On 7th March 2010 at the picturesque Mahalaxmi racecourse, a 9-year old gelding named Aurelian ridden by Sylvester DeSousa just managed to pip Forest Flair at the post by a short head. It was The Hirco India Multi Million which used to be a regular feature on the Invitation weekend. Aurelian’s win sparked a thought in owner Martand Singh Mahindra’s mind to sponsor this race. This race hence was re-titled as the “Suresh Mahindra Multi Million” in the memory of Martand Mahindra’s father, The Late Mr. Suresh Mahindra. This race in 2012 not only found a new sponsor, but also a graded status. In 2012 & 2013, the race was given Gr.3 status and got promoted to Gr.2 for all the succeeding renewals.

In the 8th running of this race, 8 horses were accepted to run. However, Prevalent Force reportedly got fever before loading for Hyderabad and was withdrawn. His run was highly anticipated as he was unbeaten in all four starts at Hyderabad, with three of them being group races. This year’s field has an average rating of 108 which is 5 points higher than the combined average of all seven runnings. Interestingly, all the previous 7 winners had a rating of 100 or more. This year, five out of seven horses are rated in triple-digits.

The highest rated runner Mauritania (Excellent Art – Classic Sky) is a winner of 6 out of 13 starts, with half of the wins coming at 1400m, though none of them was a group race. Among the graded races, Mauritania has won two races at 1200m & has a solitary win at 1600m, beating Tutankhamun (Phoenix Tower – Dancerllon) in each of those starts. On Sunday, Mauritania will receive 2.5kgs from Tutankhamun, which might prove to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the race.

Mauritania & Tutankhamun have crossed swords 6 times, all being group races, with the former leveling the score in the last start, The DP Sharma Memorial Sprinters Trial Stakes (Gr.3) on 9th February at Bangalore. However, it is important to note that Tutankhamun’s manner of winning those 3 races against Mauritania is far more appealing. In The Deccan Colts Championship (Gr.3) 1600m at Hyderabad, he finished 5 3/4 lengths ahead of Mauritania at level weights. Later at Guindy, he defeated Mauritania by 1 1/2 lengths in The South India 2000 Guineas (Gr.2) 1600m. Earlier this year, he was 3 1/4 lengths clear of Mauritania in The New Year’s Cup (Gr.3) 1400m at Bangalore conceding 1kg to the latter. This gives him an advantage of about 10 1/2 lengths. Tutankhamun, to be ridden by The Indian Derby winning jockey Suraj Narredu, is a winner of 9 out of 20 starts, with five of those wins coming at 1400m. Hence, he has shown his preference to the 7-furlong trip. With both the horses in commendable form, the support in the betting ring is likely to be divided evenly between the two. Tutankhamun, the defending champion will try his best to emulate Your Royal Majesty, who is the only horse to win this race twice, in 2015 & 2016.

The last time this race was run at Hyderabad in 2014, Speed Six (also ridden by Suraj Narredu) won it and had ran 3rd to Nefyn in The Sprinters Cup (Gr.1) a week before. Incidentally, Tutankhamun & Mauritania are running in The Sprinters Cup (Gr.1) on Saturday and hence it would serve as a perfect pre-cursor to this race and should give an ideal indication of their preparedness. Generally, horses who run two races during the Invitation Weekend are mostly prepared for one specific race and have as lightly lesser chance in the other one. Whether The Suresh Mahindra Multi Million is their primary target, is something that remains to be seen.

Costa Brava (Phoenix Tower – Karakorum Splendor) trained by Pesi Shroff, has won five of his 10 starts but what catches one’s attention is that all those five wins came at 1400m. With an invincible record at this distance, the Phoenix Tower bred gelding is no pushover. The striking observation is that he has shown tendency to win by larger margin seven at 1400m, having previously won The Panchshil Million at Pune by 6L and The Rajpipla Trophy at Mumbai by 7 1/2 lengths. Though he is yet to win a group race, Costa Brava is capable of upsetting the duo of Tutankhamun & Mauritania. P Trevor, who will ride Costa Brava, won this race with Your Royal Majesty (also trained by Pesi Shroff) in 2016 at Guindy.

The Chennai based Cavallo Veloce (Lucifer Sam – Mink Mitten) is a winner of 6 out of 19 starts, with three of the wins at 1400m. In the Dr MAM Ramaswamy Memorial Cup at Chennai, he defeated Accolade & Your Royal Majesty, both of whom are 7-furlong champions in their own right. Earlier, he had managed to get past multi classic winners like Prevalent Force & Kangra in The Guindy Gold Cup. Cavallo Veloce has therefore shown notable improvement in last couple of runs and with Akshay Kumar in saddle, stands an outside chance.

Smile Stone (Juniper – AlamJeha), a 9-year old gelding is a veteran of 76 starts, having won a sixth of those. Recent runs don’t suggest presence of noteworthy form and hence should be ignored as a long-shot. Though, a solitary hope for him comes from Bold Police, who won the inaugural edition of this very race in 2012 at 60/1!

The lowest rated runner at 88, Master Of Universe (Dancing Forever – Yamuna) has won 4 of his 6 starts, but does not appeal much in this field due to lack of class.

The only filly in the line-up Lady Legend (Win Legend – Masquenada), is a full sister to Aika Aikaaika. She ended last in the Deccan Fillies Championship (Gr.3) at the same course 8 lengths behind the winner, but has won rest of her four starts in Handicap company. She will take her own time to come up in ranks.

Stats & Trivia’s:-

•    Suraj Narredu is the only jockey to win this race more than once. He rides the likely favorite Tutankhamun.
•    YOUR ROYAL MAJESTYis the lone horse to win this race twice. BOLD POLICE (2012 winner) however missed a double by a long neck against KLIPSPRINGER in 2013.Come Sunday, Tutankhamun will look to do a Your Royal Majesty.
•    Trainers Pesi Shroff & S Padmanabhan shares the top spot with a couple of winners. Both have a runner each on Sunday.
•    Bangalore-based horses have won this race 5 times and the ones from Mumbai on two occasions.
•    The fastest time recorded is 01:22.6 by Tutankhamun in 2018, which still stands as a record time at the Calcutta racecourse for 7 furlongs.
•    Only two winners of this race had won their previous start. In Sunday’s field, four runners have won their last race.
•    3 favorites have obliged in 7 renewals, with Your Royal Majesty being the shortest priced of them all in 2016 (7/10). Tutankhamun & Mauritania are likely to go as joint favorites on Sunday.