Despite the presence of three Classic winners in the eight-strong field, there isn't an outstanding runner in the Kimmane Bangalore Derby, Gr.1 to be run on Saturday. Two of the Classic winners are fillies and generally the colts or geldings have an upper hand even though they have to give 1.5 kgs. to all members of the fair sex. The race has been run 37 times and the fillies have won on ten occasions. 

Snow Bird (Oath - X Factor), who won the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2 on her last start, is the only course and distance winner. She ended the lean spell that the gold-and-brown colours were having and two other Oaks wins have followed quickly in the same silks. The Bangalore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 winner Jersey Girl finished off-the-board Snow Bird's race. Before that she had been very consistent and while every horse is entitled to an off day, Jersey Girl is not really bred to get the trip so her turning the tables on Snow Bird is unlikely. Jersey Girl is part-owned by Mr. Jairam Kimmane. That connection to the sponsor's name could spur the filly to put her best foot forward. 

Whether Snow Bird and her bracket-mate Red Baron (Ad Valorem - Kon Tiki), who has come down from Mumbai, both run their own races remains to be seen. Red Baron has won over the distance and he did so during the Pune season which quite early for three-year-olds to be essaying a mile and a half. On his last start he was beaten less than a length by Clinton over 2000m. in Mumbai. As Red Baron was giving 5.5 kgs to Clinton, that was a good effort. Red Baron's dam Kon Tiki placed once from just four starts she had with trainer Mark Johnston. Her two half-brothers, Sea Lord and French Navy, are both Group winners while their grandam is a three-parts sister to Razeen. This is a top class international family going back to the great mare La Troienne. Kon Tiki, like the dams of Vijays Pride and Machiavellianism, is a daughter of Red Ransom and Red Baron is bred on the same cross as Vijays Pride being by a son of Danzig out of a Red Ransom mare. 

In the 2004 Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes, Gr.1 at Newmarket, the Ballydoyle horse Ad Valorem beat Brian Meehan-trained Rebuttal by three-parts of a length. Rebuttal came to Hazara Stud and has been a resounding success. Ad Valorem retired to Coolmore and while he may have fallen short of that outfit's expectations, he has sired quite a few black-type winners. They will renew their battle on Saturday through their sons when the Hazara Stud stalwart has a numerical advantage. 

In fact, Red Baron is also born at Hazara as is Shivalik Fire so Mr. Nirmal Singh's nursery provides half the field. Mr. Nirmal Singh, of course, won this race last year with Rebuttal's son Toroloco who was trained by Irfan Ghatala. Shivalik Fire (Desert Style - Angarika) is part-owned by Mr. Nirmal Singh and trained by Irfan Ghatala. However, he is a winner of just one race and rather low in the ratings. At about the same mark is Athletic Star (Rebuttal - Courbette) despite having won a race more than Shivalik Fire. Athletic Star's two wins have been over sprints. 

The real hopes of Hazara Stud will be carried by Super Storm (Rebuttal - Cielo Vodkamartini). A winner of three races upto a mile, Super Storm was unplaced in the Bangalore Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.1. Since this his Classic form has been immaculate, having won the Mysore 2000 Guineas, Gr.3, placing second in the Kingfisher Derby, Gr.1 and Poonawalla Mysore Derby, Gr.1 and fourth in Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. That fourth was his last start and he has had a longish break since then though he has been spotted regularly on the track and has had a mock race. Some horses run best when fresh and Super Storm could be one those. After all, there was a gap of more than two months between his run in the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and his winning the Mysore 2000 Guineas, Gr.3.  

The question about Super Storm is his ability to get the 2400 m. trip. His half-brother Vijaykeerti by the miler Aussie Rules has won over 2000 m. and 2200 m. Rebuttal was more of a sprinter than a miler. Super Speed is the highest rated runner in the race and has class on his side. Similar questions surround Maths Baby (Mathematician - Cannon Baby). A gelding by Mathematician out of an Ajaad mare is not really a recipe for a Derby winner though the grandam was a full-sister to that grand stayer Brave Dancer. Trainer Jaggy Dhariwal's ward finished fourth over 2000 m. is his last two starts; first in the Poonawalla Mysore Derby, Gr.1 and this month to Toroloco in the Chief Minister's Trophy. He was well beaten at Mysore but finished much closer to older and seasoned horses Toroloco, Spark of Silver and Camorra although he was receiving plenty of weight from the winner. Toroloco has susequently won the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1 at Calcutta to boost the form. Maths Baby has promised a good run in a big race for some time now without quite delivering. 

The remaining runner is State Secret (Placerville - Indistinto) who was an unthreatening fourth in the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2. Her best commendation is that she is trained by Padmanabhan. Snow Bird and Red Baron are the only two runners with a common connection and unless one of them is used to set the pace there may not be another runner readily going to the front, races run at a false pace often produce unexpected results.

 PAST THE POST 

The Herbertsons Indian Salute Bangalore Derby, Gr.1 was won in 1999 by Saddle Up (Bold Russian - Queen's Rule). Trained by Imtiaz Sait, the 18/10 favourite beat the Bangalore Oaks winner Beautiful Babe by five lengths. That race was run on the Republic Day, twelve days before the Indian Derby. Ordinarily, the Indian Derby may or may not have been Saddle Up's next assignment because Dr. Mallya had the unbeaten Continual in Mumbai. With Continual breaking down, it became imperative for Saddle Up to be rushed to Mumbai. 

Saddle Up duly won the McDowell Indian Derby, Gr.1 but was later disqualified for testing positive. He was a close third in the Wills Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 behind Running Flame and Supervite but was promoted to second when his objection against his bracket-mate was upheld. He was again beaten, a short-head, by Running Flame in the McDowell Indian St. Leger, Gr.1. Once again Shroff's objection bore fruit and he was awarded the race. Later that year, he won the Bangalore St. Leger, Gr.2 and the Eve Champion Trophy, Gr.3. In his third year's racing, Saddle Up added the A.C. Ardeshir Trophy, Gr.2 and the Queen Elizabeth II, Gr.2 to his kitty. 

In India, Saddle Up was owned by his breeders Dr. & Mrs. Vijay Mallya and Mr. Ross Deas. He next headed for Singapore where he was owned by Dr. Vijay Mallya and Dato Terry Lee; later, Mr. Z.S. Poonawalla also joined in the partnership. Saddle Up really thrived under the tutelage of Larry Laxon winning races like the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the Tunku Gold Cup and placing second to Kutub in the international Singapore Gold Cup. However, his best performance was in finishing sixth in the Hong Kong Cup, Gr.1, about three lengths behind the winner Agnes Digital. That performance earned Saddle Up, who was born at Kunigal Stud, a much higher international rating than any achieved by an Indian-bred horse, before or since.