When Regal Connection won in 2007, it was a purely "local" Calcutta Derby. Since then, the outstation raiders have had a swell time with only the half-brothers Snowscape and Snowdrift scoring for the local contingent. This year, the field is equally divided between the home brigade and raiding forces. The filly Adjudicate (Multidimensional - Alvarita) has bagged the Guineas double this year most stylishly and emphatically, winning both those races by half a dozen lengths and she towers over them all in terms of rating. The last filly to do so was Psychic Flame and Adjudicate seems to be treading  her path for she, too, has skipped the Calcutta Oaks and goes straight into the Calcutta Derby. Had she run in the Oaks, it would have been her third Classic within a month. Side-stepping it means that she will be much fresher on Sunday. At the same time, it also means that she is without a race for five weeks though she has been kept busy on the morning track. Her fans will hope that she hasn't spent too much energy in her trials.

Adjudicate couldn't have been more impressive than she was in her two Guineas wins. Her fourth dam Winning Colors is the third and last filly to win the Kentucky Derby, Gr.1. Her racing exploits earned Winning Colors a place in the American Racing Hall of Fame but her paddock performance was way below expectations. Six of her ten foals were ordinary -- by her own exalted standards — just winners, there hasn't been a top class performer in subsequent generations and only an odd horse or two who won beyond 2000 m. Adjudicate's dam Alvarita did win the Bangalore Fillies Trial Stakes, Gr.1 but that counts only as a a Listed race internationally. Incidentally, Alvarita herself and her two daughters -- Aralyn and Friendship -- did run in the Oaks in their years but failed to come on board. 

The dearth of good staying horses in the immediate family of Adjudicate is certainly a worry. Her sire Multidimensional, however, offers reasons for hope. The son of Danehill is the premier Classic stallion in India today. In his first six crops, Multidimensional has had 257 foals. That is 2.6 % of 9988  foals born in India over the same period. In the same time span, 84 important races over 2400 m. or more  -- Oaks, Derbies, St. Legers and Invitation Cups -- have been run India and Multidimensional's progeny has won 18 of them. That is a staggering 21.4 %. That is the Multidimensional factor -- the ability to impart stamina to his progeny -- and it should stand Adjudicate in good stead. Alvarita raced in the joint-ownership of the Khaitans and the Nandas -- as does Adjudicate -- and she was retired initially to Usha Stud. After four foals there, Alvarita was moved to Sohna Stud and that is where Adjudicate was foaled.

Oriana (Multidimensional - Silken Star) clung on gamely to win the Calcutta Oaks from Exception by a long neck. Her grandam, the Arctic Tern mare Fly For Baby, won once over a mile in U.S.A. from five starts and was then covered by Lord Avie. She was sold at Keeneland's November 1994 Sale to Brian Grassick Bloodstock for US$ 70,000. She dropped her foal in U.S.A., moved to Ireland, visited Chief's Crown and came to India in 1996. Brian Grassick also handled the late Maj. P.K. Mehra's Usha Stud imports. By the time her American-born foal, a filly named Fly For Avie , won the E.P. Taylor Stakes, Gr.1 at Woodbine in October 2000, Fly For Baby had already had two Gr.1 winners in India. The 'got-abroad' Acrobat had won the Kingfisher Bangalore Colts' Trial Stakes,Gr.1 and Allaire had triumphed in the Kingfisher Derby, Gr.1. Fly For Baby has proved herself to be a valuable mare at Usha Stud and four Oaks winners descend from her -- Allaire (Kingfisher Indian Oaks, Gr.1), Winged Foot (Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2), Simply Stylish (Golconda Oaks, Gr.2) and Oriana. That is indicative of plenty of stamina but Oriana needs to have improved since her last run.

Another Multidimensional filly, Advika (out of Set Ablaze), led for much of the Calcutta Oaks before losing steam and finishing a poor third, just ahead of her bracket-mate Aashna (Win Legend - Ray of Sunshine). She is from the same family as Set Alight which hasn't had too many black-type winners over 2400 m. Whether she will adopt the same front running tactics this time also remains to be seen and if she does, it will be for the colt Shivansh (Top Class - Immortal Story), who carries the same silks.  Shivansh had been very impressive in winning the Calcutta Monsoon Derby, Gr.2, making the running and then holding off the outstation challenger Peluche with a second run in a battling finish. He was the 24th winner of that race and none of them have added the Calcutta Derby to their CVs. So Shivansh has history to make and there are three reasons why he may find it hard to do so. Peluche hasn't quite the franked form after going back down south though he hasn't run too badly. Then, on his last start, he was walloped by Adjudicate and Eastern Star. Finally, he is not certain to stay. The AWD of his sire is 1324 m. which hints at more speed than stamina. His dam, a half-sister to Nanoli Stud Pune Derby, Gr.1 winner Versaki, did not race and Shivansh is her first foal to race. Their dam did win over 2200 m. in Ireland and a couple of her foals have scored over 2000 m. or more but the further family is speedy. What is in his favour is that he did slam Exception by a distance in the Calcutta Monsoon Derby. A day after he won that race, he was supplemented into this one, his owners parting with a little over Rs. 5 lakhs.

Another colt is the outstation challenger Angelino (Win Legend - Angelique). The son of Win Legend did not race during his first year but made an impressive debut early in this Bangalore winter season. He was second in his next race and on his last start a close fourth to Arabia -- less than two lengths behind the winner to whom he was giving 1.5 kgs. -- in the South India 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. and just a head behind Peluche to provide a collateral form line to this race. That form may not flatter him too much but the fact that he is a full-brother to Angel Dust -- winner of Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and Garuda Bangalore Derby, Gr.1 -- and bred on the same cross as Sir Cecil certainly does. He will appreciate the step up in distance like Angel Dust did. Besides, he is the least experienced of runners in the race and hence most open to improvement. He will probably start at longer odds than he should. He runs in the same colours as Hall of Famer carried to victory year before last.

Barbaresco (Excellent Art - Mooring) is a half-brother to Golconda Oaks, Gr.2 winner Heather. Heather was by the staying influence Champs Elysees whereas this colt is by Excellent Art and hence suspect over 2400 m. Point To Prove (Multidimensional - Burooq), the fourth representative of his sire in the race, is still a maiden. He has several points to prove.

The average field rating is 73.5 which about par for the last ten years. Five top rated runners and three favourites have won over the same period.

PAST THE POST

The Calcutta Derby is one race which the great trainer Rashid Byramji did not win during his illustrious career. His son Darius, though, did win it four times to offer some consolation. The most successful trainer is Vijay Singh with ten wins. He saddles three runners on Sunday. Leaders in other categories are:-

Owners - Mr. Deepak Khaitan and Partners (18)

Jockeys - E.J. Cracknell, Aslam Kader and C. Alford (5 each)

Stud Farm - Usha Stud (11)

Sire - Razeen[USA] (6)

Maternal Grandsires - Scotch Crown*, Grey Gaston* and Steinbeck[USA] (3 each)

Four sets of siblings have won this race -- half-brothers Topmost and Topspin, Romantic Dancer and his full-sister Romantic Memories, half-sisters Academy Gold and Romantic Notes and half-brothers Snowscape and Snowdrfit.