The Usha Stud Farm bred Snowscape trounced the opposition in the Gr 1 Eveready Calcutta Derby Stakes, the star event of the season, in a manner that must have come as a pleasant surprise even to his most optimistic connections on Sunday. The Vijay Singh trainee Snowscape stood tall against a helpless opposition as he shot off like a rocket on the wide outside in the hands of local champion to reveal hitherto unknown class.

The four year old son of China Visit thus walked away with the record prize money of Rs 1,16,90,925 and also booked a berth in the float that will have the vanquished as well heading to Mumbai for the Indian Derby. Snowscape is owned by Mr.D.Khaitan Mrs.Y. Khaitan, Mrs.D Jalan rep. Soom Stud Farm Pvt.Ltd. and Mr.Subir Dasgupta rep.Cairnhill Stud Farm Pvt Ltd.

Borsalino, who had an infection when he ran in the Guineas, was rushed to be ready for this mega event as evidenced by the amount of workouts he had in the last fortnight. Since he had beaten horses of impressive credentials in the past, he was expected to bounce back to winning form. He went into the race as a favourite followed by Hamlet who was attempting the impossible of winning a Derby having won just one run of the mill race back home.

Pesi Shroff commands such good string of horses that his horses always enjoy a special aura and hype despite some of them lacking in substance. With Hamlet being the son of an Epsom Derby winner Motivator, there was high expectation that over this mile and half trip, he may outstay the rest. With the connections summoning high profile jockey in Joseph O’Brien, there was exciting anticipation though in racing it is always performance which is the proof of the pedigree. Silverina who had won the Oaks but got later disqualified for testing positive for a prohibited substance was expected to do well yet again over this trip and enjoyed some spirited support. Snowscape who has had a chequered career having been beaten in the past by horses like Malpensa and Silverina enjoyed sentimental support.

Borsalino went on a start to finish mission with Hamlet in close attendance. Tintinnabulation was this time held back in the middle group unlike in the past when he used to race with the pace. Silverina and Malpensa were in touch with the front runner while Christopher Alford chose to sleep at the back with Snowscape. Midway through the race, David Allan looked back to see how far he was ahead and he possibly made a mistake when he slowed the pace. Borsalino is a single paced horse whose goes at a good cruising speed without having a great turn of foot.

When Borsalino took the final turn with the rest of the runners close on his haunches, it was clear that it would take a herculean effort on the part of the son of Choisir to stay in front till the post. Borsalino was pressed strongly by Tintinnabulation inside the final 350 metres but at this stage, it was clear that Snowscape who had circled round the field was the best traveling horse in the bunch. Snowscape changed gears as it were and sped past the rest to win pulling up by four lengths over Tintinnabulation with hardly any perceptible effort on the part of his jockey. Borsalino held off Malpensa by a neck for the third slot. Silverina was another five lengths adrift while the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet disappeared to brood far away! To be or not to be was the biggest dilemma of the Shakespearean character of the famous play Hamlet while for his name sake in the racing drama, it was a case of should have been or not in the fray was the question that confronted him. The winner clocked a modest time of two minutes 33.21 seconds.

This year has again been a good year for Usha Stud Farm as Snowscape became the third horse of the same crop (folas of 2009) from the famous nursery to win the Derby. Silverina (China Visit) was the winner of the Calcutta Monsoon Derby while Wind Stream (Steinbeck) had claimed the Mysore Derby in October. Of the six Derbys held thus far at various centres, Usha has had three while Kunigal Stud Farm also two through Borsalino. Sohna Stud Farm has had one Derby winner though Commander.

The Gr 2 2000 metres Ramanarain Ramniwas Ruia Trophy will be run on Tuesday at Mumbai where the other set of Indian Derby hopefuls will be contesting in that plum event. Machiavellianism who won the Indian 2000 Guineas in great style, runner up Shivalik Hero, improving An Acquired Taste, Pune Derby winner Commander, Montezuma and others will make for an exciting race to look forward. This race will largely determine how the Indian Derby is going to shape up.

There is no doubt that Indian Derby has a very open look about it notwithstanding the easy manner in which Snowscape won the Kolkata event. Snowscape will now go into that race as a fancied winner and with it the attendant expectation and pressure. The Indian Derby may see the first four finishers of Kolkata Derby along with that of Ruia Trophy along with Wind Stream comprising the line-up. There will be one or two other horses depending on the performance in the Indian Oaks.

Although there are enough pointers to the mega event, predicting a winner will be tantamount to predicting the result of a lottery!