During history classes in school one learned how Clive, during the Second Carnatic War, occupied Arcot while Chanda Sahib's army was away in Trichy. This year, with the Hyderabad raiders - or more precisely Vittal Deshmukh's marauders  foraying to all parts, there was a real danger of Malakpet itself being at the mercy of invaders. Maximus took the Golconda 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 and Simply Stylish annexed the Golconda Oaks, Gr.2. Fortunately, for the defence of the Deccan Bookmakers' Golconda Derby, Gr.1 on Sunday, Tintinnabulation has returned to shore up the home defences. Whether he will be successful in repelling the challenge remains to be seen. The race can be looked at as a home and away contest. It can also be seen as a tussle between the home products and the 'got-abroads'. The latter, though outnumbered, enjoy an edge and are equally divided between the home and away camps. 

The highest rated contestant is Shivalik Star (Shamardal - Badraan). Trained by Satish Narredu at Bangalore, he made his debut only in July and won three races on the trot to which he has added another one since. On his last outing, he was second to Wind Stream in the Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. He has never won beyond 1400 m. nor raced further than a mile. His pedigree suggests that he should get the trip. Shamardal has sired the Prix du Jockey Club, Gr.1 (French Derby) winner Lope de Vega while Shivalik Star himself is a half-brother to Eastern Aria, a winner of the DFS Park Hill Stakes, Gr.2 over 3000 m. Though he hasn't raced since the Bangalore 2000, he has been tracked regularly and given a mock race.

Against Shivalik Star, the home contingent will bank on Tintinnabulation (Intikhab - Tourmalet). He was a four-length second to Snowscape  in the Eveready Calcutta Derby, Gr.1 where the winner left him standing after he had taken up the running from Borsalino. Before that, he was a faraway third to Commander and Shivalik Hero in the Nanoli Stud Pune Derby, Gr.1. He is always thereabouts so cannot be ignored. He needs to put in a more sustained effort to catch the Judge's eye.

Vijays Champ (Toccet - Poor Old Eliza), who will run in the same colours as Tintinnabulation, has done all his racing at Malakpet and has never been off-the board in his half a dozen starts. He is moderately rated and his main claim is that he has won two of his three races over 2200 m. Neither his dam nor his grandam raced. The next dam is, however, is the Champion 2yo Filly Eliza who won the Breeders' Cup Fillies, Gr.1 at 2 and later the Santa Anita Oaks, Gr.1. A dual Gr.1 winner, Toccet, trained by Bobby Frankel, once commanded a stud fee of US $ 20,000 in Kentucky. He is now standing in Oklahoma for US $ 2,500. Vijays Champ has shown that he can stay in moderate company. If he not used as a pacemaker for Tintinnabulation, he will have to show plenty of improvement on his current rating of 67.

Pesi Shroff's search for a Classic winner from the 2009 crop continues as he sends Dr. Mallya's Storm Tracker (Weather Warning - Wolanstonita) to Malakpet. Though the lowest rated of the four 'got-abroads', he is the only one who has never been headed on the track in his three starts. He did lose on his debut, though, on a successful objection by the second placed Maple Star. Maple Star's Indian Oaks, Gr.1 victory does his prospects no harm, either. He won his next start at Mumbai and was then sidelined through niggles of one kind or another till returning to action with a fluent victory at Mumbai this year.  Storm Tracker  is from the first crop of Storm Cat's Manitoba Derby, L winning son Weather Warning out of a well performed Chilean mare. Wolanstonita was a Gr.1 winner in her homeland and also has a win over 2,400 m in a Gr.3 race. Storm Tracker hasn't raced beyond a mile so far and hence his ability to get the trip will have to be taken on trust.

The average rating of the four 'got-abroads' is 83.5; against that the best that the domestic product has to offer is Manyatta (Rebuttal - Picture Show) and San Ramon (Placerville - Sorrento Steel) who are both rated at 79. Manyatta, who was fourth in Machiavellianism's Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, hasn't won beyond 1200 m. and is yet to venture beyond a mile. The Mallesh Narredu-Daniel Grant combination has already pulled off a stunning victory with Maximus and they have come back for more with Manyatta. San Ramon's three wins in-a-row during the monsoons were all gained over 1400 m. His dam is by the redoutable stamina influence Montjeu so San Ramon is bred to stay. However, he was comfortably beaten on the two starts he has had when sent beyond 2000 m. recently.

Ratham and Chiron, the two fillies coming over from Bangalore, both placed on their last starts which were in the Oaks; Ratham at Bangalore and Chiron at Hyderabad. Neither had looked threatening in either of the races so now face a tougher task against their male counterparts.

There are two runners in the field who have won over the distance and one of them is Angel Crown (Steinbeck - Altimara), a half-brother to Xisca. Angel Crown won over 2400 m. early in September at Pune. There are no doubts about his stamina. The same cannot be said about his class or recent form for he has finished dead last on his last three starts. His trainer has been working him with An Acquired Taste and there must be a reason why he is bringing him over  given his lack of form. The filly Perfect (Cool Creek - Leading Prospect) came out of the maidens on her last start - her tenth - and so is a course and distance winner. Normally, that is a strong commendation; however, as Perfect won off a rating of 28, she is clearly out of her depth in a Gr.1 race.

PAST THE POST

The grey gelding Best of Bold (Ilheus - Zyna's Glory) won the 1997 Classic Golconda Derby, Gr.1 for Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy. He was trained by K. Satheesh and once Satish Narredu sent him past the favourite - and another grey Son of Silver - approaching the final furlong, the race was over. Best of Bold sauntered home at 7/1, two and a half lengths clear of the 30/1 chance Donegal.

Best of Bold was a full-brother to Winning Pretty who had seen off 21 other fillies to win the Castrol Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1  a year earlier at Mahalakshmi. Their year younger full-sister So Amazing won the The Hindu Calcutta 1000 Guineas, Gr.3. Zyna's Glory was to produce another Classic winner in Prince Valiant (by Green Forest) who won the A.V. Thomas Mysore 2000 Guineas, Gr.3. Road to Glory's daughter Zyna's Glory was a wonderful broodmare, producing a dozen foals at Dashmesh Stud, of whom 11 were winners including four Classic winners. Best of Bold was her only grey produce and the only one to win beyond 2000 m. There is a theory that when a foal takes its colour from the dam, it takes its aptitude from the sire. Like all theories, you can find examples supporting it as well as negating it.

Best of Bold's sire Ilheus was a twin son of Northern Dancer out of the Epsom Oaks, Gr.1 winner Homeward Bound II. He generally passed on his dam's stamina to his progeny. Ilheus sired four winners of the Golconda Derby, one more than both Placerville and Razeen. Though technically owned by Singh Stud, Ilheus stood all his life at Dashmesh Stud. His first three winners of the Golconda Derby, King Rama, Dynamic Dancer and Rave Review were born at Singh Stud; Best of Bold was born at Dashmesh Stud. Despite being a twin, Ilheus was a good-sized, attractive chestnut. He had a long tenure at Dashmesh  till he was retired in 2000 at the age of 22. He sired 26 individual Classic winners.