Mumbai: Written off summarily by the pundits after his loss at the hands of Murioi in the Indian 2000 Guineas, Alaindair, trained by Altamash Ahmed, used the 25,000-strong Derby crowd as witness to inflict a crushing defeat on Murioi and 13 other thoroughbreds in the Grade 1, McDowell Signature Indian Derby at the Mahalaxmi racecourse yesterday.


Jockey YS Srinath rides Alaindair (left) to win the McDowell Signature Indian Derby at the Mahalaxmi racecourse. Pic/Shadab Khan 

Barring Ameeta Mehra who bred the Multidimensional-God's Grace four-year-old at her Usha stud farm and also has a share in him, Alaindair's Derby victory gave all others — trainer Altamash Ahmed, jockey YS Srinath and owners Dr Nevill Devlaliwalla and Gaurav Sethi — their first taste of heady Derby success.