It seems the challengers to Santissimo decided to pack up their ambitions and head for an early tea long before the Gr 1 HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas even began. On a sunny Sunday at Mahalakshmi, Pesi Shroff-trained Santissimo, piloted by English champion jockey Oisin Murphy, didn`t just win; he waltzed into the winner`s circle with the kind of ease that left the rest of the field wondering why they`d bothered to show up at all.

African Gold, billed as the heavyweight contender after his Bangalore triumph over Santissimo, turned out to be more of a shadow boxer than a slugger. The so-called "mighty challenger" came armed with a strategy that resembled a gentle stroll in the park rather than a gladiatorial showdown. The kid-glove handling from connections, combined with a lacklustre ride from Akshay Kumar, ensured that African Gold not only left the gauntlet at home but probably forgot where he put it.

Back in Bangalore, African Gold had managed to repel Santissimo with a gutsy performance. But on this occasion, the colt was ridden with such restraint you`d think he was auditioning for a slow-motion sequence. While Santissimo galloped like he had places to be, African Gold was left fumbling with the basics, like figuring out how to accelerate at the right time. By the time Akshay Kumar could shake up African Gold, Santissimo was already halfway through his victory lap.

Santissimo didn`t just beat the pace-setting Shambala to the punch; he wrapped up the race, ordered the champagne, and probably started planning his post-race interviews while his rivals were still playing catch-up. What was supposed to be a blockbuster clash of titans turned out to be the equine equivalent of a lopsided schoolyard fight.

Santissimo`s emphatic victory reaffirms his status as a superstar in the making, but the so-called competition? They might want to rethink their strategy before the next showdown. Or, at the very least, show up with a plan that doesn`t involve waving the white flag before the gates even open.

Santissimo, the battle-hardened warhorse, strutted onto the track for the Indian 2000 Guineas as if he owned the joint—and honestly, with nine races under his belt and just two blemishes, he almost does. Those two losses? One to African Gold, who apparently left his A-game at home, and the other to Redefined over the extended trip of 2000 metres. But African Gold came into this race looking more like a pampered prince than a battle-tested gladiator. With just six outings, mostly against rivals who could barely keep up, his record resembled a string of glorified practice laps rather than the resume of a serious contender.

Enter Trevor Patel aboard Shambala, riding a streak of three straight wins. He took the bold approach of seizing the lead and setting a modest pace. Trailing him in orderly fashion were Santissimo, African Gold, Psychic Star, Golden Thunder, and Mighty Sparrow. This dawdling pace might`ve lulled some into thinking the race was a group meditation session, but when Oisin Murphy got busy on Santissimo, the horse responded like a caffeinated rocket. The Gusto progeny shifted gears with a swiftness that left everyone else looking like they were stuck in reverse.

Santissimo effortlessly breezed past a wilting Shambala, winning by a luxurious three-length margin. Meanwhile, African Gold was busy auditioning for the role of a plodding workhorse and couldn`t overhaul Shambala, the pace-setter who ran out of gas, and had to settle for a third-place finish just ahead of Psychic Star.

As the dust settled, one could almost picture Oisin Murphy lounging in the winner`s circle, casually wondering what all the hype about the competition had been. For him, this might have been less of a challenge and more of an extended Sunday stroll—a remarkably easy overseas assignment, to say the least.

The question on everyone`s lips—posed to anyone even remotely connected to Santissimo, from the jockey to the trainer and probably the stable hand—was whether this gallant warrior could stretch his talents to the mile-and-a-half trip of the Indian Derby. “Will he stay?” they asked with all the fervour of a crowd awaiting divine revelation. While the answer is pencilled in for the first Sunday of February, history suggests that it`s usually the sprinter-miler types who muscle their way into Derby glory when the staying talent pool resembles a kiddie splash zone.

Trainer Pesi Shroff, ever the tactician, mentioned the possibility of a mock race over a mile and a quarter as a preparatory run—a move that sounds as much like a test of Santissimo`s stamina as a way to keep his rivals guessing. As for Oisin Murphy, he sidestepped the question of staying ability with the grace of a seasoned politician. Instead, he basked in the royal treatment offered by the winning connections and soaked up the adoration of the crowd. Why worry about the horse`s staying power when you`re enjoying the warm embrace of fine hospitality and thunderous applause?