FROM PRAVESH GUPTA

Mumbai: Just 48 hours remain for the McDowell Indian Derby field to kick off, but no clear favourite has emerged yet. Cooji Katrak was expected to call the shots but the wily trainer has just three horses – Londoner, Aguilas and Estonia — representing his stable in a big field of 17 runners vying for the winner’s purse of Rs 46 lakh.

The fact that Londoner had gone down meekly to stable-fillies Rapidash and Kanthara in the 2,000 Guineas and Estonia had failed to beat Fair Always in the ‘1000’ before winning the 2,400m Indian Oaks, suggests the masculine force in western India may again find the fair sex dominating the issue in the 60-year-old classic.

The fight for supremacy does not end with Katrak’s selected two. Owner MAM Ramaswamy, too, has a formidable force in Simply Supreme and Smart Supreme. If the former comfortably had the measure of some Derby hopefuls like Artois, Grosvenor Square and Glensanda recently in the 2,000m Ruia Cup, the latter went on to trounce a good staying field over the Derby trip, albeit in a Class II race.

To add to their miseries, the Calcutta challenger Psychic Flame will be ridden by course champion Pesi Shroff. However, rumour mills are at work again, grinding stories about the triple Calcutta classic winner’s fitness. The Darius Byramji-trained filly was left far behind in her final workout by her companion Frantic. But she has never been a work-filly, therefore she may be expected to produce her Calcutta form, though Pesi had to be coaxed by the stable to accept the ride.

The highly rated Artois had been a bad let-down in each of two starts here — the 2,000 Guineas and the Ruia Cup. The Vinayak-trainee, though suffering from tendon, still has a hope feels his schooler.

Equally hopeful is C. Rajendra who is riding Derby luck in the past four weeks. The crafty jockey has already booted home winners in the Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad Derbies this month. “Londoner is a decent stayer but he is a Class IV horse,” said Rajendra. Incidentally, he is yet to win the Indian Derby.

Mallesh Narredu, who rides Estonia, was more forthcoming on his Derby chances. He expects Estonia to reproduce her Oaks’ form.

However, there are one too many potential candidates to land the prize on Sunday. In a big field, luck of the clear run besides, the one with proper blend of speed and stamina may steal the show.