All eyes on Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby weekend

All eyes will be on the Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby weekend as the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) gets ready to stage a glittering racing carnival with the marquee race to be run at 5.45 p.m. on February 1. The two-day carnival features seven races on Saturday (Jan. 31) and nine on Sunday (Feb. 1) with the last two races to be run under floodlights.

The weekend offers stakes exceeding ₹6 crore, highlighted by a Derby purse of ₹4 crore (with the winner taking home ₹2.4 crore). There will be a bumper bonanza for the punters, with ₹50 lakh being added to the second combined jackpot pool of Sunday, which is expected to swell beyond ₹1 crore.

Among the 11 runners vying for Derby honours, trainer Pesi Shroff’s classic filly Fynbos stands out as a leading contender. A decisive winner of the Bangalore Summer Derby and the Indian Oaks this month, she continues to impress in her morning trials. She will be partnered by British jockey Tom Marquand.

Trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha, still in pursuit of his first Indian Derby success, will be doubly represented. Baychimo, winner of the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Ruia Cup, remains in excellent order. With retained jockey Sandesh sidelined due to suspension, the colt will now be ridden by Suraj Narredu.

Stablemate Sovereign King, beaten by a nose by Baychimo in the Guineas, has been shaping well in the workouts and could spring a surprise if he stays the stamina-testing 2,400m trip.

Veteran trainer M.K. Jadhav’s filly Kavya, who defeated Fynbos in the Indian 1000 Guineas, returns after a seven-week break. She appears to have retained her fitness and under the guidance of jockey David Allan could cause an upset.

Another Shroff trainee, Zacharias, winner of the Pune Derby in October, finished a fighting second to Baychimo in the Ruia Cup. Blazing in his morning trials, the colt could well make amends.

Meanwhile, the long-standing Breeders’ Produce Stakes, a traditional Derby-day fixture, will now be run as the Rattonsey Multi-Million (1,400m) for juveniles.