A strong field of 13 thoroughbreds are scheduled to come under the starter’s order for the 56th running of the most glamorous event of the summer meeting, the Kingfisher Ultra Derby Bangalore on Sunday.
In the absence of a strong favourite and almost with half the field in with a shot, the derby wears an open look. The most interesting fact of this year’s derby is that the two top trainers, Pesi Shroff representing Mumbai and Bharath Singh from Kolkata, who have won the Fillies classic and Colts classic this season, through Manifold and Castlebridge respectively, will attempt to emulate their previous feat of winning both the classics with their wards which they did long ago.
Though, Castlebridge (whose connections have paid a hefty late fee to participate in the Derby), made a successful pillar-to-post bid to cross the wire first with a measure of comfort in a record time while Manifold won the Fillies in a fighting finish, both over a mile, Pesi’s ward is expected to exploit the Derby distance to her advantage as she is bred to stay comfortably.
Benefited by last run, Karthik Ganapathy’s Perfect Star, who ran two lengths back in second to Castlebridge in the Colts with a late burst in his first appearance on the turf after being gelded, may put his best foot forward to reverse that order over this extended trip as he has the pedigree.
Suleiman S. Attaollahi has three runners, Angel Power, who had shed his maiden status this season, Kangra, who ran very close to the frame in the Fillies, just 3 ¾ lengths behind the eventual winner Manifold and Shaman with two consecutive victories from three starts seems to have a better chance to make it to the finish.
Pesi’s other two wards Zenon, who drifted out alarmingly and dropped out of contention in the Colts, Windsor Forest, who was deprived of clear run last time when ran a close third to Manifold in the Fillies, have shown considerable progress in the subsequent track trials. However, Zenon who had beaten stable companion, the in-form Denny Crane, in the recent workouts has the pedigree to pull it off if he keeps a straight course.
