Who will gallop to a win? Find out at the Indian Derby today

The biggest race of the Indian horse racing calendar, the Indian Derby, is coming up today.As always, there is a lot of excitement around this mega race as it comes after all the regional classics at five other centres in the country are over and that mostly brings in all the champions of different centres in the fray at the beautiful Mahalakshmi Racecourse and this year is no different.A total of 19 contenders have lined up for the biggest prize in Indian racing. This year it is going to be interesting as 13 outstation contenders have entered the fray to challenge the supremacy of the Mumbai runners led by multi-classics winner King’s Ransom and her stable mate Supernatural, trained by jockey turned trainer Pesi Shroff, who is considered the poster boy of Indian racing.Shroff had achieved glory in the last two editions through Immortality (2021) and Zuccarelli (2022) and is now looking to complete the hat-trick of wins in this race of the year. Shroff had earlier completed the hat-trick of wins as a jockey in Indian Derby through Starfire Girl (1992), Desert Warrior (1991), and Exhilaration (1989). Shroff will also have another formidable contender in Supernatural, who is very much capable of landing the Derby riches.Karthik Ganapathy, one of the leading trainers of the western India racing, talks about the strengths and weaknesses of the 19 contenders and how things may unfold in the Indian Derby over a grueling distance of 2400 metres.Karthik feels King’s Ransom has the best credentials to win the Indian Derby as she is a proven stayer after her brilliant win in the Indian 1000 and 2000 Guineas. After King’s Ransom, Karthik feels her stable mate Supernatural is second best in the race. Beyond these two star performers, Karthik feels, James Mckewon-trained Once You Go Black jas the best chance to land the Derby riches.Karthik says Adhirajsingh Jodha’s filly Dangerous and veteran trainer Mansingh Jadhav’s Mojito are the two runners who are capable of upsetting the applecart of fancied contenders.Karthik feels since there are many runners, it will be interesting to see how the race will unfold.Audio production: Prateek Kapoor