The enduring charm of the Bangalore Derby

 Supernatural Stalls, Ranquelino Steals the Show

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

Dual Derby winner Ranquelino, trained by Darius Byramji, did precisely what was expected of a horse that had seemingly read the script—he showed up, lined up, and galloped off with the Gr 2 1800 metres Chief Justice’s Cup, a race that usually promises a thriller but this time proved to be a damp squib.

 

Enter Supernatural, from the stables of Pesi Shroff, once a crown jewel with a Summer Derby to his name. Having run a decent third in his return outing—despite what experts diplomatically termed a "leisurely start"—many punters, ever the hopeful romantics, believed that with one race under his girth, he'd be ready to exorcise more than a year of winless existence.

 

But here’s the rub: Supernatural had seen better days and had been sidelined by many niggles. Wind surgery (the equine version of CPAP therapy), and a general allergy to winning. Still, the power of branding is real—because despite all that, he was backed like he was a dead certainty.

 

And then came the moment of truth. The gates opened, the horses sprang into action… except Supernatural, who seemed quite taken with the scenery inside the stalls. Perhaps he mistook the gate for a spa. Or this is a trait which is becoming a habit.

 

So, while Supernatural pondered over his future at the gates, Ranquelino made a mockery of the so-called competition—who, to be fair, looked like they’d been summoned straight from a veterans’ reunion. Monteverdi gamely tried to set the pace, only to be demoted to background scenery. Casteel, the Calcutta Derby winner, showed up for moral support. And Touch of Grey, once a winning machine, now seems to run out of nostalgia more than muscle memory.

 

And then, of course, the pièce de resistance: the commentary.  "Level start by all the runners!" — the phrase trotted out so routinely by race commentators, it might as well be pre-recorded and played on loop. The much-fancied Supernatural chose to stay back. But true to tradition, the starter blurted out the ceremonial “level start,” perhaps hoping reality would adjust itself to his optimism. The second commentator, presumably on a coffee break or reading horoscopes, didn’t notice either.

 

Note to the commentary squad: Yes, we get it — after calling thousands of races, the reflex can become muscle memory. But a horse, especially a strong favourite, frozen in the starting gates isn't exactly a blink-and-you-miss-it moment... unless, of course, you’re honouring the time-honoured tradition of calling races with your eyes shut and your faith wide open.

 

The poor punters, trusting souls that they are, heard the sacred “Level start!” and eagerly scanned the screen… only to wonder if Supernatural had taken a shortcut through a parallel dimension. There was no sign of him. Just a track full of horses—and one conspicuously absent favourite who apparently decided he'd rather stay indoors.

 

Doncaster Belle, the hot favourite from Darius Byramji’s yard, treated the 1400 metres Dupont Plate more like a victory lap than a competitive race, brushing aside the challenge of the well-fancied Final Call with ease. But behind the finish line, chaos reigned.

 

Jockey Saqlain seemed to be on a mission to reinvent the term “rail-hugging run” by charging up the inside with the kind of urgency usually reserved for last-minute boarding at an airport gate. In the process, he orchestrated a traffic jam that would make Bangalore roads blush. Not to be outdone, Neeraj Rawal aboard Final Call, made his own aggressive bid for the rail, turning the inside path into a demolition derby. Poor Ramu on Divine Protector went airborne — not the kind of flight a jockey signs up for.

 

And yet, surprisingly the Stewards didn’t think this bit of equestrian bumper cars warranted an enquiry. Perhaps they were too busy meditating, or maybe they’ve adopted a new motto: “See nothing, hear nothing, write no report.” Of course, if a jockey politely accepts his mistake, all is forgiven. Apparently, it's less about maintaining order and more about accepting apologies with grace. Who needs facts when you’ve got feelings?

 

Meanwhile, Efficacy, a short-priced favourite from the Sulaiman Attaollahi camp, took the International Day of Yoga Plate a little too seriously. The horse performed what could only be described as a yogic flip inside the gates and was promptly withdrawn.

 

With the favourite doing gymnastics, Sapporo (trained by Irfan Ghatala) coasted home, leaving Aces Up playing catch-up, but likely to improve next time. In the lower division, Your Unforgettable lived up to the name—if your memory is selective—romping home ahead of Enola Holmes, who apparently forgot her detective skills. As for the well-supported Annabelle, she raced enthusiastically in front before realizing midway that she'd left her second wind in the paddock.

 

Sulaiman, having put the morning's yoga fiasco behind him, landed a double. Mahler found a turbo button hidden somewhere in his hindquarters and stormed from the back to pinch a win from Neptune, who led from start to everywhere-except-the-finish. Schoenberg showed a bit of musical rhythm to finish third in what was—shockingly—a tightly bunched finish, a refreshing change from the usual procession races that have defined the season.

 

Darrion, trained by Pradeep Anniah, made it back-to-back wins, stealing a march early in the straight and clinging on like a cat on a wet roof. Silver Quest flew in from another postcode to just miss out, while Perfect Attitude, who had undergone a tie-forward operation to fix her breathing, now seemed in need of a gear-shift operation instead. Sharp distance? More like sharp disappointment.

 

Ice of Fire lit up the track in the race run in the memory of former Chairman D Kumar Siddanna, finishing strongly to deny Aquastic in the final furlong. The well-supported Perfect Legend went a bit too bold too early, trying to win from a parking lot draw, and eventually ran out of steam when the serious business began.