The Pune Derby is the second youngest of summer/monsoon Derbies with only the Calcutta Monsoon Derby being instituted later. The first Pune Derby, run in 1984, was sponsored by Splendour Deluxe. The late Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy sent his filly Prima Facie from the south for the race and she was duly installed the favourite. The winner was the local filly Prudential Champ who slammed the public fancy by almost a distance. Two other fillies, Revelation and Valentine took the remaining places in the frame, humbling the colts. On her next start, Prudential Champ planted in the stalls in the Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 and, subsequently, never won a race before going off to stud. That may have sown the seeds of how this race has acquired an inauspicious tag. These are matters of individual perception but the fact is that four winners of Pune Derby have gone on to win the Indian Derby and five have bagged the Invitation Cup. Besides, since 1984, no summer or monsoon Derby has showcased two Indian Triple Crown winners as the Pune Derby has.

The Pune Derby is generally run in October.  The only previous instance of it having been run in November occured in 1985. Rains had  disrupted Saturday's racing at Pune and it continued to pour throughout the night which caused Sunday's racing -- and in the process the Derby -- to be called off. Unbeaten Sir Bruce  was a very hot order for the race when it was rescheduled for early November.  Approaching the bend, Sir Bruce met interference from front running Incence, hit his right shoulder into the running rail and fell back, allowing Amorous Knight to steal the race. Last year, the race was not run on account of the pandemic. Fortunately, it has been possible this year to schedule it. However, racing is yet to be back to normal and the lead-up has been hurried.

Had Miracle -- unbeaten winner of five races including four black-type events, two Gr.1s, two Classics and one Derby -- not opted to sidestep this race and go for lesser -- in Grade as well as prize money — the Golconda 1000 Guineas, Gr.2, there would have been a smaller field and lesser interest in the running on Sunday. Her schooler Pesi Shroff has led in more winners of the Pune Derby than the combined tally of all the other trainers with a runner in the race. He must be quietly confident that in one of his four runners he has the winner even without having to call on his star filly.

Trends
Looking at the last ten renewals, it is observed that on an average 11 runners contest this race and the average field rating is 57. Two fillies (Hills and Stars and Lady in Lace), three 'got-abroads' (Ocean and Beyond, Jeremiah and Quasar), four top-rated runners and an equal number of favourites have won. Six of the winners had won their previous start and no winner had raced short of a mile on his previous outing. Two winners each have come from Usha Stud and Sohna Stud; former riders Pesi Shroff and Malesh Narredu have both saddled two winners apiece and jockey Suraj Narredu has booted home three.

The One To Beat
The most eye-catching of Shroff's runners is Zuccarelli (Western Aristocrat - Circle of Bliss) who has been on the board in all his four starts so far. Second on debut at Mumbai, he was third in the Deccan Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.3 and then second to Miracle in the Golden Jubilee Deccan Derby, Gr.1. It was only last Sunday that he won his first race at Pune and he did so in a very impressive fashion. Carrying 56 kgs., he won the Glasnost Plate over a mile fluently, clocking 1.37.74. Later in the day, his half-sister Rambunctious, with just 51 kgs. on her back, stopped the clock at 1.39.30 to win the Villoo Poonawalla Pune City Gold Cup, Gr.3. Comparing the timings of two different races can sometimes be tricky but the ease of Zuccarelli's win suggests that he can live up to his pedigree. His sire Western Aristocrat is a versatile sort who already has the Invitation Cup winner Kangra to his name. Circle of Bliss was a top class race mare, a winner of three Graded races who also placed in three Indian Classics including the Indian Derby. Zuccarelli should keep the Shroff-Chouhan bandwagon -- half the Classics for 2018 crop so far --  rolling merrily.

Some eyebrows may be raised because Zuccarelli is running within a week of his previous start. Those who know Shroff's training schedules will be aware that more often than not, he gives his wards their final workout a week before the race. In this case, he has picked an easy race for Zuccarelli instead of a workout.

The Threat
Miracle may not be running on Sunday but Queen O' War (Multidimensional - Dhaawiah) is. The two fillies are very similarly bred, being daughters of Multidimensional out of mares by Elusive Quality. Queen O' War is a full-sister to Manifold, whose five wins included the Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks, Gr.1, Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and Bangalore Fillies' Championship Stakes, Gr.1. She is also a full-sister to the talented sprinter Multifaceted. Multidimensional's produce out of Elusive Quality mares shows that while the colts  are generally short-running, the fillies display more stamina.  Queen O' War has two wins to her name -- all other winners have just a solitary win -- including one over a mile. Though she has no black-type, she is rated a point higher than Zuccarelli. She is trained by A.M. Jadhav, a young, third generation trainer and runs in the colours of Mr. Prashant Nagar who has been racing with Jadhavs for some time but has lately stepped up his involvement. Queen O' War's pedigree suggests that she should have the class and stamina to make her presence felt.

Queen O' War won her last race in October. However, she has been kept in trim and her track work has been exceptional.. If she is fresh enough to reproduce it in the race on Sunday, she poses as the colt's biggest threat. Incidentally, both P.S. Chouhan (Zuccarelli's jockey) and A. Sandesh (the filly's rider) are looking for their first winner of the race.

Other Runners
The first one worthy of mention is  Zarak (Royal Gladiator - Miss Rising) whose owners  have forked out a sum of Rs. 5 lakhs as final entry. The gelding has just about won half that sum so far in his career in stakes. He is not only the sole runner in the race whose parents are both Indian-bred but also the lone contestant with a win beyond a mile. He will be facing much stiffer opposition on Sunday than the maidens he overcame last time out and has his work cut out, especially since Dashrath Singh, who was astride him when he won, has deserted him. Dashrath Singh is the only jockey in the race who has won this Derby previously.

Roderic O'Connor, the Irish 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 winner and a Champion Sire in Brazil, started his Indian career in 2017. Kunigal stud sent some mares, includingAngel Dust, a winner of Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and Garuda Bangalore Derby, Gr.1, to be covered by him. Angel Dust and other mares returned to Kunigal after being covered and in due course Angel Dust produced a bay colt. That colt was purchased by the Poonawallas, named A Star Is Born and entrusted to Rajesh Narredu who had trained Star Superior for them. Second on his debut in August, the colt came out of the maidens with a stylish win earlier this month. The performance of Roderic O'Connor's first crop so far has been below the high expectations. A Star Is Born, who has worked well after coming to Pune, will have a chance to boost his sire's stock. He is the only outstation challenger and David Egan being flown out from England to partner him speaks volumes.

Finishing second, a short-head ahead of Alicia, in the S.A. Poonawalla Million, Gr.3 was Karthik Ganapathy's Regal Command (Saamidd - Reina de Mexico). One of the six maidens in the fray, his two late runs in Pune have caught the eye. His full-brother Royal Chieftain has won twice over 1800 m. and was on board in the South India Derby, Gr.1. The gelding comes from a speedy family and in a fast run race is more likely to place rather than win.

Souza (Shaala - Kaiserwurde) is a 'got-abroad' by a sprinting stallion out of a staying mare. This mating of extreme aptitudes is not a very successful recipe. Rasputin, three-parts related to Parisian, has potential which needs time to come to the fore. Others are there to make up the numbers and one of them winning would be a miracle. It has to be mentioned, though, that among the "others" is Sunrise, a runaway winner of his only start and hence technically unbeaten.  It is to be noted, though, that Chouhan has preferred Zuccarelli.

The Field
A dozen runners will report to the Starter and the average field rating is a measly 40. There are six maidens, one 'got-abroad', one filly and one unbeaten gelding. Shroff has four runners while  A.M. Jadhav will saddle three, all running in the colours of Mr. Prashant Nagar.

PAST THE POST
In the limited racing that we have had over the last four months, eight Classics have been contested by the 2018 crop. Three of them have been won by maidens. That is entirely understandable because the horses have not had the time and opportunities to follow a structured path to the Classics. The usual trends are hence likely to be bucked. Four horses -- Pyare Miya, Tororosso, Southern Ruler and Alicia -- have won a Derby as a maiden. None of them won a race after their Derby triumph though Alicia's career is not yet over.