Derby’s Battle Royale: Set Alight vs Autonomy

Set Alight and Autonomy will renew their battle after 14 months at the McDowell Signature Indian Derby today

Derby's Battle Royale: Set Alight vs Autonomy

Set Alight and Autonomy will renew their battle after 14 months at the McDowell Signature Indian Derby today. In their last and only encounter at the Mahalaxmi track, Autonomy had beaten Set Alight. But she had wrested the race back from Autonomy by lodging a successful objection in the stewards' room.

After than run, Set Alight adding eight more spectacular victories to maintain her unbeaten status, while Autonomy picking up only three wins from four starts, and the margin of victory never being more than half a length.

Whatever actually happens in the mile-and-a-half race, one thing is certain: The winner will go down in the record books as one of the greatest horses to have graced the Indian turf, and Set Alight deserves that title more than Autonomy does.

Same is the name of the game

The most interesting thing about Set Alight and Autonomy, the first and second favourites for Sunday's McDowell Signature Indian Derby, is that both were born on the same date (April 22, 2005) at the same farm (Usha Stud near Delhi) and were sired (fathered) by the same stallion, Razeen.

Usha Stud holds the record of producing the greatest number of Derby winners (12), and Razeen, their star stallion who is the father of both Set Alight and Autonomy, holds the world record of siring over 100 Classic winners. Interestingly, Set Alight's 1000 Guineas victory was Razeen's 100th Classic as a sire.

Ameeta Mehra, daughter of Major Pradeep Mehra who founded the Usha Stud in 1972, took over the management in 2001 after Major Mehra, along with his wife and another daughter, died in a tragic helicopter crash on the new year day.

Derby: 16:30 on CNBC TV18

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels