The Bangalore Derby, Gr.1 is generally run on the Republic Day. However, with the Asian Racing Conference on in Mumbai, it has been preponed. That, of course, will give the Bangalore challengers three extra days to get ready for the Indian Derby. There are three previous occasions this millennium when the race has not been run on its scheduled date.  In 2001, Altenburg, under a typically strong ride from Aslam Kader, pipped Il Diablo and Hello Brother on the post, heads separating the first three with the odds-on favourite Chevalier only fourth. The following year, when Royal Russian was the winner, horses with double figure odds filled the first four places ahead of the public fancy Nairn. These two races were run a week earlier. In 2009, it was run on 8 February but the later running did not help the favourite Fleeting Arrow as Icebreaker won rather easily. With that history, no one would want to carry the public money on Saturday !

There are four Classic winners in the fray and the winner should emerge from them. Let's start with the only course and distance winner in the field, the filly New Alliance. She has hardly put a wrong foot forward since the start of the monsoon seasons and has three wins from her last four starts which include the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2 and K.R.O.A. Mysore 1000 Guineas, Gr.3. In winning the Oaks, she clipped almost 2 seconds off the existing race record and was not far off the track record which stands in the name of Classic Style. She clearly sets the standard and is the one to beat.

Brilliant Cut was very impressive in putting it across the favourite Auriga in the Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 with Let The Lion Roar (Mr. Mellon - Alliventi) third and Mogadishu fourth, the last named eight lengths adrift of the winner. Brilliant Cut's four full-siblings -- Cayenne, Clear Mandate, Hillfiger and Ice Cutter -- toted 18 wins between them though none beyond a mile. Their dam, the Tejano mare Clear Cut, won four races up to 1400 m. Brilliant Cut's maiden win was over 1800 m. and though he missed the board in the Mysore Derby, Gr.1, he was within a length of the winner. The Burden of Proof-Tejano cross has produced five Classic winners of whom Chase The Sun won a weak Calcutta Oaks, Gr.3. He could get the Derby trip but it is hard to be bullish about it. New Alliance and Brilliant Cut share an interesting pedigree pattern -- both are by Burden of Proof out of mares inbred to Never Bend.

It takes a very good horse to win the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and most of them go on to add to their Classic tally. This millennium, only two winners of the race -- Glorious Colours and Fantabulous King -- have failed to do so. Angel Dust won the last renewal at the odds of 30/1. So far she has not added to that win though she may get the Bangalore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 if Starlet's second sample is also returned positive. The question will remain, however, if Angel Dust was a fluke winner of the race unless she wins a Classic off her own bat. She ran a poor race in the Deccan Bookmakers' Fillies' Championship Stakes, Gr.3 and was given time off for the rest of the monsoon campaign. She won the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 by kicking on at the top of the straight to grab a most useful break and then hanging on. In the Bangalore Oaks this year, she attempted to do just that but Heaven Is Here was quickly on her girth. She did hold Heaven Is Here for a while but once passed, she caved in. She is bred to stay on her dam's side. Surfside, winner of Calcutta St. Leger and Swiss Maid, dam of Stayers'Cup, Gr.1 winner Swiss Don, are half-sisters to her dam Angelique who herself is a winner of Bombay Dyeing C.N. Wadia Gold Cup, Gr.2 over 2400 m. Salute Her, Forever Elegance and Forever Glory, all staying Classic winners, are also from the immediate family. This is the stirp of the Mumtaz Mahal family that has produced Shergar. Angel Dust has had adequate rest after her last run and a little more spark will see her involved at the business end.

Mysore Derby, Gr.1 winner Mogadishu is a conundrum. Having beaten horses like Heather, Jefferson, Bullrun, Bold Command, Desert God, Star Formation and Brilliant Cut in his career, his credentials to tackle this company are unquestionable. His dismal effort in the Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 on his last start, where he was eight lengths off the winner, is not encouraging. He did turn the form around in the Mysore Derby, Gr.1 after a poor run in his previous start and may do so again. Yet, backing him on Saturday would be chancy more so as his sire is yet to demonstrate that he can be relied upon to get winners at  2000m. and beyond consistently. Phoenix Tower will certainly do that at some stage but that is not his forte.   

Auriga (China Visit - Grand Madame), never worse than third in his eight starts, is bred to stay 2400m. He is the first foal Grand Madame who won the Calcutta Oaks, Gr.3. Grand Madame is a full-sister to Star Luminary and three-parts sister to Altenburg. Both Star Luminary and Altenburg won this race in their time. Auriga was well beaten by Brilliant Cut in the Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. He then went down to older horses Dare To Dream and Azzurro in the Chief Minister's Cup over 2000m. In both those races, Auriga tried to win with front running tactics. Those two runs the should have brought him on and it will be interesting to observe if the tactics are tweaked a bit on Saturday.

Much has been expected of Valiant Spirit (Multidimensional - Khalila) and he has disappointed so far. It will be almost a full year since he scored on his debut and he hasn't added to that success. Gelded and rested during the monsoon, he was a poor third on his winter re-appearance. What gives some cause for optimism is that towards the fag end of the Bangalore Summer Season, he divided Cameron and New Alliance in the Lt. Col. Gaunt Memorial Cup. Perhaps, a better pointer is that his trainer has sent Heaven Is Here to Mumbai and kept the gelding for the local Derby. He will have the services of David Allan and his trainer's penchant for Classics is well known. David Allan may not catch the eye with brilliant rides but he rarely makes a bad mistake. It is a tough ask, though, for Valiant Spirit's dam, the expensive Khalila, has more speed than stamina in her pedigree.  

The ten-strong field has an average rating of  77.8 which is much higher than the average of last six years which stands at 72.3. It was higher when Becket won in 2010 (79.0) and in 2013 (78.0) which saw Red Baron emerge victorious. Trainers Irfan Ghatala, S. Ganapathy, S. Padmnabhan and Arjun Mangalorkar have an opportunity to add to their previous successes. Jockeys who have ridden a previous winner of the Bangalore “Winter” Derby are C. O'Donoghue, D. Allan, P.S. Chouhan and A. Sandesh and all of them have a mount on Saturday. Six favourites have won in last ten years. The weather is expected to clear up on Saturday and a good race should unfold.

PAST THE POST

Many people are under the impression that Vasant Shinde's first Classic winner was Sun Prince (Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1). The fact, however, is that just a day before Sun Prince won, he had ridden Half A Crown to bag the Bangalore 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 in late Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy's colours. Half A Crown was later to also give him the first of the seven winners of Bangalore Derby, though the race was called the Arc de Triomphe in those days. It's about twenty years since Shinde retired from the saddle but his Magnificent Seven is yet to be bettered.

For the record, here are his seven winners:-

      1975 - Half A Crown

      1980 - Everynsky

      1981 - Sovereign Crown

      1987 - Premium Spirit

      1988 - Cordon Bleu

      1990 - Classic Story

      1994 - Splendid Role

Though he rode just two winners -- Manitou and Nelston, both Usha Stud-breds -- of the Indian Derby, Gr.1, he was on the runner-up on four occasions. Four seconds in that race is a record which he shares with Aslam Kader. In all, Shinde rode 29 Derby winners all over India (Shroff with 30 holds the record). He never rode a Nilgiris Derby winner but then he never had a mount in that race.