The Mysore Derby is the last of the Derbys for three year-olds. When Midnight Cowboy annexed the inaugural running on 6 October 1974, the Deccan Derby, won by Dr. M.A.M. Ramswamy's Half A Crown had been run four days earlier on its usual date of 2 October. The following year, the gap between the two Derbys was even less. Just two days. At Malakpet, Dr. Ramaswamy's Republican finished on well but was a head shy of Makalu at the post. That very night, Republican was motored down to Mysore and he duly won the Mysore Derby. That is the smallest gap between two Derby runs that a horse has successfully attempted and first of Dr. Ramaswamy's several "strike while the iron is hot" forays. Red Chieftan had a day more in 1978 when he completed the first Deccan Derby-Mysore Derby double but the other three to have emulated him -- Aristocrat, Chaitanya Chakram and Delage -- had two weeks or a little more between the two races. Two fillies -- Birthday Girl and Crown Treasure -- have completed a clean sweep of Mysore Classics in their years, winning all three.

These days, the gap between the two races is usually a more pragmatic three weeks or so. Still, the last double was recorded two decades back. In the last ten runnings, not counting last year's null and void fiasco, four Deccan Derby winners -- Starsky, Perceived Value, Sweeping Success and Star Presentation, all owned by 'MAM' -- have failed to win both the races. On the other hand, Super Speed and Fleet Indian, only third in the Deccan Derby have found compensation at Mysore. Two favourites -- Chevalier and Ansbach -- and one joint-favourite -- Splendid Surprise -- have won in the last ten runnings. Ansbach and Splendid Surprise had also won the Mysore 2000 Guineas previously. On an average, seven runners go to the post for the Mysore Derby and the fastest time in which the distance of 2000 m. has been traversed is 2.2.19 (by Fleet Indian in 2009). There is one curious fact about the Mysore Derby. The progeny of Razeen has won well over a hundred Classics in India but there has been no Razeen-sired winner of the Mysore Derby so far. Counting this year's crop, the Champion Sire has runners from four crops to make good the void posthumously.

Field Marshal (Placerville - Shamaal) has won both his starts at Mysore impressively. He led almost throughout, giving no chance to the field, in the Mysore 2000 Guineas. His full-brother White Knight has won over 2000 m. while his full-sister is a winner over a mile, both being just handicappers. Their dam -- a daughter of Razeen -- won the Sprinters' Cup, Gr.1. Razeen and Placerville have been the two foremost stallions in India over the last decade and a half. A number of classy daughters of Razeen -- Forest Fantasy, Warsaw Pact, Pleasure Hunt, Snow Dew, Yutai and Shamaal, to mention just a few -- have visited Placerville and one would have expected the produce to sweep everything in sight. In actual fact, while there have been some Classic winners, only Leave It To Me -- trained like Field Marshal by Padmanabhan -- has been a Classic winner beyond a mile. This fact and Field Marshal's front running style means that while he is a strong contender he could be vulnerable over 2000 m.

Southern Bay (Alnasr Alwasheek - Priceless Glory) has twice accounted for In the Spotlight at Mysore in the current season and Padmanabhan's filly has boosted that form with an emphatic victory in the Deccan Derby, Gr.1.( It is reliably learnt that In The Spotlight will not be running this Sunday). They are both out of Placerville mares and the Ganapathy-trained Southern Bay has the classier pedigree as her dam is a full-sister to Gr.1 winners Smart Chieftan, Classical Act, Southern Empire and Change of Luck. Southern Bay will appreciate the step up to 2000 m. as much as In The Spotlight did. There is, however, a cloud hanging overhead. Apparently, Dr. Ramaswamy's filly has tested positive for a prohibited substance in the post-Mysore 1000 Guineas samples taken.

Southern Bay comes in as a final entry. The final entries disappointed in the Mysore 2000 Guineas but the principle holds good. (Afterall, didn't Danedream, a final entry in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, come home at lucrative odds?). The other final entries are Bold Police and Practicallyperfect. Bold Police (Brave Act - Traffic Police) is another customer who will be happier over 2000 m. Brave Act has sired the Stayers' Cup, Gr.1 winner Arabian Knight while Traffic Police is a winner of the South India Oaks, Gr.1 over 2400 m. Practicallyperfect (Sunday Doubt - Sterling Prospect) sprang a surprise in the Hyderabad Fillies' Championship, Gr.3 and later ran a very respectable fourth in a terms race against older horses at unfavourable weights. Both those races were over a mile. A line through Surya Lakshmi gives a clear advantage to Southern Bay who will be bidding to become the first filly since Crown Treasure (1996) to win the Mysore 1000 Guineas and the Mysore Derby.

Apart from Practicallyperfect, Dhariwal is likely to saddle I Specialist and Midtown Magic. The two sons of departed Midtown are very genuine and consistent, both are out of mares by sprinter-miler Ajaad and both come from families with more speed than stamina in immediate generations. They will run their honest races but it is difficult to ascribe a winning chance to either.

The brown-and-gold stable rarely goes single handed into a Classic these days and Forest Regent (Placerville - Saffron Dancer) could be Southern Bay's bracket-mate on Sunday. A half-brother to Deccan Derby winner Star Presentation, his recent form doesn't inspire much confidence. At The Helm (China Visit - Perfect Mover), a three-parts sister to Archipenko -- who incidentally dropped C. Alford in this very race some years ago -- is bred on the same cross as Moonlight Romance and Xisca. The achievements of Moonlight Romance and Xisca mask the fact that several other horses similarly bred have failed to rise above mediocrity. The last three starts of At The Helm have all been in graded races and she finished midway in good-sized fields giving the impression that either she was still not fully tuned or called for a serious effort. Darius Byramji's filly is the dark 'un here as she has been working impressively. Lad Lady (Razeen - Tarnished Lady) has the pedigree to get the job done but is light on actual performance. What is in her favour, though, is that several 'gets' of Razeen with ordinary or just satisfactory performance have suddenly found top form as late three-year olds and early four-year olds. Lad Lady is trained by Zareer Darashah, an elder statesman among the trainers' fraternity, now operating from Mysore. His last Classic winner -- Nairn -- came ten years ago at this centre and in 1993 he had saddled Negresco to win the Mysore Derby.

Past The Post.

A Derby is always an important race. This year the Mysore Derby has an added significance because it will be the last graded race of 2010-11 and the result here could have a bearing on the Champion Stud award. This award is made based on a formula approved by the Turf Authorities of India. A stud farm gets 30 points for winning a Gr.1 race, 20 for Gr.2 and 10 for Gr.3. There is also one point for every ordinary race and two for races where the winner's purse is in excess of Rs. 2 lakhs. In addition, there are points for placing in graded races and bonuses for winning certain prestigious events.

At the half-way stage (30 April), Usha Stud had what appeared to be an unassailable lead of 165 points over the Poonawalla Group of Farms. By 31 July, this lead had been reduced to 114 points. Since then, it has been further whittled down, on black-type points alone, to just under 50. The Poonawallas, with their larger numbers, invariably win more ordinary races so the actual lead that Usha Stud enjoys is likely to be even smaller. The two mighty establishments are going stride for stride and the result of the Mysore Derby, where 54 points are at stake, could settle this year's championship.