Rajan Bala, one of a rare kind

 Ranquelino triumphs in chaotic Indian Derby

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

If you were expecting a textbook Derby where class, pedigree, and logic prevailed—well, think again. The Gr 1 HPSL Indian Derby at Mahalakshmi on Sunday turned into a chaotic spectacle that could give a Shakespearean tragedy a run for its money. The only thing that didn’t defy expectations was Bangalore Derby winner Ranquelino, bred at the Shapoor Mistry owned Manjri Stud Farm, who strutted onto the stage, unfazed by a gruelling one-week turnaround, and coolly picked off his rivals as if they were practice cones on a morning gallop.

 

Pesi Shroff’s Santissimo was widely regarded as the most talented horse in the race, but his stamina was a major concern. As the son of Gusto, a sire known more for speed than endurance, he had never run the Derby distance before. That concern proved valid as he struggled to stay the course when the race took an unexpected turn.

 

Expectations of a classic race were upended by African Gold’s reckless pace that threw the field into disarray. African Gold ran freely in front in the manner of a pace maker as if he was being chased by a swarm of angry bees and upset the calculations of those behind and put them in a dilemma whether to increase their tempo so that they did not fall behind or ignore the pace which was a difficult decision as African Gold was considered as a strong contender.  Those who dared to follow the pace found themselves gasping for air in the final furlong, sinking faster than a ship with a hole the size of Mumbai Harbour.

 

Meanwhile, Darius Byramji’s Ranquelino, a son of Japanese stallion Fiero, travelled like a horse who had just discovered the concept of cruise control. Jockey Sandesh had him in the perfect position, cantering into the final turn as if he had just joined the race for a casual afternoon gallop. When asked for an effort, Ranquelino responded with a turn of foot that made the others look like they were dragging anchors. He surged ahead and won with consummate ease, proving that when it comes to these gruelling tests, stamina is king.

 

While the supposed big guns fell apart, chaos ensued behind the winner. Pyrite, trained by Waheed and ridden by Mukesh Kumar, suddenly remembered how to gallop and stormed home to finish second. Bangalore challenger Positano, who had been as disappointing as a soggy French fry in his past efforts, picked up the exhausted remnants of the field from the rear to grab third. And just when you thought the surprises were over, Thalassa—a horse most had mentally placed in the ‘also-ran’ category—sneaked into fourth. The outcome left many wondering how three horses with ratings below 50 managed to beat some of the best-rated runners in the country.

 

The reason? Simple—those expected to fight out the finish spent all their energy chasing a suicidal pace, while the no-hopers relaxed,  preserved their stamina, and gleefully capitalized on the collective collapse. Psychic Star, the stylish winner of the Indian Oaks, ran like a horse who had completely forgotten what sport she was participating in, finishing a dismal second last. And as for Santissimo? Jockey Oisin Murphy summed it up best: “The colt clearly did not relish the trip, and stamina was critical. I hope he bounces back, but definitely not over a mile and a half.” Translation: This was a disaster, and we’ll be sticking to shorter distances before the horse files a formal complaint.

 

Ranquelino, once deemed merely "a good horse," wasn’t exactly in the conversation for Derby glory—until he decided otherwise. His authoritative victory in the Bangalore 2000 Guineas turned a few heads, but when he stepped up for the Bangalore Derby and left his rivals gasping, it was clear he had some serious class. The rest, as they say, is history—though in this case, it’s the kind that gets etched in gold.

 

For trainer Darius Byramji, Ranquelino delivered a third Indian Derby triumph, joining the ranks of his past champions, Supervite and Psychic Flame. And for jockey Sandesh—who’s been riding like he struck a deal with the racing gods—this was the long-awaited Indian Derby crown in his 18-year career, completing a collection of every major race worth winning in India.

 

Coming back to the race, the designated pacemaker Imperial Star set a brisk pace in front but he was not adequate to do the job. When African Gold surprisingly moved up to take charge and led by many lengths, it was clear that there would be some miscalculation from the jockeys behind as the classic winner was a serious contender and Irish jockey Billy Lee had been flown to ride him. African Gold had a lead of over 10 lengths followed by Final Call, Duke of Tuscany, Pyrite, Ranquelino, Odysseus, Santissimo, Golden Tunder, Thalassa, La Dolce Vita, Casteel, Regina Memorabilis, Psychic Star, Positano and Dash raced behind more or less in the order mentioned.

 

African Gold must have thought it was a solo performance, dashing ahead by a country mile and keeping the lead until reality—also known as the final furlong—kicked in. The chase pack, led by Duke of Tuscany and Pyrite, started to get serious, while Sandesh gave Ranquelino the memo that it was time to move. Santissimo, ever the optimist, stuck around for a bit before realizing this wasn’t his day.

 

Ranquelino barely broke a sweat as he breezed past the tiring frontrunners in the final 100 metres, stamping his authority without so much as a courtesy glance. Pyrite, to his credit, showed some late fire and stamina to close the gap to just a length, while Positano, seemingly inspired by the idea of participation, made a belated charge to grab third.

 

The backmarkers arrived fashionably late, taking up their usual positions, while Santissimo, full of promise but short on execution, vanished from contention. Psychic Star, true to his name, must have been busy predicting rather than performing, making no headway from the rear. And as for Final Call—let’s just say African Gold had company in the "burned out too soon" club, finishing somewhere in another zip code.