Thank God It’s Sunday! It’s showtime folks! The season’s piece de resistance - The Calcutta Derby Stakes - is scheduled to be run at 3.30pm on Sunday with three colts, three geldings and three fillies participating. The gruelling mile-and-half event looks wide open this year. However, it may well be confined to the winner of the 2000 Guineas – Arrived – and the winner of the 1000 Guineas – Heart. The latter won the Calcutta Oaks in a canter and had earlier won the Monsoon Derby with ease. Arrived has won a couple of middle distance races in Pune. In one he finished well ahead of Heart. Since then the filly has improved in leaps and bounds. Hence, both have proved their staying prowess sufficiently to suggest that they can negotiate the Derby trip with a degree of confidence.

The Narredu family has got three runners in the fray other than Deepesh Narredu’s Heart. The other three are trained by Rajesh Narredu. Top saddle artist Suraj Narredu has opted for Star Studded and hence his judgement must be respected. Pesi Shroff has a pair of well-performed middle-distance runners in Superstar and Duesenberg. Of this Shroff pair, the former is preferred. Another who cannot be ruled out is Mahler who finished runner-up in the 2000 Guineas. Eleanora is likely to set a hot pace and this should help the public fancies settle down cosily in the field of nine. May the best horse win! A bumper card of ten races have been framed for the day and visitors are likely to have a gala time as along with our four-legged friends, the food courts and bars will be offering delicious snacks and cold beer.