"The one thing that I learnt early in my career." Pesi Shroff once told me during an informal chat, "is that in this sport, it's only the winner who takes all. And I did not let myself forget that lessonu00a0-- ever!" Shroff had gone on to passionately explain why he thought there was no consolation, no glory in being even a short-head second.

"For the moment, everyone may applaud you for a super effort, and you may feel great," he added, "but what goes into the people's memory and record books is only the winner's name."

No one would feel the truth of Shroff's words of wisdom more pointedly than trainer S Padmanabhan.

His Becket ran a gallant second to Shroff's Jacqueline, winner of the McDowell Signature Indian Derby (grade 1) run on Sunday. The record crowd at Mahalaxmi did give a huge applause to Becket and Martin Dwyer on their return after the race, but the kind of standing ovation that Jacqueline and Richard Hughes were accorded was absolutely out of this world. It was difficult to decide what was more strident-- hysteric shrieks of 'Pesi' and 'Jacqui', or the deafening clapping sound by a record 27,148 pairs of excited hands?u00a0

Pesi was indeed right, the winner does take 'all'.
"He's the best horse I have ever trained," Padmanabhan had publicly said about Becket before the Derby.

Coming from a man who has saddled over 100 graded race winners, these words meant a lot. And despite running on this track for the first time, Becket proved his master's assessment when he came very close to earning the first ever Indian Derby victory for the trainer, jockey Martin Dwyer and owner Haresh Mehta.

Even the strategy employed by Padmanabhan was perfect. Becket in four earlier races had always been a little reluctant to overtake the last horse (leader of the race), and needed strong goading by the jockey. But once the jockey urged and got him to put his neck ahead, even with that half-hearted effort, Becket would simply bound away leaving the rivals stone cold. It was therefore excellent strategy to stay close to the pace of the race, and press the gas pedal before any of the serious contenders came alongside or went ahead.

The strategy paid off well as Becket ran the greatest race of his life in only the fifth career start, and shaped like a winner until close home where he was overpowered by a vastly superior filly who was bidding for her fourth straight Indian Classic which she won in record time.