There is no clear favourite for this year`s Gr 1 Pune Derby with the contestants well matched if only in their lack of achievements. The Pune Derby traditionally has not favoured the favourite and upsets have been par for this race. However, this year, the absence of a clear-cut favourite makes this year`s Derby even more intriguing.

Vishal Gaikwad trained Victorious Sermon ran below expectations in the S A Poonawalla Million last month. He performed very well during the Bangalore Summer Season and the quality of both his wins was such he was straightaway expected to maintain his winning ways when he resumed his racing career in Pune. However, the long absence from the track possibly due to a training setback saw him go into the million underdone. This showed in his performance as he packed up when the race came to the boil and finished a poor third.

When Victorious Sermon recorded his maiden win in Bangalore, he beat Southern Ruler who subsequently went on to finish fourth in the Derby. In his next outing, he swamped Gift of Grace and the latter just about failed to beat the Bangalore Derby winner Well Connected in the Deccan Fillies Championship by a whisker. Considering the quality of horses that Victorious Sermon had faced, his last performance must be attributed to a lack of adequate preparation. The benefit of a race run and subsequent workouts should help Victorious Sermon go into this race in better shape. Whether he has the class to win the Derby or not will be revealed by his performance on Sunday.

Altaf Hussain trained Sultan Suleiman showed quantum improvement in two weeks` time after coming out of the maidens` ranks. Sultan Suleiman showed that he could go places when he held off the spirited challenge of the experienced Trouville. Sultan Suleiman did not show the ill-effects of running within a quick span of time. Now that he has got a good break, there is no season why he should not maintain his progress and provide his trainer with the elusive Pune Derby. Sandesh would continue his association with Sultan Suleiman. Sultan Suleiman is surely an exciting prospect and the Poonawalla Stud Farm which has thrown open its gates for the sale of yearlings would be too glad if Sultan Suleiman lands the Derby plum.

Shiraz Sunderji trained Trouville has been somewhat of a let-down since winning the Million at Mumbai over a mile in tremendous fashion. He was also a good second in the Poonawalla Multi-Million but hasn`t show any improvement over his juvenile form. After a below-par effort in the early part of the Pune season, he showed good improvement to be a fighting second to Sultan Suleiman. However, by virtue of his experience he should not have been giving a fight but beating his opponent. He still has scope and can win the Derby notwithstanding the fact that the Poonawalla Multi-Million form hasn`t held good.

Pesi Shroff has two horses in the fray in Wizard of Stocks and Rhapsody. Wizard of Socks ran in the Bangalore Colts Championship where he was about 9 lengths adrift of winner War Hammer. He has the benefit of having run over the present Derby trip of 2000 metres and finished second to Tasawwur. That run doesn`t give a great chance for the horse to make his mark here though in racing we have seen the best argued theories going for a toss and one must always qualify one`s statement.

Another ward from the imposing stable of Pesi is Rhapsody who won over a mile-long trip a fortnight ago in impressive fashion. Though she is well bred, this race may have come too early for her. However, the race run in this company will not only help assess her virtues but also give a valuable racing experience for the battles ahead at Mumbai.

All said and done, the Derby outcome should be confined to the more experienced trio of Victorious Sermon, Trouville and Sultan Suleiman. Any other result can only be attributed to the glorious uncertainties of the game.