Mumbai: The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) is gearing up to stage, on Sunday, its annual high voltage classy show, the 2,400m Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby (Grade I) partnered by Signature. The Indian Derby, as usual, is the richest race in the country, and the present edition offers a mind-boggling winners’ purse of Rs 2.17 crore, plus a trophy valued at Rs 1.5 lakh.

There are 20 aspirants in the Derby line-up, but the field could have done without the presence of a few with questionable credentials. In any case, there is no outstanding performer in the field, and thus no clear favourite, though the eastern and the southern turf followers rate Desert God as one in champion mould.  The horse al ready has two regional Derbies (the Deccan Derby and the Calcutta Derby) under his belt, besides loosing as many Derbies in the southern centres, albeit in close contest. The S. Padmanabhan-trained horse is taking the route to the Indian Derby on the lines of his great galloper, In The Spotlight.

The RWITC turfites, however, do not rate Desert  God’s efforts as a great achievement. They rate their home champions like Phoenix Tiger, Columbiana, Cost Del Sol and Myrtlewood in a different league. However, the race professionals are prepared to give Phoenix Tiger another chance after his narrow failure to Columbiana, recently in a 2,000m terms race.