In a plot twist that could make even the most jaded punter choke on their tea, Prasanna Kumar’s Redefined decided to rip up the racing script and toss it in the trash during the Gr 1 HPSL Pune Derby on Sunday. Facing off against the heavily favoured Santissimo, fresh off his Bangalore Derby triumph and armed with nothing but a mock race as preparation, Redefined stepped up, blunting the favourite's effectiveness and defying expectations, leaving his rival looking utterly inadequate.

Now, let’s set the scene: Santissimo, despite the doubts lingering over his lack of a race run, was the talk of the town. Pesi Shroff, his trainer, took the same gamble last year with Jamari, only to have his hopes squashed in a rather déjà vu moment. This time, it was Redefined—the horse that was supposedly just there to keep Santissimo honest—who decided he’d be rewriting the headlines. Jockey Akshay Kumar piloted the dark horse to victory with a calm confidence and managed to ensure that the outward drift of the horse would not ensure that race being taken away for interference.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Derby without a bit of controversy. Trevor Patel, aboard the favorite, had a day to forget. Timing off? Patel’s passage was hampered as Redefined drifted and caused the favorite to lose momentum and shift ground. The objection came swiftly, with Patel claiming Akshay Kumar’s aggressive tactics—bumping, whip-wielding, and taking his ground—had cost him dearly. The stewards watched the race footage more times than one might care to count, and after all that, decided to stick with the professional stipes’ view: yes, there was interference, but apparently not enough to rain on Redefined’s parade.

In India, the rulebook on interference and objections might as well come with a footnote: Subject to interpretation, consistency not guaranteed. In India, decisions on race interference and objections can be unpredictable, often based on whether the interference made a significant difference to the race outcome. This Derby decision is likely to stir debate, but under the circumstances, the stewards didn’t find enough reason to change the result. It’s a Derby, after all—such an important race outcome isn’t altered unless the interference clearly and significantly affects the race’s outcome.

It's impossible to please everyone, but when stewards decide to strip a horse of a victory earned on the track, their decision needs to be crystal clear and beyond doubt. While the objection had some technical merit, the real question was whether the interference significantly impacted the outcome enough to warrant overturning the result. Did it truly make enough of a difference to justify taking the race away?

When the gates flew open for the 2000-meter race, Doctor Dolly took off like she had somewhere urgent to be, setting a sharp pace. She was followed by Pyrite, Treat, Inquilab, Redefined, and the favorite Santissimo, with Dash and Dancing Sar lagging at the back. As usual, Dash was sluggish out of the gates but soon made up ground to keep pace.

Trevor Patel, riding Santissimo, seemed to play the waiting game, possibly longer than necessary, as Akshay Kumar seized the moment. As they approached the final bend, Kumar got aggressive, urging Redefined to quicken. At this point, Santissimo was cruising effortlessly, looking every bit like he’d sweep past the front-runner with ease. But, as races often go, drama was brewing.

In Pune, where the home straight is shorter than a sugar rush, you don’t hang around when your horse is moving well. Trevor, perhaps feeling confident that he had plenty left in Santissimo, didn’t make an early move to pass Redefined, who was already under pressure. But just as Santissimo started to close the gap, Redefined veered outward despite Kumar’s attempts to correct him with the left-hand whip. Patel, also using his left-hand whip, found himself in a tight spot.

The shift in Redefined’s path blocked Santissimo’s route, forcing Patel to hesitate. In that split second, Redefined seized the advantage, building enough momentum to pull clear. Meanwhile, Santissimo lost his rhythm, and there was not much reocvery—something that likely weighed heavily on the stewards’ decision. Trevor’s hesitation had already cost him a few races over the weekend, and this cautious approach once again cost Santissimo a winning opportunity. In the end, Dash rallied to finish third.

One was not sure whether the distance blunted the sharpness of Santissimo or the interference was a decisive factor. Or the lack of a run on the tricky Pune race track. But the other factor that came to be discussed was the fact that the connections decided to put Trevor when Saqlain had ridden the horse to victory in the Bangalore Derby. As they say, never disturb the winning combination.

Opinions may have been split at the end of the day, but the fact remains: Redefined has carved his name into Pune Derby history, and that’s what really counts. Full marks go to trainer Prasanna Kumar from Bangalore, who’s been on a roll, clocking in nine major wins with an impressive strike rate. Interestingly, Redefined is backed by a roster of predominantly Mumbai-based owners, including the Club Chairman Surender Sanas, Chairman of Stewards Ram Shroff, D R Thacker, Ashok Ranpise, as well as Kamesh and the trainer himself, Prasanna Kumar.