The GR 1 Villoo Poonawalla Pune Derby, the biggest race of the Pune Racing Calendar, promised high drama, but by the end, it turned into a one-horse show starring Zacharias — trained by the unflappable Pesi Shroff, for whom Derby wins are as routine as his morning coffee. For the rest, it was a lesson in how to look busy while getting soundly beaten.

All eyes were on Prokofiev — the supposed prodigy, the great redeemer, the one expected to orchestrate his comeback after a near-miss in his lead-up race. Punters poured in their faith (and their wallets), while Pesi quietly exuded confidence in his own charge, Zacharias. Bad judgment call — as it turned out, the composer hit all the wrong notes, and the music stopped well before the home turn.

The start itself resembled a circus act. Baychimo stood frozen at the gates like a philosopher in mid-thought before deciding to participate, while Gun Smoke preferred sightseeing at the rear. Prokofiev too took a misstep. Up front, Solidarity set a gentle tempo. Miracle of Hanukah tracked him, Prokofiev loomed close, Superstar raced freely and Zacharias nestled comfortably in mid-pack — biding his time with the calm of a horse who knew he`d soon be leaving everyone in the dust.


As they turned for home, jockey Vivek G angled Zacharias wide, gave him the go-ahead, and the son of Western Aristocrat simply switched to demolition mode. The others were still gathering their thoughts when Zacharias was halfway home. It was domination of the effortless kind — the type that makes even the trainer`s pulse barely flicker.

For Vivek G, it was the Derby of his career — a dream ride where he could afford to celebrate early, count his future pay hikes, and still win by daylight. Zacharias stormed home by a widening margin of five lengths, with Gun Smoke rallying late to grab second from Superstar, who ran without blinkers and without much complaint. Baychimo, after his casual late entry, did enough to finish in the frame, while the much-fancied Prokofiev faded out like a tired encore performer.

The result sheet read: Zacharias — daylight — Gun Smoke — Superstar — Baychimo. Prokofiev? Nowhere. For punters, it was heartbreak; for Shroff, just another Sunday. And for racing fans, it was perhaps the first glimpse of possible Indian Derby champion — one who didn`t just win, but performed.

Trainer Nazak Chenoy had every reason to smile as her ward Shambala pulled off a gutsy victory in the Gr 3 Naoshirvan & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million, a race that tested nerve as much as speed. In a heart-thumping finish, Shambala, under a determined Anthony Raj, outduelled Magileto after a fierce final furlong fight to clinch the title by a neck.

Dream Seller did the early heavy lifting, setting a blistering pace before running out of ideas close home, allowing Trevor Patel to push Magileto ahead. But just when the favourite`s camp began worrying, Shambala in the hands of Anthony Raj, came storming up, proving once again that perseverance (and a strong pair of elbows) can work wonders. Christophany ran on late for third, while Dubai Princess, sluggish early, finally remembered she was in a race and rallied late for fourth. The clock stopped at a sharp 1:06.948, confirming that Shambala didn`t just win — she flew.

Bangalore challenger Alfonsie, from Prasanna Kumar`s yard, made a smashing statement in the Jimmy Umrigar Trophy (Div I). Returning after a long layoff, the gelding was all business. Sai Kiran had the race sewn up early in the homestretch, leaving Exciting and Cardoc to settle for the lesser prizes. In the lower division of the race, Prithviraj-trained Conjurer performed a textbook start-to-finish job, fending off Claude`s late lunge, while Her Charge could only watch the magic from third.

The Pune Commissioner`s Trophy saw a surprise as James McKeown, the latest Chennai-to-Pune migrant, celebrated his first local winner with the unfancied Joondalup. The horse clearly didn`t read the market odds — he shot out of the gates, made the running, and dared anyone to catch him. None did. He cruised home from Cinderella`s Victory Dream, while Starseed followed at a respectable distance. The well-backed trio of Escape Velocity, El Moran, and Eastern Monarch appeared to have taken a personal day off.

The Jayant M Shah & Champak M Shah Gold Trophy produced its share of drama — and head-scratching. Viking, backed to the skies, was inexplicably sent on a front-running mission by Trevor Patel, who seemed to have mistaken a marathon for a sprint. The result was inevitable — Viking was running on fumes when C S Jodha and Endurance stormed past to claim the race with authority. Land of Plenty and Looking Like A Wow followed home, while punters followed Trevor`s ride with disbelief.

Trainer Imtiaz Sait, who saddled Endurance, had already set the tone in the day`s opener with Opus Dei, a long-shot winner in the Commander Trophy. The horse finished like a train to nail the favourite Scaramouche, who promised much and delivered little. Liam, after dictating terms early, had to settle for third.

And if the betting ring needed more spice, it arrived in the form of Menjou`s Moustache, the early favourite who mysteriously lost favour faster than you could say “false alarm.” Punters piled onto Bezan Chenoy`s Flashman, and rightly so. Anthony Raj, in top form, gave the favourite a masterly ride to stave off Samson, while We Still Believe finished third — though most punters, by now, were struggling to live up to that name.