Soon after racing at Secunderabad's Parade Ground was abandoned for ever and shifted to Malakpet, the Hyderabad Race Club overhauled the prospectus for its monsoon meeting with the introduction of three year-old Classics and the President of India Gold Cup while the traditional Nizam's Gold Cup was made into a terms event. It was in 1971 that these races were first run and the fiftieth running should have been last year but the Covid virus played havoc, there was no racing and the Golden Jubilee was delayed by a year.

The inaugural running of the Deccan Derby was won by the Western India filly Red Surprise (Red Rufus - Some Surprise), ridden by the Australian jockey Brian Foy. She was trained by Mackie Meherjee, son of veteran trainer Meherjee who had trained Red Rufus, the first horse to win the Indian Triple Crown and the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1. The first three renewals were won by fillies. So far, six winners of the Deccan Derby -- Nelston, Chaitanya Chakram, Starksy, In The Spotlight, Desert God and Star Superior -- have gone on to win the Indian Derby in the following year while five -- Chaitanya Chakram, Delage, Sweeping Success, In The Spotlight and Desert God -- have annexed the Invitation Cup.

Traditionally, the race is always run on 2 October. It has twice been postponed. In Grand Parade's year in 1979 it was run on 4 October, rain playing the villain on the scheduled day. Labour problems caused a longer postponement in 2019 when Consigliori won on 16 October. As the race is run on the 'dead' monsoon track, the timings are generally on the slower side and it was only in 2018 that Star Superior broke the 2:05 barrier. Chaitanya Ratham and her full-brother Chaitanya Chakram both won by a distance, the latter having to dispose of just two rivals in the smallest field ever. 2007 and 2010 saw fifteen runners going to the post and on both the occasions fillies were triumphant; Sweeping Success first and Xisca later. There were just four runners in 1995. They really dawdled and crawled and in the final sprint for home Forest King prevailed by a short-head. The time was 2:29 ! It was even longer before Forest King was confirmed as the winner for the third placed International lodged an objection which was overruled after a lengthy debate !!

The last time this race was run, it was won by Consigliori, trained locally by L.V.R. Deshmukh. Consigliori was only the second local horse to win the race after Sparks in 2009 so it is obvious that the outstation raiders have generally ruled the roost. The local forces again face a strong  onslaught as the field of 12 contains no less 9 invading challengers, spearheaded by the filly Miracle (Multidimensional - Khalila) who is unbeaten in four starts. A winner of the Poonawalla Breeders' Multi-Million, Gr.1 at Mahalakshmi in March, she picked up the Deccan Fillies' Championship Stakes, Gr.3 on her last start where, given just a hands and heels ride, she was four lengths clear of the field. On known racing form, her task on Saturday is an easy one. But, there is always the unknown. All the runners will be essaying the distance for the first time and how well they stay is a matter of conjecture. Rain is forecast for Saturday and resultant soft/heavy going could be another crucial factor in deciding the outcome.

In the case of Pesi Shroff's filly, that conjecture is valid. Her dam is one of the costliest mares to come to India, a sum of US $200,000 having been paid for her through Brian Grassick Bloodstock at Kenneland's November 2010 Sale. Khalila was a sprinter, a winner of three races in the U.S.A. where she placed third in a Gr.3 race. She has foaled a speedy daughter in the U.S.A. who has won thrice  and placed in a Listed Race. Khalila is also the dam of four winners in India. However, none of her five winners has won beyond  1400 m.  If that raises doubts about Miracle getting the extended trip, there are also contra-indications. She has already won over a mile which none of her siblings managed. She is the first daughter of Khalila by Multidimensional who does impart a stamina increment to his fillies. Most importantly, she is the first foal of Khalila that Shroff has bought. Shroff has always been a keen buyer from Usha Stud but till now he had overlooked Miracle's previous siblings. Obviously, he  noted something attractive about Miracle as a yearling. Miracle settles well and that should help her in tackling the longer distance; however, she has never raced on soft going before. Her last workout was eye-catching. She has been ridden only by P.S. Chouhan in her races and the successful partnership remains intact on Saturday.

If Miracle won the Fillies' race easily, the Colts' version provided a very close finish with the first five home covered by just a length and a half. The winner, Kensington, is not a participant on Saturday. One of the other four should emerge as the filly's main challenger.  Fire Power (Speaking of Which - Roses in Bloom) lost to Kensington by just a whisker. He hails from L.V.R. Deshmukh's yard and is set to carry the local standard, though he is not the highest rated of the local trio. He is a full-brother to Calcutta Oaks, Gr.3 winner Rosina while their dam won the Deccan Bookmakers' Golconda Derby, Gr.1. S. Zervan continues his association with the colt. Only a neck behind Fire Power was Zuccarelli (Western Aristocrat - Circle of Bliss), trained by Shroff, who looked a winner after running a forward race, only to be passed by Fire Power on his inside in the shadow of the winning post. He is still a maiden and may well  again contribute to a healthy pace. With Chouhan riding Miracle, Neeraj Rawal has been booked for Zuccarelli.  Shroff has won the race previously with Xisca (2010) and Jeremiah (2013). Zuccarelli's two siblings by Kingda Ka -- Square The Circle and Rambunctious -- have won at a mile with Rambunctious placing second to Antibes in Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2. Western Aristocrat is the sire of the Invitation Cup winner Kangra while the dam Circle of Bliss is a winner of the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing & Goffs RWITC Ltd. Gold Cup, Gr.2 over 2000 m. and a place-getter in Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks, Gr.1 and McDowell Signature Indian Derby, Gr.1. Thus the pedigree pointers hint that Fire Power and Zuccarelli are capable of getting the distance.

The same cannot be averred emphatically of Angelico (Win Legend - For An Angel) and Stockbridge (Speaking of Which - Sheryl) who were fourth and fifth behind Kensington. The former is a full-brother to Rising From Ashes and Inkonito, both winners upto a mile. He is from an excellent family but staying 2000 m. has to be taken on trust. The racing career of Sheryl, dam of Stockbridge, was a brief one during which she won three races upto a mile. Sheryl is a full-sister to Multitude. Multitude did place second in the Calcutta Derby, Gr.1 to Desert God but not one of his bagful of wins is at a distance in excess of 1800 m. In the later stages of his career, Multitude excelled at distances short of a mile. Stockbridge is owned by U.R.B.B. Ltd. and is trained by Arjun Mangalorkar whose previous success in the race came for the same owners through Spreadeagle. Expectedly, P. Trevor will ride Stockbridge. Aries and the maiden Southern Dynasty, both running in the gold-and-brown silks, ran way behind Kensington. It is hard to imagine their being involved at the business end on Saturday.

Akido  (Outstrip - Gift Wrap), one of the two 'got-abroads' in the field, is also the most experienced with nine starts already under his belt.  Like Miracle and Kensington, he is also a Classic winner having bagged the Chettinad Cement Nilgiris 2000 Guineas, Gr.3 at fancy odds. On his next start, essaying a mile for the first time, he ran most disappointingly in the Coromandel Gromor  Nilgiris Derby, Gr.1. His young sire was a star miler while his dam won her only race at 1400 m. A line through Alicia highlights the enormity of the task he is confronted with on his home turf. His trainer, K. Satheesh, won this race with Candy Man in 2005.

Kensington and Brunhild have won Classics recently as maidens and that, perhaps, gives Silvarius and  the 'got-abroad' Johannesburg cause for optimism. Both are well-bred but expecting to win their first race by getting better of the unbeaten Miracle may be the height of optimism. The two fillies in the contest other than Miracle,  Scintillating Lass and New Look, have decent ratings. Both of them finished well behind Miracle in the Fillies' race and need to have improved by around seven lengths to trouble the winner.  Scintillating Lass's grandam is a half-sister to Star Nijinsky who won this race five years ago and the filly has worked well. Akshay Kumar will ride the filly for the first time with A. Sandesh, who rode her last time set to continue on the colt Angelico. New Look, on the other hand, ran in a Class III race and scored a gutsy, hard-fought victory over 1400 m. Her two full-sisters, Swiftness and Artistryy,  have wins over 2400 m. and 1800 m. respectively, admittedly, in lesser contests. With Nakhat Singh claimed to ride Akido, Mukesh Kumar will be astride New Look. Of the jockeys in action in this race, Chouhan (Sparks), Trevor (Spreadeagle) and Zervan (Jeremiah) have tasted success previously.

PAST THE POST

As a footnote, some trends and trivia.

Trends - Last Ten Years

The average field rating is 65. (This year, understandably because of restricted racing, it is 41). Six favourites have won but only one top-rated runner has been successful. Eight of the winners had won their previous start and all ten had last raced at a mile or more. A maiden has not won the race this millennium. Trivia

R.R. Byramji has sent out six winners of the race while jockeys Karan Singh and Y.S. Srinath are tied at the top of Jockeys' Table with four wins each. Ten winners were bred at the Usha Stud. Three mares -- Mumtaz (Grand Parade and Aristocrat), Urvashi (Chaitanya Ratham and Chaitanya Chakram) and Running Flame (Borsalino and Desert God) -- have produced two winners each.