The stage is set for the South India Derby to be run on the Madras Race Club turf at Guindy on Monday (January 15).
Though the celebrations for Pongal will be in full swing, one would have to wait until a bit after 4.30 p.m. to find out who will be celebrating after six geldings and four colts line up to face the starter at the 2400m for what would be the most important race of their lives.
Going over that Classic distance of a mile and a half will test the stamina and the speed of the 10 horses to the utmost. Most of them have never been over this distance. Whether they get the trip or not remains a million dollar question.
Touch Of Grey and Knotty Charmer are both Guineas winners. They both have oodles of class but will they be at their best over 2400m? The former has won the Mysore Derby over 2000 metres well enough, but getting that additional 400 metres is what is going to count most.
The outcome will decide who is the champion four-year-old in the city. The total stakes on offer for the Grade 1 event is over ₹11 million with the winner taking home ₹6.6 million in addition to a trophy valued at ₹1 lakh.
One has to sit back and wait for what promises to be an interesting Derby which, despite looking an open and shut case, seems to be wide open.
The card:
1. ROYAL CALCUTTA TURF CLUB TROPHY (1,200m), rated 20 to 45 (0 to 19 eligible), (outstation horses are eligible), 1-30 p.m.: 1. Angavai (8) C. Umesh 50, 2. Sinatra (9) Ram Nandan 57.5, 3. Cloudy Hills (6) Antony Raj 57, 4. Vijaya (7) P. Sai Kumar 57, 5. Thrill Of Power (10) S. Imran 54.5, 6. Larado (5) Neeraj 51.5, 7. Royal Mayfair (3) P. Vikram 51, 8. Sunche Dreams (1) Shyam Kumar 51, 9. Zen Zero (12) A.S. Peter 51, 10. War Emblem (2) Farhan Alam 50.5, 11, Western Girl (2) Farid Ansari 50.5 and 12. Gajabo Grande (11) G. Vivek 50.
1. ANGAVAI, 2. VIJAYA, 3. GAJABO GRANDE
2. USHA STUD MILLION (1,400m), maiden 3-y-o only (Terms), (outstation horses eligible), 2-00: 1. Elfin Knight (3) P, Trevor 56, 2. Falconbridge (1) G. Vivek 56, 3. Brook Magic (2) C. Brisson 54.5 and 4. Crown Angel (4) Yash Narredu 54.5.
1. ELFIN KNIGHT, 2. FALCONBRIDGE
3. WIN NEWS PONGAL MILLION (2,000m), rated 20 to 45 (0 to 19 eligible), (outstation horses eligible), 2-30: 1. Ruling Star (5) Yash Narredu 60, 2. Dear Lady (6) Neeraj 58, 3. Masterpiece (1) Ram Nandan 57.5, 4. Wolf Creek (2) Antony Raj 56, 5. Grace (4) P. Trevor 54, 6. Abilitare (7) Farid Ansari 53.5 and 7. Royal Nobility (3) P. Sai Kumar 51.
1. RULING STAR, 2. GRACE, 3. DEAR LADY
4. TURF AUTHORITY OF INDIAN TROPHY (Div. I), (1,200m), rated 60 to 85 (40 to 59 eligible), (outstation horses eligible), 3-00: 1. Golden Marina (7) Koshi Kumar 61.5, 2. Priceless Ruler (5) Farid Ansari 58.5, 3. Wind Symbol (3) Inayat 58, 4. Emelda (9) S. Kabdhar 57, 5. English Bay (6) Srinath 57, 6. Constant Variable (8) Ram Nandan 56.5, 7. Gutsy (2) P. Trevor 55, 8. Fun Storm (4) P. Siddaraju 54.5 and 9. Race For The Stars (1) P. Sai Kumar 54.5.
1. GUTSY, 2. ENGLISH BAY, 3. WIND SYMBOL
5. DR. M.A.M. RAMASWAMY MEMORIAL TROPHY (Gr. III), (1,400m), 4-y-o & over (Terms), 3-30: 1. Knotty Dancer (2) G. Vivek 60, 2. Shamrock (4) Suraj Narredu 60, 3. Imperial Blue (8) Antony Raj 57, 4. Rubirosa (1) Neeraj 57, 5. The Sovereign Orb (6) C. Brisson 57, 6. Yukan (7) P. Trevor 57, 7. Anastasia (5) Yash Narredu 55.5 and 8. Ashwa Morocco (3) P. Sai Kumar 55.5.
1. SHAMROCK, 2. ASHWA MOROCCO, 3. IMPERIAL BLUE
6. HYDERABAD RACE CLUB TROPHY (1,600m), rated 40 to 65 (20 to 39 eligible), (outstation horses are eligible), 4-00: 1. Renegade (3) P. Siddaraju 60, 2. Bruce Almighty (4) Srinath 59, 3. Grandiose (8) P. Sai Kumar 56, 4. Starkova (6) P. Trevor 55, 5. Sea Blush (1) C. Umesh 53, 6. Pharazon (5) L.A. Rozario 52.5, 7. Sierra Dela Plata (2) Neeraj 52 and 8. Beautiful (7) A.S. Peter 50.
1. PHARAZON, 2. SEA BLUSH, 3. STARKOVA
7. SOUTH INDIA DERBY STAKES (Gr. I), (2,400m), 4-y-o only (Terms), 4-30: 1. Eloquent (-) (-) 57, 2. Golden Warrior (1) Yash Narredu 57, 3. Granpar (4) Neeraj 57, 4. Knotty Charmer (6) G. Vivek 57, 5. Lionel (10) P. Trevor 57, 6. Magnus (8) Srinath 57, 7. Multicrown (7) C. Brisson 57, 8. Ruling Dynasty (5) Antony Raj 57, 9. Saigon (9) I. Chisty 57, 19. Stravinsky (3) C. Umesh 57 and 11. Touch Of Grey (2) Suraj Narredu 57.
1. TOUCH OF GREY, 2. KNOTTY CHARMER, 3. RULING DYNASTY
8. TURF AUTHORITIES OF INDIA TROPHY (Div. II), (1,200m), rated 60 to 85 (40 to 65 eligible), (outstation horses eligible), 5-15: 1. Gods Plan (5) Koshi Kumar 60.5, 2. Dark Son (6) Neeraj 55, 3. Speculation (2) C. Brisson 53.5, 4. Soft Whisper (9) Ram Nandan 53, 5. Pirate’s Love (4) C. Umesh 52.5, 6. Empress Eternal (8) P. Sai Kumar 51, 7. Illustrious Ruler (7) Farid Ansari 51, 8. Mutant (1) P. Vikram 50.5 and 9. Dedicate (3) P.S. Kaviraj 50.
1. DEDICATE, 2. SOFT WHISPER, 3. GODS PLAN
Jkt: 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8; Mini Jkt: 5, 6, 7 & 8; Tr (i): 2, 3 & 4; (ii): 6, 7 & 8.
