Come Wednesday and the Prince of Calcutta, Dandified, will be out to defend his crown in the running of The Indian Champion Cup, the only Grade I race run at Kolkata other than The Eveready Derby Stakes. The pride of Calcuttans has been humbled only twice in all his starts at Kolkata in Winter – once when he ran into the Queen filly IN THE SPOTLIGHT last year in the Derby and when he was shocked at the post by Ocean And Beyond in this Season’s Calcutta Gold Cup.

Dandified will be partnered by Champion Jockey Chris Alford. Chris should be on an all time high having just lifted The Eveready Calcutta Derby Stakes with Snowscape. Nine have made the line up for the winner’s purse of over Rs 15 lakh and includes some of the very best equines of the country. Ocean And Beyond is the highest rated at 127, a star in his own right, having won and placed in some prestigious races in Western India. Ocean And Beyond won The Pune Derby 2010 and finished second to Moonlight Romance in the Indian Derby 2010-11.

 The gelding will be partnered by one of the leading jockeys of India, Suraj Narredu.  Bangalore challenger Toroloco has made the trip to Hastings to have a tilt at the Champion Cup and will be partnered by Paul Mulrennan who won the Calcutta Derby Stakes in 2010 on Bruckner.

Toroloco had won the Bangalore Derby last year and the Maharaja’s Cup wherein he beat Smashing and In The Spotlight. Toroloco is coming fresh from a win in the Bangalore Chief Minister’s Cup.

Arabian Prince also makes the line up and will be partnered by Irish Jockey Jamie Spencer. Spencer is widely regarded as one of the best, and most naturally talented, UK-based jockeys. He is an advocate for the art of holding up horses late into the races, and then making use of their natural dash of speed. Arabian Prince had won The Indian Champion Cup in 2011.

Upcoming rider Shailesh Shinde will be partnering the sparingly raced Abriella who has reeled off 7 wins from 10 starts. Western India Champion A Sandesh partners Malpensa, winner of the Calcutta 2000 Guineas this Season.

Another young star of Indian racing S Zervaan will be astride Western India challenger Berlusconi which has won and placed in quite a few Graded races in Mumbai and Pune. Monsoon Cup winner Unleashed will be ridden by regular partner Neeraj Rawal and is one of the highest rated horses at Kolkata. Hyderabad import Vijay Monarch completes the line up for the Champion Cup and will be partnered by Surjeet Singh. Vijay Monarch has been running very consistently in the highest class in Hyderabad.

 It's surely going to be a tremendous race over the trip of a mile and a quarter which needs the right blend of speed and stamina. The “Prince” is likely to be the favourite of the crowd at the race course. Will he stick his neck out at the all important finish line or will he be conquered on his home turf? Come to the Calcutta Race Course on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 and see for yourself – The Ultimate Clash Of Titans!