The Kingfisher Derby has this habit of throwing the best-argued theory into dustbin. The glorious uncertainties of the sport were brought home by the shock win recorded by Ganapathy trained Glorious Colours at the expense of more accomplished opponents. Upsets are par for the Blue Riband of the Bangalore Summer Season and Glorious Colours' win though a bolt from the blue, was not entirely unexpected. The heavy rain which preceded the race rendered the track soggy, the going was dead and Lancaster literally walked the final 100 metres, Fond Fantasy tired out chasing the front-runner and Glorious Colours which graced the wrong end of the field into the homestretch, was ideally placed to exploit the situation. The superior turn of foot (Glorious Colours dam was a Sprinters Cup winner) ensured that the daughter of Razeen flashed past Fond Fantasy and Lancaster to win with a measure of comfort. Though the wrong `un won, it was a welcome relief for the gold and brown brigade as things had not gone smoothly thus far. Pesi Shroff on Lancaster perhaps did not realize that he was in danger of losing the third spot too when he dropped his hands. Lancaster immediately grounded to a halt and Brown Sugar got up to snatch that place. 

The Bangalore Derby result has had a bearing on the classics held all over the country during the monsoon and winter seasons. But it is difficult to assess how much this result will have a bearing on the forthcoming classics. Glorious Colours was not expected to last out the Derby trip but she did admirably. The pre-potent influence of Razeen was there for all to see and we have seen this phenomenon of horses defying well-argued theories of breeding with amazing regularity. We had a Sprinters Cup winner Bryce Canyon by Serious Spender (all his wins were over nine furlongs) out of an Oaks winning mare and now we have a Derby winner through a Sprinters Cup winning mare! Such uncertainties are what make the sport thoroughly enjoyable.

Coming back to the race, Grosvenor Square, Lancaster and Fond Fantasy were the three who were expected to dominate the race. There was some doubt whether Lancaster would last out the Derby trip because he was out of a mare that was not known to be an influence of stamina. Grosvenor Square was stoutly bred to stay while Fond Fantasy, despite cynicism about her staying potential, was at least expected to acquit herself well over this mile and a quarter trip. Brown Sugar had always figured in calculations as he had done well in good company and he was there in the fray as a supplementary entry. There was no doubt about this staying abilities and the conditions too favoured him because he was expected to revel in soft underfoot conditions. Even the most optimistic was not inclined to give a chance to Glorious Colours; the chance of being a spoilsport from the stable expected to be Smart Supreme.

Glorious Colours (C Rajendra up) winning The Kingfisher Derby Bangalore (Grade I) from Fond Fantasy (b Prakash up)

Mrs. Rekha Mallya presenting the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore (Grade I) to M.A.M.R Muthaiah & Dr.M.A.M.Ramaswamy, owner of Glorious Colours


Mrs. Rekha Mallya presenting the memento to jockey C.Rajendra


Mrs. Rekha Mallya presenting the memento to breeder Ms. Ameetha Mehra

Top Executive darted to the front as the starter dispatched the field for the 2000 metres trip. Lancaster, sporting blinkers for the first time, got keen and raced in close proximity of the pace maker, with Grosvenor Square, Fond Fantasy and the rest following in close attendance, with Glorious Colours in the rear of the bunch. Passing the 700 metres, Top Executive shot his bolt and Pesi Shroff pushed Lancaster to take over the running. The son of Glory of Dancer was traveling well into the straight and had a break of over three lengths on Fond Fantasy who was being alerted to the task while Grosvenor Square was digging his heels in the slush. 

Lancaster (P Shroff up) leading at 500m turn

Lancaster kicked on and it looked as though he would last out. But inside the final 100 metres, his reserves ran out and he had nothing left in him. Fond Fantasy was always traveling better than the front-runner but in chasing Lancaster, she too came a cropper at the finish. In the meanwhile, jockey Rajendra who has never had much success on the Bangalore track, got Glorious Colours going from behind and to his luck, there was wide gap along the rails. Glorious Colours came through with a flourish and went past the battling duo with ease to win, sparing a length at the finish to her stablemate Fond Fantasy. Brown Sugar pipped Lancaster to the third spot while Ramjet finished fifth. The colts were expected to put it across the fillies in the Derby but it turned out to be anti-climax, with the first two slots occupied by the weaker sex and the third one, had a female aboard!

It is quite possible that with stronger support, Brown Sugar could have been closer. All the jockeys who were among the first four were guilty of excessive use of the whip and ended up paying fine for the same offense. Silva's supporters had always protested that she was always soft on the horses and never believed in punishing the horses by excessive use of the whip and how wrong they were! She paid a further fine of Rs 2,000 for her patent, i.e. causing interference, to horses drawn on her inside at the start.

A long drawn card of 10 events were gone through on a day when there was a record crowd to witness the Derby day's proceedings. The turnover at the club operated totalizator pools grossed over Rs 3.93 crore. Had it not rained during two races in the afternoon, the turnover could have crossed the magical figure of Rs 4 crore. 

The Hyderabad Cup, run over seven furlongs for maiden three-year olds, was run in two divisions. Padmanabhan trained Spark of Glory showed good improved on his previous run to record a runaway win over Chapmans Peak. Favourite Calderoni did not show the expected progress and was a tame third. In the lower division, there was a big touch on Ganapathy's Royal Divinity. In keeping with the trend of horses from these stables showing unacceptable improvement after a run or two at the wrong end, Royal Divinity who was backed spiritedly, led from the word `go' and won by a widening margin of over seven lengths. There was big support for King of Hearts and this was in the belief that the Mumbai challenger was a cut above the rest. They were hopelessly wrong.

Imtiaz Sait who saddled King of Hearts, however, had some consolation, when Second Jewel won at nourishing odds. Imtiaz has so far saddled three horses to victory at lucrative odds and all of them over an identical trip of five and half furlongs and on each of the occasion, the runner up has been Wishbone. Super Model was given a less than satisfactory ride by Suraj Narredu.

L'Avenir has proved to be pretty unlucky. Winner of the Hyderabad Juveniles Million, L'Avenir has moved up to the highest class without winning any race but placing in terms race. His last run in the Justice Cup cost him of a possible win in a handicap race because his finishing third to Astrologica ensured a penalty of nine kgs. Brought back to a handicap race, L'Avenir failed to deliver the goods after making the entire front running. Attorney, who had a great pull in weights, crossed him while overtaking inside the final 100 metres. Malesh Narredu checked the horse abruptly and it cost him even the runner-up spot. Sky Raider edged him out by a whisker to clinch the second place. 

One Aim has been somewhat of an enigma. Given an easy ride by jockey Prakash last time out that escaped the eye of the Stipes, One Aim landed a quiet touch when barely lasting out to win at the expense of Kissinger who was full of running at the finish. Michael Eshwer, who saddled both Lancaster and Kissinger, had a consolation win for the day when Betfair shot through the rails to record a long overdue success. Betfair thus made her first run in Bangalore a winning one. At her home centre, Betfair had let down on a number of occasions as a fancied runner. Badel who rode Kissinger and failed by a whisker, was lucky on the second occasion when Speed Mistress just got up in time to edge out It's So Wonderful who was shaping to cause an upset. 

One Aim (M A Gallagher up) winning The mumbai Cup Div I from Kissinger (David Badel up)