SA DeSousa astride Antonios after winning the 2009 Indian Derby. Pic/RS Gupta (RWITC archives)

The Indian Derby is one race that attracts the best talent — not only in terms of horseflesh, but also in the riding department. Owners of Derby runners pull out all the stops to ensure that their horse gets the best possible help from the saddle during those two-and-a-half minutes which decide the champion of champions. And that means paying king's ransom to top foreign jockeys to visit Mumbai only for the Derby ride — especially jockeys from England where, like India, flat racing on turf is a major industry.