Shahen-Shah at it agian

Septuagenarian trainer Saeed Shah couldn’t believe his luck for the second year running at the Indian Derby when his ward Antonios scripted a historic upset win over Set Alight on Sunday. While last year,his horse Hotstepper had decimated mighty Bourbon King to give Shah his first Indian Derby in 35-years of training,Antonios gave him another unforgettable moment. This time,though,Shah didn’t weep like he did last year. Instead the 70-year-old was smiling.

“Last year when Antonios had finished third in the Pune Derby,for the first time I realised that this horse has some strength in him and could be a good stayer,” said Shah after Derby triumph at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. “He had just won a race towards the end of the Mumbai season last year and then made slow progress but kept on improving with every race,” Shah revealed about the past of the Derby winner.

Shah said he always believed that among two of his Derby contenders,the Juventus and Antonios,he always thought Antonios had a good chance simply because he was a stayer. “I knew in this heat when others might fade,my horse can stay with a lot in his bag,” informed Shah. But Shah said he was thankful to the Almighty for giving him another Derby delight. “I’m a small trainer and don’t get expensive horses to train. I thank the Almighty for what I’ve got with so little at my disposal.”