For those to whom racing is more than just having a bet, the battles between two well-matched horses are something to look forward to. Probably the first pair of horses to hold the attention of race goers in the Indian Classic era was that of Balam and Prince of Ramgarh who opposed each other five times in 1948 and 1949 in Pune and Mumbai.  Prince of Ramgarh won the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Indian St. Leger and the final score was 3-2 in his favour. Supporters of Balam, though, point out that their horse won the all important Indian Derby, the total winning margin of his two wins was  greater than his adversary's three and that he went on to much glory in subsequent years wining Eclipse Stakes of India twice, beating imported horses. Partisan views apart, there is no doubt that the rivalry between Balam and Prince of Ramgarh, both sons of the Renala stallion Illuminate, captured the public imagination.  There have been other notable pairs over the years like Prince Pradeep-Zindabad, Red Rufus-Bakhtawar, Nijinsky-Multirosa, Fair Haven-Mumtaz, Squanderer-Wild Blossom,  Royal Tern-Own Opinion,  Everynsky-Aristocrat, Sir Bruce-Amorous Knight, Saddle Up-Running Flame in the last century and everyone has their own favourites.  

The mention of these rivalries is pertinent because this Sunday's showpiece at Mahalakshmi brings together Sir Cecil and Star Superior together for their third encounter. This clash is reminiscent of the Royal Tern-Own Opinion skirmishes. Sir Cecil has beaten Star Superior in the Bangalore Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.1 as well as the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 just as Royal Tern had in his year though, of course, the Kingfisher brand had yet not reached the Turf in those days. Own Opinion bided his time and it was over seven months before he took on Royal Tern again in the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. The result was one of the most memorable races seen at Mahalakshmi, tactical and thrilling, and the southern challenger gained his revenge. 

The winning margins of Royal Tern's two wins over Own Opinion in Bangalore were six lengths and two lengths. Sir Cecil has beaten Star Superior by a head and three lengths. Own Opinion had cut down the deficit over the longer distance and so naturally waited till he could oppose his rival over even longer on a galloping course. Star Superior, on the other hand, has chosen an earlier opportunity because he finished closer over a mile. After the Bangalore season ended, Sir Cecil (Win Legend - Elusive Trust) and Star Superior (Excellent Art - Ramjet) went their separate ways, the former campaigning in Mysore while the latter raided Hyderabad. Neither has raced since and will come to Sunday's duel absolutely fresh.   

Over the last few months, both Sir Cecil and Star Superior have garnered their band of loyalists. The grey is unbeaten in seven starts and his average winning margin is a staggering eight lengths and change. He towers over his contemporaries but while the galloping track suits him, the distance of a mile makes him vulnerable. That apparently contradicting statement needs a clarification. Sir Cecil is bred to be a galloper. His full-sister Hall of Famer was a winner of the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby, Gr.1 as well the the Calcutta Derby, Gr.1. He did beat Star Superior over a mile in Bangalore but now that he is a bit older, he would want a longer distance. It will all depend on the tactics. If it develops into a stride-for-stride tussle for most of the long straight, he will outrun his rival. There is one other point worth  considering. Generally, his trainer S. Padmanabhan starts off the winter campaign of his Classic hopefuls a bit underdone. He likes them to come on with each run so as to be at their peak come February. For Sunday's race, faced by a worthy foe, Sir Cecil needs to be fully taut.

In the last ten years, we have had five winners of the Bangalore Summer Classic Double -- Pronto Pronto, Alaindair, Be Safe, Serjeant At Arms and the filly Manifold -- contesting a Guineas at Mumbai. Pronto Pronto, Be Safe and Serjeant At Arms won their Guineas but in 15 combined, subsequent starts thereafter, won only one race over 2400 m. They were better milers. Alaindair and Manifold did not win their Indian Guineas but both won Gr.1 races over 2400 m. subsequently. They were better stayers. Sir Cecil looks a better stayer than a miler and there in lies the smidgeon of hope for Star Superior.

It is only hope and Star Superior will have to be fit as a Stradivarius and his tactics will have to be spot on. In the Bangalore Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.1, he was hussled to take a box seat behind the front runners which included Sir Cecil, challenged at the top of the straight and was held by the tenacious grey. In the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1, he opted -- unwisely, in hindsight and given his pedigree -- to make the running and was comfortably reeled in. He has made his own pace in the two Malakpet outings. What does he do now ? Perhaps, the best course of action would be for Suraj Narredu to keep saying "Wait, Wait" to himself and pounce as late as possible and give no time for Sir Cecil to change gears. There are two cons against that tactic. Star Superior has shown a tendency to hang left when asked for an effort and if that trait manifests itself later in a race, there is hardly any time for corrective measures. The second is what befell Isn't She Lovely. The filly was obviously held up for a late run last Sunday but that run never materialised. Both Star Superior and Isn't She Lovely are by Excellent Art but they are different individuals. The connections of Star Superior, who see their colt day in and day out, are better informed to make the crucial decisions. Star Superior is a course and distance winner and holds the round mile record for the Mahalakshmi track.  

With the high-rated Corfe Castle the sole drop-out at the acceptance stage, the average field rating has dropped a bit and is now 60.9. There have been only two occasions in the past ten years when it has been lower. With eight runners going to the post, first three places will get a dividend. If the race pans out as expected, six of them will be vying for that third spot. On ratings, it should be a fight between Excellent  (Excellent Art - Skyelady) and Intense Stylist (Western Aristocrat - Spica). The latter has been improving with every run and a line through Merlot gives him the advantage over the former. The dark 'un is Sacred Roman (Holy Roman Emperor - Cliquot). A course and distance winner on his last start, he is in line for a hat-trick. No stallion standing abroad has sired more Indian Classic winners than Holy Roman Emperor who can boast of Be Safe, Smashing and Mrs. Patmore. While a fourth Indian Classic winner in the shape of Sacred Roman is in the realms of wild dreams, a paying place could well be a realistic hope.

Trends of the last ten years show a victory for the seven highest rated runners, eight for the favourites (that includes one joint favourite and Ocean and Beyond who was disqualified subsequently but his backers got paid on the course) and two 'got-abroads'. After the 'locals' had won the first eight of those ten renewals, Serjeant At Arms and Castlebridge pulled two back for the outstation challengers. Of course, the Bangalore-based Serjeant At Arms was owned by the Chairman of the R.W.I.T.C., Ltd. 

PAST THE POST

Prince of Ramgarh, who has been mentioned above, was ridden in all his Triple Crown races by the English jockey Bill Rickaby. Rickaby was Calcutta-based but used to come down to Bombay as it was then for the big races. Rickaby won the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Indian St. Leger on Prince of Ramgarh but was beaten a neck by Balam in the Indian Derby. In his autobiography FIRST TO WIN, Rickaby mentions that he had agreed to ride a horse called Prospero in the Derby and he fully intended to keep his word. However, Prince of Ramgarh's trainer B.R. Patel used all his persuasive charms on Prospero's owner to free Rickaby of his obligation.

Rickaby's visits to Bombay were principally to ride for the Maharaja of Idar for whom he had won the Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 and Indian Derby, Gr.1 on Jeanne d'Arc and the Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 on Royal Crusader the previous year.  Of Royal Crusader he writes, "Royal Crusader was an ugly chestnut who had a lot of white about him, and I swear no horse ever turned his off fore-leg more than this colt, who ran the Guineas simply because they had forgotten to scratch him. He really was moderate with a dreadful action, and I shall never know how he won a Classic."

In the Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, Royal Crusader beat a horse called Post Master, owned by Mr. Osman Chotani, by a comfortable length and a half.  Mr. Chotani himself lodged an objection against the winner claiming that as Royal Crusader was a 'rig', he was ineligible to run against the colts. The Stewards overruled the objection stating that as no operation had been performed on Royal Crusader, he was not disqualified from participating.