Jockey Y S Srinath returned a hero and Alaindair the Star! The McDowell Signature Indian Derby had a competitive line-up of 15 worthy aspirants. With Murioi’s winning streak on the Mahalaxmi track this season, punctuated by his sensational win on tight reins in the RR Ruia Gold Cup, he was the obvious choice as the prime favourite. Jeremiah, the winner of the Hyderabad and Pune Derbies was next in demand, while the others were at longer odds.

The near-30,000 crowd bellowed at high decibels as the starter pressed the button and the contenders shot out of the gates in a hurry to grab vantage positions early in the race. Richard Hughes was the only one to stay calm and was happy to follow the entire field in the dead last position.

The Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks winner Isn't She Special galloped past Jeremiah to go for the lead and she set off at a lively pace. Archie settled in second with Jeremiah, who had Southern Emperor, Agostini and starry Eyes close behind. Srinath sat with Alaindair along the rails with Murioi alongside for most of the early part of the race. The rest were in a huddle with Circle of Life still last, detached, about three lengths adrift.

Isn’t She Special led them into the straight amidst frenzied din in the stands. The Oaks winner could not carry on the way she had and soon petered out. Jeremiah took charge briefly but he had Murioi on his outside and Starry Eyes slipping in through the inner rails, ready to pounce on him. With 400 to go, Murioi looked on his way. Jeremiah failed to gather momentum and was the first casualty among the fancied runners. Starry Eyes posed as a lively challenger as the race came to a boiling point.

Alaindair, who galloped along the rails all the way until the turn, was adeptly switched to the outside and at just the right moment, rounding the curve. Jockey YS Srinath, with a clear passage ahead, soon started to ride out aggressively. With rhythmic urging and timely use of the whalebone, Srinath got Alaindair firing on all cylinders. The Altamash Ahmed trainee arrived to join Murioi and Starry Eyes at the distance post. Circle of Life was the one making steady progress, as she improved from the last position to get closer to the front. However, Alaindair rocketed ahead in the final furlong at a scorching pace to score a stunning victory with amazing ease. His final run was lightning fast and he tore away from them all giving no chance to his any of his rivals.    

Alaindair (Multidimensional – God’s Grace)not only won comfortably, but also set a new course record by clocking the fastest time ever on the turf – 2:28:05 bettering wonder filly Jacqueline’s 2:28:54 (2010). Another interesting fact is that YS Srinath arrested the trend of foreign riders winning the Indian Derby. The past seven years had seen the foreign lads beat the Indian boys each year. The last Indian jockey to have won the Indian Derby was P Kamlesh when he partnered Velvet Rope to win the 2006 edition.

“The feeling is yet to sink in,” said YS Srinath. I was confident that Alaindair had it in him. I had a choice to pick my ride and I chose Alaindair. I got the feeling he was in fine fettle when I rode him on work. He looked good in the paddock too and in the race, he was sensational. He was calm and settled early. He was patient all the while and he was ready to switch gears once in the straight. He gave his best in the final furlong and was full of running close home. He is a game horse indeed and a true champion. I am delighted to bag my first Indian Derby win. This is the race that every professional yearn to win. It’s taken a while, but I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Srinath.

“It’s a dream come true and my joy is boundless. I am enjoying every bit of this triumph. Alaindair has given great joy to me and this one was best ever,” said owner Mr Nevill Devlaliwalla.

For the Usha Stud Farm, this one was a great result. Their Sire Multidimensional’s progenies usurped the top two positions in the McDowell Signature Indian Derby (Gr1).

“I am mighty pleased with the performances of Alaindair and Starry Eyes. It was a good team effort and thanks to Altamash and Srinath. I am happy that Multidimensional, in his first season has proved to be a top notch sire,” said Ameeta Mehra of the Usha Stud Farm.

Alaindair has catapulted trainer Altamash Ahmed into the big league. Alaindair won him the Bangalore Colts, the Kingfisher Bangalore Derby 2013 and now the McDowell Signature Indian Derby, the highest honour in Indian racing.

 “I am extremely happy and this is a great moment, not only of my career but my life as well. I was always confident that Alaindair would stay the trip. He has depth in stamina and he has this rare ability to both lead from the front or lay back and emerge in the straight. He is a genuine horse and knows his task. I am thankful to my owners and jockey Srinath. What he displayed on the track was most pleasing,” said Altamash.

Alaindair’s  owners  Dr Nevill R Devlaliwalla, Miss Ameeta Mehra & Mr Gaurav Sethi proudly received the Golden ‘Man on Horse’ trophy which valued at Rs 150,000/- presented by the United Spirits Limited along with the winner’s  stakes a little under Rs Two crores, by far the richest stakes ever! The total stakes for the McDowell Signature Indian Derby is just over Rs 3.21 crore.

"The McDowell Signature Indian Derby has lived up to its reputation of being the most anticipated and glamorous racing event in India, yet again. It truly has been a spectacular weekend of style, entertainment and of course, pulsating racing. The action both on and off the turf has been incredible. While the most deserving contender won on the turf, the international entertainment and fashion enthralled the large number of patrons who have turned out today,” said Dr. Vijay Mallya.

Mr. Vivek Jain, Chairman, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) said, "The McDowell Signature Indian Derby is richest and the most glamorous sporting event in India. We had India’s best horses and a number of the top international jockeys as a part of this year’s derby. Additionally, we had an array of international acts and entertainment add colour to the weekend. RWITC has lived up to its commitment to bring to Mumbai a truly spectacular weekend of big stakes and excitement with three decades of unstinted support from United Spirits Ltd.”

For the RWITC, it was a proud moment. The managing committee had ensured that the Club was geared up to host this festive extravaganza with an attendance of 25 to 30,000. Senior officials such as NHS Mani and his team who worked in sync with the USL team led by Mr Sanjay Khanna made sure that all the elaborate pre-planning were implemented with precision, which is what makes the McDowell Signature Indian Derby a mega hit with the masses. The personal care by Mr Suhail Mohammed, who prepares and maintains the race track, provided an excellent track which saw a new record created by an exceptionally talented horse. These are some of the men who work tirelessly behind the scenes and their contribution often remains in the shadows. 

 The presence of Dr Vijay Mallya always adds to the glitz & glamour on the Derby day. The entertainment quotient was thoroughly enjoyable and the air-conditioned tent was full with tastefully dressed people, most of them sipping the Derby-famous ‘Saddle Up and Set Alight’ cocktails. The ride in a century-old antique car (immaculate maintained of course), that drove the two bigwigs – Dr Vijay Mallya and Mr Vivek Jain to the presentation podium across the grand stands, was one of a kind. The grandeur of the McDowell Signature Indian Derby reigns at the top of all sporting events in the country. This year’s edition has just concluded, but aren’t we waiting for the next already?