Most people know that the Indian Derby is run, generally, on the first Sunday in February. Many know that the first Indian Derby was run on a Saturday. A lesser number know that for some years the Derby alternated between a Sunday and a Saturday. How many know that it has also been run on Monday? That was in 1966, the year of Red Rufus.

1966 was certainly unique. All the five Classics that year were won by horses whose names started with the letter “R". Red Rufus won the Indian Triple Crown and Radhpyari bagged the Indian 1000-Indian Oaks double. Red Rufus and Radhapyari were both born in the month of March at the Kolhapur Stud which swept the Classics that year. Red Rufus was sired by Dark William and Radhapyari by Grand Success. Dark William and Grand Success were half-brothers who ran in the silks of Mr. Hugo Wachsman in India.

Talking of a clean sweep of the five Classics by a stud farm, Renala Stud had achieved the feat earlier in 1949-50 while Yeravada Stud emulated it in 1976-77.

Princess Beautiful, who won the inaugural Indian Derby in 1943, was also the first Derby winner to go abroad. When uncertainty clouded the future of Indian racing just after Independence, Princess Beautiful was sent to Ireland in-foal to the Baroda Stud stallion Spadassin. She never returned to India but one of her daughters did.

Balam, the 1949 Derby winner was sent to England to race when well past his prime in. He returned to India and had an undistinguished stud career.  Astonish, the eighth Indian Triple Crown winner, went to Hong Kong where he won a couple of races. He came back to India, was registered as a stallion but never covered a mare. Smart Chieftan, the last Indian Triple Crown winner, journeyed to Singapore for racing. After his return, he led a retired life at the Madras Race Club Equine Hospital. Southern Regent won the Derby in 1995. He went to England via Dubai and won three races. He is the only Indian-bred horse to win a flat race in England. After his retirement from racing, he was taken over by a young lady who raced him in team chasing, a competitive sport that is a cross between hunting and point-to-point racing. Antonios, who scalped Set Alight in 2009, went to Dubai for racing. He never returned for he died there. Jacqueline was sent to Ireland via U.S.A in foal to Glory of Dancer. Primogeniture, as that foal came to be called, has won a couple of races. In The Spotlight raced in Dubai, never running a bad race but failing to earn a winning bracket. She is back in India, a broodmare at Poonawalla Farms.  

It is common knowledge that Pyare Miya won only one race in his life - the Indian Derby. Pyare Miya was trained by Hayat Mohd. It was also the only Indian Derby success for Hayat Mohd. and jockey Ernie Johnson. Hayat Mohd., however, has one unsung credit. He was an assistant trainer with Dara Pandole and hugely responsible, along with jockey Jalal Khan, in getting the Gwalior cast off grey Thunder Storm to enter the starting stalls. Thunder Storm was the winner of the 1970 Indian Derby.

While Pyare Miya's not winning a race after the Indian Derby is well known and well remembered because he had not won before, either. However, it is a fact that there are 16 other Indian Derby winners who did not win a race after their Blue Riband triumph. The fillies Rose Royal, Cordon Bleu and Starfire Girl were retired to stud immediately after winning the big race. Starsky was being readied for the Invitation Cup at Bangalore when he collapsed after a morning gallop and died. Martial Law broke down in his very next race after the Derby, the Indian St. Leger, and was put down.  Littleover, Supervite and Jacqueline ran and placed in the Invitation Cup and then headed for stud. So did Psychic Flame who had one more start in the Indian St. Leger before moving to the breeding pastures. Bucephalus, Regal Domain, Fair Wood, Nelston, Enterprising, Velvet Rope and Hotstepper had more starts but failed to win.

Jockey Pesi Shroff rode nine winners of the Indian Derby but only eight count because Saddle Up was disqualified for an offence with which the jockey was in no way concerned. Shroff is the second youngest jockey to ride an Indian Derby winner, the honour of being the youngest going to his cousin Karl Umrigar. The ill-fated Umrigar was just 18 years and 114 days old when he won on Royal Tern in 1979.  Shroff was about six months older when he won his first Derby astride Enterprising in 1984.

Mention Royal Tern and you have to mention that the bookmakers refused to offer odds on Umrigar's mount. There were just five runners in that race. With fourteen still left in for this Sunday's race, will the bookmakers be more venturesome with Be Safe this Sunday ?

Pandu Khade was approaching his fiftieth birthday when he outwitted Shamu Chavan to win the 1973 Indian Derby on Mansoor. Mick Kinane was a year younger when he piloted Hotstepper to a victory in 2008.

Fillies naturally have a very brief career when they have won the Derby because they are more valuable at stud. The aversion to standing an Indian-bred stallion means that the colts still have something to look forward to in racing. The geldings have no future at all except to remain in training. The most durable of Indian Derby winners was Mansoor. His Indian Derby win came on his 11th start. He remained in training for 11 more years, ran 81 times and won three races. A tough cookie was Mansoor.

Only one mare has the distinction of producing two Indian Derby winners. That is Curfew III of Baroda Stud who got Jeanne d'Arc and Martial Law. Both were sired by Spadassin and were thus fully related.

Usha Stud's Grey Gaston holds the distinction of siring five Indian Derby winners. Grey Gaston was a very good broodmare sire, too, but it was not until  2004 that a daughter of his produced an Indian Derby winner. Psychic Flame, who won the Derby that year, was out of the Grey Gaston mare Eminence. Psychic Flame was born on 15 Jun 2000 and that makes her the youngest winner of the Indian Derby.

Fifteen of the trainers who have led in an Indian Derby winner were former jockeys. R.R. Byramji, who has saddled 10 winners, was an accomplished Gentleman Rider.

The Indian Derby is run at Mumbai and Mumbai is where Bollywood is. It was inevitable that the two intermingled, more so in earlier days. Contrary to the popular belief that Sanjay Khan is the only Bollywood star to have owned an Indian Derby winner, it has to be said that the 1962 Indian Triple Crown winner Loyal Manzar was bought by trainer A.L.J. Talib for Raj Kapoor who opted out later and his share was acquired by Mr. K.P. Singhania. The 1967 Indian Derby winner Nijinsky was owned by Mrs. Mary H. Wadia. That name may not ring a bell but say "Fearless Nadia" or "Hunterwali" and an earlier generation recognises an action heroine of superstar level. But racing's biggest connection with Bollywood was Mr. Chandulal Shah, the doyen of Ranjit Studios whose boast was "There are more stars in Ranjit than the heavens". Mr. Chandulal Shah owned Indian Derby winners Chakori and Balam.

PAST THE POST

The above paragraphs are irrelevant as far the common punter is concerned. He may find the following facts far more interesting.

*  Only two favourites have won the Derby this millennium and both were fillies. Jacqueline in 2010 and In The Spotlight in 2012.

*  Of the 14 winners in the 21st century, six were winners of their previous start and seven had placed either second or third. The Great Dealer, though, always has a card up his sleeve. Antonios, who slayed Set Alight in 2009, was unplaced in his previous outing.

* The longest gap between a Derby winner and his previous start is 41 days. Storm Again (2001) and Alaindair last year.

* The shortest gap between a Derby winner and his previous start is seven days. That was in 2007 when Diabolical did what Quasar is attempting.

* Three greys have won the Indian Derby. Rough Deal (1955), Thunder Storm (1970) and Revelation (1985). Numerologists would have noted that the year in which a grey won the Derby was divisible by 5 and also that they came at a regular 15 years gaps. The 2000 Indian Derby had 11 runners but it contained not a single grey !