In a finish that no one saw coming, Pesi Shroff-trained Arkadian pulled off the biggest upset in the Race2win.com Deccan Derby at Malakpet on Wednesday, leaving the crowd stunned and jaws on the floor. Ridden confidently by jockey Saqlain, Arkadian, who had only two races under his belt and a second-place finish to his name, upset the odds and brought home a sensational Derby victory.

The race was billed as a coronation for the dual classic-winning favourite Excellent Lass, whose sprinter-mile prowess was thought to be enough to carry her through the longer 2000 meters—despite some doubts about her stamina. But in horse racing, when you expect the obvious, the unexpected often gallops past, and Arkadian, by Cougar Mountain out of Aspen Sun, did just that.

For Shroff, this marked his second Derby win of the season, following his Bangalore Summer Derby triumph in August. Cougar Mountain, the Nanoli Stud Farm stallion, has a habit of producing stayers capable of going the distance, including last year’s dual Derby winner Jamari, and Arkadian added his name to the list. Arkadian was bred at the Jai Govind Stud Farm.

Racing, as they say, is where you go to make a fool of any predictions. And if anyone had dared to mention Arkadian as a contender before the race, they’d have been laughed out of the paddock. With odds north of 50 to 1, even the bravest punters left him for dead, while Excellent Lass was backed heavily at half-money. But as we’ve seen time and again, the Derby loves an underdog story, and Arkadian delivered a shocker, delighting the few optimistic backers who somehow had the foresight to believe in him. After all, Arkadian came in with a modest rating of 32, compared to the heavyweight favourite Excellent Lass at 66.

The race itself unfolded in a seemingly predictable manner, with Get Lucky taking the lead early, followed closely by Excellent Lass, whose jockey Suraj Narredu struggled to settle her into a rhythm. While Victor Hugo, the Bangalore challenger, raced prominently in fifth, Arkadian languished at the back of the pack, seemingly happy to stay out of the action.

As they hit the top of the straight, Narredu urged Excellent Lass forward, but her response lacked the fire everyone expected. Instead, she found herself in a dogfight, struggling to shake off the competition. By the final furlong, her tank was empty, and Get Lucky reclaimed the lead. Victor Hugo made a strong move, but all eyes soon turned to the outside, where Arkadian, who had taken the widest possible route around the turn, was now storming down the track like a horse possessed.

With long, powerful strides, Arkadian swallowed up the ground and surged past the leaders, leaving no doubt in the final 100 meters as he pulled away to seal a victory that defied all logic. Even the most daring gambler would have hesitated to bet on such an outcome.

For jockey Saqlain, this was his second Derby success in a short span, a victory that has firmly cemented his place among the top riders. In a race full of drama and unexpected twists, Arkadian’s triumph will go down as one of the greatest surprises in Deccan Derby history—a reminder that in racing, nothing is ever certain until they cross the finish line.

Pesi Shroff revealed that Arkadian had previously tackled the 2000 meters at Pune, where he showed his staying power when finishing second, proving himself to be a stout stayer. Initially, Shroff had planned to race only Seeking Alpha in the Derby but changed course, giving Arkadian a shot after seeing the horse’s potential to excel over the longer distance. "The rest," as the saying goes, "is history."

Jockey Saqlain, fresh off his impressive win, shared that he felt confident throughout the race, sensing early on that Arkadian was traveling smoothly and had the ability to pull off something special. Though Arkadian wasn't the most obvious choice for the Derby, the horse showed that any lack of faith in him was completely unwarranted.

When Akido decides to put on a show, he can turn the race upside down, though catching him on one of those days is a gamble. Often, he’s content to linger at the back, sometimes taking a leisurely nap. But on those rare days, he can be absolutely lethal. This was one of those days. After a game second-place finish in his previous race, Akido pulled off another surprise in the 1400 meters Turf Authorities of India Cup, a race for horses rated 80 and above, where all eyes were on the fancied trio of Huntingdon, Shadow of the Moon, and Siddharth.

Akido may not have been the hot favourite, but the risk-taking public kept him in their sights. The race unfolded with Malaala making what seemed like an unbeatable break in the final furlong taking charge from pace setting Candy Girl, charging ahead to open up a comfortable lead. Just when it seemed certain, Akido, under the guidance of jockey R S Jodha, came out of nowhere with a dazzling turn of foot, storming past to clinch victory with ease.

Huntingdon and Malaala battled upfront, with Malaala looking like the sure winner, until Akido swooped in, smashing their chances with his powerful late burst. Malaala held on to second by a neck over Huntingdon, while Siddharth, outpaced for most of the race, made a too-late rally to finish fourth.

Only two horses seemed to matter in what turned into a family feud between brothers-in-law at the 1200 meters Madras Race Club Cup, a contest for horses rated 20 to 45. Hilton Sequeira’s Star of Night was the clear favourite, with Donald Netto trained One N Only sliding into second-favourite territory as the odds drifted close to race time.

Star of Night, having previously thrived over a shorter sprint, found herself lacking the early speed this time and couldn’t secure a prominent position. Meanwhile, One N Only cruised comfortably into third under jockey Kuldeep Singh, with Normui setting the pace up front.

As they straightened out for the final stretch, One N Only hit the gas, leaving the competition in the dust. By the time Hindu Singh managed to shake up Star of Night, the race was already decided. One N Only sailed past the post, a full four lengths clear, while Star of Night finished second, also four lengths ahead of third-place High Heels. Early frontrunner Normui faded from the picture, finishing a distant sixth.

Hilton Sequeira’s Miss Maya needed every ounce of determination to fend off Midsummer Star in the 1200 meters Royal Calcutta Turf Club Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 60 to 85. Backed heavily to emerge as the favourite, Miss Maya lived up to expectations, edging out last-start winner Midsummer Star.

The race unfolded at a breakneck pace, with the frontrunners going full throttle, leaving many of the fancied horses gasping in their wake. Jockey Akshay Kumar, however, kept his cool on Miss Maya, positioning her perfectly by the final turn after being caught very wide to stay in the hunt. Meanwhile, Midsummer Star, ridden by Sai Kumar did not show that urgency, losing ground and swinging very wide just to stay relevant.

In the final furlong, Miss Maya, responding to Akshay Kumar’s urgings, beat of a host of horses racing in front and stormed home to snatch victory in the last 100 meters. Midsummer Star made a late power move, but by the time he got going, Miss Maya had the finish line well within reach, leaving Midsummer Star’s final effort a case of too little, too late. Baisa held on for third in a tight finish behind the leading pair.

Anant Vatsalya-trained Imperia came into the lower division of the 1200 meters Royal Calcutta Turf Club Cup riding a wave of three straight wins. Unfortunately, the higher class proved too much for her, and that winning streak hit a hard stop. The speedy Adbhut shot out of the gates and took charge, with The Thunder hot on his heels, while Imperia settled into third. Meanwhile, Maverick—who would eventually make a splash at the finish—was somewhere far back, probably enjoying the scenery.

Imperia struggled to get into gear, looking beaten well before the final furlong. Up front, The Thunder, with Alex Rozario in the saddle, easily zipped past Adbhut and opened up a commanding lead. Maverick, under Suraj Narredu, came charging late like a train trying to make up for lost time but missed by a neck. In a photo finish for the minor spots, Ragnarook managed to edge out Imperia, at least saving some place money for those brave enough to back him. The B Mukesh Kumar trainee The Thunder was at long odds.

Second favourite in the betting ring, Sugar from Hilton Sequeira's yard, sweetened the day for punters who were left bitter after the same trainer’s earlier runner had disappointed in the day’s opener. She claimed the 1800 meters Madras Race Club Cup, a race for horses rated 60 to 85, in gritty fashion. Taking command midway down the homestretch, Sugar held on gamely, fending off a late surge from long-shot Silver Act, who nearly stole the show but had to settle for second, just half a length behind.

Carnival Lady made a late charge to grab third, while the favourite White Pearl limped home in fourth, shining less brightly than expected. Early pace-setters Shah of Iran, Ashwa Gajaraj and Trishul faded when Sugar appeared on the wide outside, moving with purpose and poise. Jockey B R Kumar ensured she had enough in the tank to cross the line first, even as Barbet and Crown Witness—supposed contenders—decided to take a leisurely jog backwards as the real action heated up.

Leo D'Silva-trained Only My Way certainly had it his way in the 1600 meters Bangalore Turf Club Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. The betting buzz was around Sreekant-trained Wandering Warrior, who became the favourite in what seemed like a wide-open contest. Only My Way followed closely in demand, along with Voice of a Dream at 5-to-1. Only My Way was finding the winner mark after a long wait of 587 days.

Sucker Punch set the early pace, leading the field until Only My Way, ridden confidently by Vivek G, decided it was time to put on a show. Sailing clear at the top of the straight, Only My Way had the race wrapped up long before the rest even realized what hit them, crossing the finish line with an impressive eight-length margin.

Meanwhile, Voice of a Dream fought off a late surge from Wandering Warrior to grab second place, but the truth is, this was a one-sided affair from start to finish. Everyone else appeared to be running in a different race.

Two horses dominated the betting action in the 1100 meters Royal Western India Turf Club Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65: Minecraft and Gatiman. Both were backed aggressively, with Gatiman, initially at longer odds, closing the gap to share favour with the original favourite, Minecraft. With both hailing from stables known for pulling off big betting coups, the stakes were high.

Jockey Nikhil sent Gatiman straight to the front, taking charge from the get-go. But when they hit the straight, and jockey Akshay Kumar got serious on Minecraft, it became clear Gatiman was running on empty. Minecraft effortlessly shifted into another gear, pulling away to win by a comfortable margin of over three lengths. Under pressure, Gatiman veered out but couldn’t find more. Espionage who was a back-to-back race winner quietly plugged away to finish third, though by then, the real race was over.

The day's card promised to be tricky, and it certainly delivered, with unpredictable results culminating in a thrilling finish as long-shot Politics snatched victory by a whisker in the 1400 meters Delhi Race Club Cup, a race for horses rated up to 25 which was also the last race on the card. The drama unfolded as Blue Pantheress came storming in with a late charge, only to fall short by a head, while long-time leader Soorya Vahan faded just enough to be edged out into third.

Chark Ek Char, the favourite, stayed in touch with the front-running Soorya Vahan throughout, but when it came time to deliver the final blow, the gas tank was empty, and he dropped back to third. Politics, on the other hand, found a second wind, locking horns with Soorya Vahan in a tense battle for the lead, before inching ahead. The photo finish confirmed that the Robin Reddy Kondakalla trained Politics had prevailed by the proverbial whisker, with just a head and a nose separating the top three.