elusive Pimpernel (95).
Jockey Pesi Shroff also scored a hat-trick of wins with Exhiliration (1989), Desert Warrior (1990) and Starfire Girl (1991).
Kheem Singh was the first Indian jockey to ride the winner, Balam, at the Indian Derby in 1949.
The longest winning margin in the Indian Derby is held by Manitou in the year 1978 when he won by 10 lengths. The closest finish was head, head and head when Track Lightning won in 1981.
NUMBER GAME
35,000 Was the stakes on offer at the inaugural edition of the Indian Derby in 1943 when Princess Beautiful won
