The Indian flag was flying high at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse on Friday. The first race, a 1200-metre dash, had been run. There was a runner from India. Oasis Star, the Indian sprinting sensation, was making her debut on the international scene. Responding to jockey Srinath’s call, Oasis Star rallied determinedly from a not-so-happy position. Her surge fell short. Olivier Peslier, the French riding ace who could not make the trip to India because of a delay in getting a visa, stood between the eager Indian contingent and a celebration in the desert. O So Shiny held the fast-finishing Oasis Star in a close finish.

Jockey Srinath was at Mahalakshmi Saturday afternoon. He was aboard Arts who was coming off a win in Delhi. Arts was ridden off the pace and quickened spiritedly to win the Black Dog Trophy from Ares who made a valiant bid. Srinath was beaming with pride with a bottle or two of Black Dog in his arms. He stopped to chat with me about Oasis Star. “She (Oasis Star) brought credit to us all. Meydan is left-handed and that was a handicap she was not able to overcome. She had cantered three times but that had not given her enough exposure. She appeared unenthusiastic until we were in the stretch. When she got rolling, she had a lot of horse left. I was not lucky enough to win. She will be a lot better next time out,” Srinath commented.

Imran Chisty was in his elements on Saturday. Highland Flame gained an encore with a well-judged Chisty steer in the United Spirits Challenge. On Sea Shower, jockey Chisty waited for an opening on the fence and the strategy worked. Chisty’s third winner came with Ocean And Beyond in the 1400-metre Kunigal Stud Breeders’ Produce Stakes, the feature event of the day. Saturday provided the perfect forum for a conversation with some of the jockeys with mounts in the McDowell Signature Indian Derby.

First in line was Martin Dwyer who will be aboard Becket. “I have been here for three days. Any work I have done with Becket, I have hardly seen any sign of problems the colt has gone through. His spirits are high. He is giving me every indication he will have no trouble getting the Derby trip,” Martin stated. I asked jockey Dwyer about his race plan. “The key is to let Becket relax the first half a mile. I can pick up then on. A quick pace will be to my advantage.” I caught up with the amiable Silvestre de Sousa. De Sousa is a matter-of-fact guy and is plain-spoken. “Yes, Native Knight came to me late. He may be a maiden but has shown improvement in recent starts. Mentally, I have won the Derby once and that will be help me.” “India has been good to me. People have been nice to me.

I have a three-year deal with Marthand Mahindra and it ends this season. I’ll be a freelance but my heart is in India,” jockey de Sousa said. David Allan was in the paddock area. A chat with Allan, I thought, would serve two purposes. After all, he was on Becket in the Bangalore Derby rout. In Hyderabad, he almost succeeded in taking Classerville on a start to finish mission. Allan warms up quickly. “Becket was easy to ride. He pretty much does everything himself. It is a contract thing that I had to go with Classerville. I believe Becket has a great chance. Let me tell you, Classerville should not be taken lightly either. He will manage two 2400-metre races in two weeks.”

I had a word with Haresh Mehta. “Is there something coming out of the horse’s mouth?” Mehta, whose ascending fortunes have captured the Indian racing world by storm, was crisp. “Listen to what Padmanabhan has to say. He says all the right things but I let my horses do the talking on the racecourse.” Pesi Shroff is placid. With India’s most prestigious horse race less than 24 hours away, Pesi hardly showed any emotion. Saturday was another run of the mill day. I wished him good luck. He responded, “Oh, thank you. It’s all set. They (runners) are doing well.”

Trainer Narendra Lagad is double-handled in the Derby. Native Knight is better fancied. “Two maidens have won this race before. I have every reason to be optimistic. I feel that Native Knight’s best has not been seen yet.” Now, it’s crunch time. All the analysis has been done. Opinions have been given. Arguments for and against the viable contenders have been made. Is there one colt or filly who checks into the big race as a complete package? The unqualified answer is a ‘yes.’ Jacqueline, the pride of the Shroff yard, did what she had to do to win the 1000 Guineas. There were doubters and they became converts when the King Charlemagne filly outpaced the boys when it mattered in the Indian 2000 Guineas. She was back with her kind in the Oaks.

The distance of the Oaks, 2,400 metres, was thought to be a test of Jacqueline’s staying prowess. Jockey Richard Hughes seemed indifferent to what was going on up front. Jacqueline took advantage of a fortuitous opening on the rail and in matter of moments, had gained control. She was fluent and smooth as silk. The Oaks had been put to bed. Given this record, is there any effort needed to make a case for her? Becket hails from trainer Padmanabhan’s stable. Beset by problems from the time the got-abroad colt set foot on Indian soil, the son of Hawk Wing has compiled an unblemished record of four victories in four outings. His win in the Poonawalla Derby was a revelation. He was hardly extended. He has to find more, as a matter of fact a lot more, and Padmanabhan was bubbling with enthusiasm.

Becket’s journey to Mumbai has taken nothing away from him. Becket has been doing very well in his morning workouts. He is a worthy contender. A thought or two on Onassis is necessary. Relatively unknown until recently, The Pesi Shroff charge has put together a three-race win streak. His win in the Ruia Cup (2,000 metres) was impressive no matter what the yardstick. Kieren Falllon, one of the most cerebral jockeys, makes the trip to Mumbai. If big race experience is a criterion, no jockey fits the bill better than the six-time British champion.

The Irish maestro has had success the world over and it was in Mumbai that he cut his teeth many years ago. Sunday will be an historic day at the Mahalaxmi. Jacqueline is on the brink of creating a phenomenal record. Will Becket come in her way? Or will Jacqueline stretch her dream run to make the dreams of her connections come true, yet again?