Last year's newsmaker Malesh Narredu nowhere in Derby action

Malesh Narredu was the man in the news during and after last year's Indian Derby, thanks to the controversy surrounding his handling of favourite set alight. this time, he does not figure in the extravaganza

CHAMPION jockey Malesh Narredu was embroiled in a sizzling post-Indian Derby debate in 2009 about the way he rode favourite Set Alight at Mahalaxmi.

Malesh's mount was beaten last year and he became the target of stinging criticism from several professionals who predicted darkly that losing in that manner on the Vijay Mallya owned filly could spell his doom.

While that may be stretching things too far, Narredu does not figure in Sunday's sparkling Derby run-up, a fact the high-profile jockey takes philosophically saying, "I do not have a mount but you know, I cannot say I am disappointed because really, that is part of life, racing life. You ride some and some times you do not get a ride. I am riding owner Vinayak's horses but he does not have a runner in the Derby."u00a0

Narredu is similarly phlegmatic when asked if increasing numbers of foreign jockeys are spelling the death knell of Indian jockeys saying: "If the owners want to choose them to ride, what can anybody say?"

Narredu, one among India's more successful jockeys, has had a career pock-marked with controversy, Set Alight being just one of them. The rider though, wants to put that behind refusing to respond to speculation that trainer Pesi Shroff has been keeping a distance from him, post the Set Alight ride, simply saying, "no comments, since that is very controversial".

Before signing off, the jockey picked a Sunday winner: "I would go with Jacqueline, and I wish owner K Dhunjibhoy all the best."