I have never believed in astrology & astrologers, but I might be tempted to consult one if the Indian Derby continues to remain elusive for me again this year. So far, the Indian Derby has been a case of so-near-yet-so-far for me, having saddled eight runners on eight different occasions, all of them finishing less than three lengths off the Derby winners.


S Padmanabhan

However, the most talked about--and also the most ironic--loss that I suffered in the Indian Derby was in 2003, when I was absolutely certain my horse Zurbaran will beat Classical Act, the 5/4 favourite ridden by Pesi Shroff. But a strange quirk of fate deprived me of that honour. Zurbaran's owner, Mr K N Dhunjibhoy, "borrowed" from his friend Vijay Shirke a no-hoper horse named Noble Eagle, who we thought would set a suitable pace for the race so that our horse, Zurbaran (with Aslam Kader in saddle), can make his move at the opportune time. But the plan misfired as the 50-1 shot Noble Eagle, who did set the pace as planned, overstayed his role and just ran away from them all, including Zurbaran who finished a tame second to the winner.

It's not me alone, winning the Indian Derby at least once is every professional's dream, whether he's a trainer, jockey, breeder or a horse owner. Sometimes I feel the Indian Derby is not a race, she is a seductress! Once you set your eyes on her, she casts her spell in such a way that there is no escape until you win her over. Once a trainer feels he has a horse that can take a shot at the Indian Derby, his entire focus shifts to the first Sunday of February as the countdown begins.