09 January,2026 09:16 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash Gosavi
Fynbos (P Trevor up). Pic/RWITC
There is excitement and anticipation in the air ahead of Saturday's Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Grade 1), where champion filly Fynbos aims to redeem her reputation after a Guineas debacle that left tongues wagging.
Trained by Pesi Shroff, Fynbos was the darling of the turf until she faltered in the Indian 1000 Guineas, losing to trainer MK Jadhav's Kavya, ridden by David Allan. The defeat came laced with drama, prompting inquiry, and jockey Trevor Patel copped a fine and suspension for his ride.
Now, in a twist juicier than a soap opera, Trevor swaps saddles to partner Shroff's other contender, Namiri, sporting the same Dhunjibhoy silks as Fynbos, fulfilling his retainer duties, while Vivek G, Shroff's other preferred rider, has been asked to ride Fynbos.
Will the filly forgive the jockey merry-go-round and gallop to glory as the likely hot favourite in the Oaks? That's the question on everyone's mind which will be answered on Saturday afternoon.
Interestingly, of the eight four-year-old fillies in the Oaks line up, four hail from Pesi Shroff's yard: Fynbos, Namiri, Kings Gambit and Azalea. Of the remaining four, Ravishing Beauty, trained by Prasanna Kumar who missed the Indian 1000 Guineas on account of precautionary Glanders rules, is worth a serious look as she has kept herself fit by participating in two mock races, and must be looking to crash the party now that she has set her foot in the door. To add to the complexity of the Oaks, jockey David Allan, who had a hand in Fynbos' 1000 Guineas defeat when he gave a perfect ride to Kavya, will be riding MK Jadhav's Dreamer; and Sandesh will steer Golden Dancer, trained by Dallas Todywalla.
The Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks on Saturday at Mahalaxmi racecourse surely promises more drama than a Bollywood climax!
