OWNERS: Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla: The McDowell Indian Derby is a landmark destination of every thoroughbred. The race is an apt test for speed, stamina and class. It is topmost on the agenda of every racehorse owner and the best from the country vie for this top race. Set Alight is a wonderful filly and has been impressive in all her starts. She is the best in the country currently. I certainly feel she is extraordinarily talented. Mr. Vivek Jain: “This will be a record breaking Indian Derby- the first time ever the winner of a race takes away over 1 crore in prize money. The UB Group always brings a special dimension to the day, and even though the race will be run in mid April, it will not be lacking in either promotion or attendance. We hope to make it truly a spectacular weekend. Set Alight is truly one of India’s all time great bred horses, and surely the best filly ever to race in India. She has all the hallmarks of a champion thoroughbred- versatile, settles easily and has a brilliant turn of foot. With ten unbeaten starts, she has done all asked of her and will surely run the Indian Derby as one of the hottest favourites in years and looks poised to score a record triumph”. Dr. MAM Ramaswamy:” the McDowell Indian Derby is indeed the most important landmark in Indian Racing. I have had the pleasure of winning this prestigious race on seven occasions and each occasion is fresh in my memory as a special moment in my racing pursuit. The thrill of an Indian Derby success is a joy to behold. Set Alight is a great filly comparable to any in the business. She certainly possesses the potential to be an all time great”. Mr. Farouq Rottensey: “The McDowell Indian Derby means everything to a racehorse owner. It is the ultimate race in Indian Racing. It is the one race, any owner would surely want to win. Set Alight is an outstanding filly. She simply stands out. I am connected to two contenders in the race namely Juventus a full brother to last year’s winner of the Indian Derby Hotstepper, and Antonios. I shall hope for the best” Haresh Mehta: “Any Derby is the biggest race for the centre it is run at, but the Indian Derby is an event in itself. It is the biggest Indian race and every owner’s desire to win. In fact, top owners like Dr, MAM Ramaswamy and Dr. Vijay Mallya have gone to the extent of buying highly reputed horses at fancy prices just before the Derby to try and take a crack at the McDowell Indian Derby! Such is the race among owners too to win the Indian Derby. Set Alight is a super filly. There are other very good horses in the fray for the Indian Derby, but I would say they are most unfortunate to be pitted against such a great filly. There will be a fight, but for the minor placing only. Sunil Jhangiani: The Indian Derby is the most prestigious race in India. To win this race is every owner’s dream. This is easily the number one race in the country. Set Alight is a different class. She is outstanding! I would say any horse is extremely good if he/she came to within two lengths of this wonder filly in the Indian Derby. I have seen a little of Continual and Squanderer is my all time favorite. Set Alight to me is on par with these legends if not better. Peter Duebet: “The McDowell Indian Derby is a race par excellence. Fiercely contested and bravely fought. It brings out the best of the years’ campaigners to give out their best on the day. The race makes champions out of the winners. The packed stands, the electric atmosphere, well filled cards adds to the race lover’s joy. Even the Derby eve was well presented and the lead up to the Derby makes the Indian Derby an event worth the wait. Set Alight is the front-runner to win this year’s Derby. I hope there is someone lurking out there to provide a keen contest. Abs Fabs’ terrific run in the KolKotta Derby raises hopes that Set Alight may be stretched. How else will know what exactly is Set Alight’s true potential? Begum Sheharbanoo Lagad: “The McDowell Indian Derby means a lot to the entire racing fraternity. It is the most glamorous event in Indian Racing history. It is the highlight of the Indian Racing Calendar. A special race that has great importance. Where I come from, we are traditional racing family and this is one important race we would never miss. This race generates extreme excitement and the aura on the Derby Day is simply not definable. Set Alight is undoubtedly a great champion filly who is a sheer joy to watch. She is the best filly I have seen. She has impressed in each of her ten victories so far and there is no doubt that she will add to that number. She will be tested for the first time as the line up for the Derby is formidable, however, the way she has shaped so far makes one believe that she will be hard to down. TRAINERS S S SHAH: “Indian Derby is one of the biggest races run in India. Every owner, trainer and jockey aspires to win this race at least once. I would say it is an ambition of any professional to taste victory of this one particular race Set Alight is the best filly I have seen for a long time. She is good for any distance and a versatile galloper. A natural and graceful runner. My Juventus and Antonios are taking her on and I firmly believe that unless u run them you cant win them! Bezan Chinoy: the McDowell Indian Derby is the most important race in the Indian Racing Calendar. This one race gives you the thrill to even have a runner representing your stables leave alone winning the race. I am an old hand at training horses in western India, but the Indian Derby has never ceased to generate a different kind of excitement despite the years. Set Alight has been very impressive but I still maintain it is not going to be a one horse race. C D Katrak: “The McDowell Indian Derby is the greatest racing event in India. This event means a lot to the entire Indian racing fraternity. The whole of India will watch this great race. This is the most prestigious race and the most important one in the career of any racehorse. Set Alight is a top class filly. I am truly impressed with her. She is extraordinary and has a terrific turn of foot. Narendra Lagad: “To me, the Indian Derby is the dream of every horseman. Even witnessing the Indian Derby is so exciting. The Indian Derby is the greatest test for the horses and for us professionals as well. The race gets the best out of everyone connected and a spectacular event that would enthrall everyone witnessing the race. Set Alight is the best filly I have seen. If all goes well the race is as good as over. She is brilliant and truly special. Set Alight should win the Derby this year comfortably. Imtiaz Sait: “The McDowell Indian Derby means the world to the racing professionals. I would liken it to the Oscars. Sometimes we plan up for this race as long as two years in advance, if we get to see the potential in a juvenile! One dreams about this race. Winning a McDowell Indian Derby is euphoric and believe me there is no better feeling than that of leading the Indian derby winner in. I am blessed to have experienced the heady feeling when I led in Exhilaration in 1989. It still gives me the goose pimples when I recall that moment. Set Alight is truly a wonder filly. She has a lovely rhythm and a fantastic turn of foot. She has a great combination of speed and stamina. She is one of a rare kind. Magan Singh Jodha: “The Indian Derby is the main race of the Indian racing scene. It is not only the most important race in western India but also across the country. It is the most sought after race. Every owner/trainer/jockey wants to win this race. Set Alight is simply outstanding. After the Ruia Cup victory there is no denying that she is a great filly. If the form holds good, she is unlikely to be troubled in the Derby. Dallas Todywalla: The McDowell Indian Derby is the mother of all races. It is the biggest race any trainer can hope to win. Winning the Indian Derby generates a feeling like no other. I was ecstatic when I won it twice with Star Supreme in ‘98 and Starsky in 2002. It is the Indian Derby that you have got to win at least once in your career! Set Alight is a wonder filly and this year’s Indian Derby is at her mercy. If the Ruia Gold Cup was any indicator, any horse that runs her close is a damn good horse. Altaf Hussain: “The Indian Derby is the top Indian race. It is fiercely competitive and the winner’s thrill is beyond expression. I know the feeling I experienced when I won with Starfire Girl and Desert Warrior. It was unbelievable. This race is one race everyone is passionate about. It gives you the real racing high. Set Alight is the best racing prospect in the country today. She is top class and will be hard to down. Karthik Ganapathy: It is the biggest race in India and the most prestigious too. It is the dream and hope of any trainer to win this race. A race lookd forward by the professionals and the racing public alike. Set Alight is an exceptional filly and is the most highly reputed horse in the country today. It will be hard to see beyond her for the Derby. Nirad Karanjawalla: the McDowell Indian Derby is the most awaited race. The excitement that it generates is enormous. Any Derby is a favorite for the center it is held but the Indian Derby is the national attraction. It is an event for the racing fraternity and the masses to behold. The Derby day crowd is exceptional and the flavour of the Derby day is to be felt to be believed. Set Alight has raised the bar on every occasion and is peaking at a remarkable rate. She is certainly the best in the land. She has been dishing out some truly awesome victories. She is simply too good. JOCKEYS Malesh Narredu: The McDowell Indian Derby is definitely the biggest and most glamorous event in Indian racing. I have had the pleasure of winning this race on Indictment and just a earlier year my brother Satish Narredu had won on Amazing Bay. Even now, whenever I watch the old videos, those moments of triumph gives me a high. The roar of the crowd and the shower of flowers as we walk in to the paddock is a true joy with unknown faces from the crowd screaming their greetings. This race is truly amazing. Set Alight is the best filly I have ridden and should have a decisive say in the Derby. She has grown from strength to strength and is the best on four legs in the country today. She is one filly you can safely say is unbeatable. Daniel Grant: “The McDowell Indian Derby is a terrific race and is comparable to any racing event across the globe. This is the most important race in the Indian racing scenario. I was in Mumbai last year too for the derby and man were the crowds pouring in! The excitement this race generates is extremely high and the sheer numbers of the crowds motivates one to dish out the best. I was overawed by this mega turnout and the screams you hear when the gates fling open is deafening. A great event and thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. Set Alight is an exceptionally good filly. She will be very hard to beat. There is Autonomy, Dancing Dynamite and Juventus in the fray and they will have to prove that can stay the distance at a fair pace. Set Alight stands out. C Rajendra: The Indian Derby is a mega event for not just the racing fraternity but also the public as well. This is the only day the stands are filled to capacity and there are more non-regulars than regulars at the Mahalaxmi racecourse. The loud chanting from the crowds gives us jockeys a great feeling and we are highly motivated to make a fight of it. I lost by a whisker astride Ray of Light and that loss still gives me sleepless nights. This is one race that I have missed winning the most. It is my dream to win and wait is going to get longer with Set Alight in the fray. It is my dream to win the Indian Derby and my wait is just going to get longer now that I have sustained this unfortunate fall. Will surely miss the Derby day badly. Set Alight is a great filly and I should know. I rode her as a baby and when I returned from the morning canter, I was impressed. I told Pesi that she was special right then and there. I rode her to the first three victories during the start of her career and she has lived up to expectations even better than what we perceived. She is too good and she will prevail. B Prakash: This is a very special race and the most prestigious. Young horses with potential are prepared months in advance with this one race in mind. The Owner’s glee is a great reward for us professionals. The feelings are too sensitive to express in words. I have won this race twice with Starsky and Southern Regent. It was a feeling no other race can give you. Set Alight is an excellent filly and the best in the country today. She amazed us all with her splendid manner of victory in the Ruia Cup. She is the one to beat in this year’s Derby. The Indian Derby is not short of surprises and if anyone does beat Set Alight, it would be the greatest fluke. Commentator Deepak Rajpal: “The Indian Derby has always been the favorite of the masses. It is like an event dear to the city of Mumbai. There have been times when I have had to squeeze my way through the crowd to reach my box on the Derby day.. The atmosphere is simply electric. Even calling the race with all its pressure is certainly a pleasure. Set Alight is a super star. I have not seen many like her in the 30 odd years that I have been calling races. Having said that, I have witnessed quite a few big names go down in the Derby. That is what makes this race so thrilling. Autonomy is the one she needs to be weary of though.