The Indian Derby is an annual Thoroughbred horse race. It is run over 2,400-metres and held on the first Sunday of February at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai.
History The "Indian Derby" is the premier horse racing event of the country held annually on the first Sunday of February. A derby is a type of horse race, named after the Epsom Derby, run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. It was named after for Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race in 1780.
The Indian derby, later called the McDowell Indian Derby was sponsored by the United Breweries Ltd from 1984 Until 2022. It is one of the premier sporting activities in the city having the highest cash prize for any single sporting event in India. The race was first held in 1943 and was won by a filly Princess Beautiful, ridden by Edgar Britt.
There have been many exciting finishes to the Indian Derby but none have come close to the one that occurred on 8 February 1947, a filly named "Her Majesty" ridden by Australian jockey W.T Evans son of 1907 Melbourne Cup winning jockey William (Billy) Evans, had a dramatic fall after the start of the race but both the rider and the horse were brave enough to get back on their feet and run the race only to finish second to Bucephalus by a "nose". Two weeks later Her Majesty beat Bucephalus in the classic Indian St. Leger by twenty lengths.
Derby winners List of Indian derby winners: Race DateWinnerSexBred AtJockeyTrainer01/02/2026FynbosFNanoli StudTom MarquandPesi Shroff04/02/2025RanquelinoGManjriA SandeshDarius R Byramji04/02/2024EnablerCSohnaYash NarreduM Narredu05/02/2023MirraFUsha/MehraAnthony RajArjun Mangalorkar06/02/2022 Zuccarelli GNanoli StudP. TrevorPesi Shroff28/03/2021 Immortality FUsha/MehraSuraj NarreduPesi Shroff02/02/2020 War HammerCKunigalSuraj NarreduPrasana Kumar03/02/2019Star SuperiorCPoonawalla GroupSuraj NarreduRajesh Narredu04/02/2018RochesterCManjriC.S. JodhaS K Sunderji05/02/2017Hall of FamerFDashmeshDavid AllanS.Padmanabhan07/02/2016Desert GodCKunigalDavid AllanS Padmanabhan01/02/2015Be SafeCHazaraSuraj NarreduM Narredu02/02/2014AlaindairGUsha/MehraY.S. SrinathAltamash A Ahmed03/02/2013Super StormcHazaraJimmy FortuneS Narredu05/02/2012In The SpotlightFPoonawalla GroupMartin DwyerS Padmanabhan06/02/2011Moonlight RomanceFUsha/MehraDavid AllanC D Katrak07/02/2010JacquelineFSohnaRichard HughesPesi Shroff12/04/2009AntoniosCNanoliS A DeSousaS S Shah03/02/2008HotstepperCKehelanM J KinaneS S Shah04/02/2007DiabolicalGManjriColm O'DonoghueS Ganapathy05/02/2006Velvet RopeGSohnaP KamleshVinayak06/02/2005Southern RegentGUsha/MehraB PrakashS Ganapathy01/02/2004Psychic FlameFUsha/MehraPesi ShroffDarius R Byramji02/02/2003Noble EagleGNanoliP BeloseVinayak03/02/2002StarskyGUsha/MehraB PrakashDallas Todywalla04/02/2001Storm AgainCPoonawalla GroupPesi ShroffJ S Dhariwal06/02/2000Smart ChieftanGPoonawalla GroupRichard HughesKaran Singh07/02/1999SuperviteFNanoliC RuzaanDarius R Byramji01/02/1998Star SupremeCUsha/MehraJ FortuneDallas Todywalla02/02/1997IndictmentCUsha/MehraM NarreduVinayak04/02/1996Amazing BayFPoonawalla GroupSatish NarreduJ H Foley05/02/1995Elusive PimpernelCDashmesh/HargobindAslam KaderRashid Byramji06/02/1994LittleoverFManjriPesi ShroffRashid Byramji28/02/1993AstronomicCDashmesh/HargobindAslam KaderRashid Byramji02/02/1992AstonishFPoonawalla GroupAslam KaderBezan Chenoy03/02/1991Starfire GirlFPoonawalla GroupPesi ShroffAltaf Hussain04/02/1990Desert WarriorCPoonawalla GroupPesi ShroffAltaf Hussain05/02/1989ExhilarationCPoonawalla GroupPesi ShroffImtiaz A Sait07/02/1988Cordon BleuFPoonawalla GroupM J KinaneRashid Byramji01/02/1987Chaitanya ChakramCDashmesh/HargobindL MarshallJ S Dhariwal02/02/1986Sir BruceCDoaba/GallopingM J KinaneJamshed Dalal03/02/1985RevelationFUsha/MehraPesi ShroffBezan Chenoy05/02/1984EnterprisingCUsha/MehraPesi ShroffBezan Chenoy06/02/1983NelstonCUsha/MehraV ShindeC A Kutappa21/02/1982AlmanacCUsha/MehraG BaxterNosher Cama01/02/1981Track LightningCUsha/MehraA BarclayTassi03/02/1980MohawkCYeravadaW SwinburnRashid Byramji04/02/1979Royal TernCSewaniaKarl UmrigarB K Lagad05/02/1978ManitouCUsha/MehraV ShindeRashid Byramji30/01/1977SquandererCYeravadaM JagdishRashid Byramji01/02/1976CommancheCYeravadaM JagdishRashid Byramji02/02/1975Pyare MiyaCKolhapurE JohnsonHayat Mohd10/02/1974TopmostCKunigalN ReubenRashid Byramji18/03/1973MansoorGManjriPandu KhadeS S Shah06/02/1972Prince KhartoumCGreenacresW SwinburnRashid Byramji07/02/1971Bright HanovarCYeravadaG McGrathS M Shah01/02/1970Thunder StormGManjriJ WilsonD P Pandole02/02/1969Fair HavenFGreenacresB TaylorG M Omkar21/01/1968Our SelectCYeravadaM JagdishS M Shah29/01/1967NijinskyCManjriE J CracknellS M Shah24/01/1966Red RufusCKolhapurK RaghunathMeherjee07/02/1965Rose RoyalFGreenacresF DurrMaj V M Lad19/01/1964Prince PradeepCYeravadaW H CarrAziz Mahmoud27/01/1963RocklieFJammuS SmithA L J Talib04/02/1962Loyal ManzarCManjriS SmithA L J Talib05/02/1961AlijahCManjriPandu KhadeMaj V M Lad31/01/1960Rose De BahamaFManjriW A RickabyNarayan Singh08/02/1959Fair Wood[NSB]CKunigalJ McGaffinD N Adenwalla02/02/1958Canny Scot[NSB]CBroadacresM JagdishBaba Khan03/02/1957BalchandCYeravadaPandu KhadeD N Adenwalla12/02/1956Star of GwaliorCManjriJ EganMaj V M Lad06/02/1955Rough DealCKunigalE EldinJ Thompson23/01/1954CommonerCBarodaS ChavanSion F Nessim18/01/1953Regal DomainCWestern IndiaW T EvansW Buckley20/01/1952Martial LawCBarodaK A GethinB R Patel20/01/1951Gold StreetCYeravadaB T DuffyB R Patel29/01/1950Mansoor Beg[NSB]CRenalaPandu KhadeH R Somekh05/02/1949BalamCRenalaKheem SinghA L J Talib21/02/1948Jeanne D'arcFBarodaW A RickabyL W Marrable08/02/1947BucephalusCMeher ShahT BurnA L J Talib02/02/1946ChakoriFBhopalW T EvansA L J Talib27/01/1945Odds OnFMontgomeryR H JonesG L Shinde05/02/1944DeepakCRenalaA RobertsMaj K P Jadhav30/01/1943Princess BeautifulFRenalaEdgar BrittM C Patel
See also Mahalaxmi Racecourse Royal Western India Turf Club
References