Horse racing: Indian 1000 Guineas wears an open look

The Gr 1, Eat India Company Indian 1000 Guineas, which will be run today at the Mahalaxmi racetrack over the mile trip, is slated as the prime event of Sunday's eight-race card. Exactly 14 three-year-old fillies, three of them got-abroads, are in the fray. But most of them, after showing some early promise last season, later blotted their copybook in a race or two, and therefore, this first Classic of the Mumbai racing season 2015-16 wears a rather open look.

The names of the owners whose fillies will face the starter read like who's who of the racing world. Four of the 14 in the fray hail from trainer Pesi Shroff's yard, perhaps because the ace trainer himself is unable to pin his faith strongly in one of them. That should tell you a lot about how intriguing the race appears to not only the students of form, but also to the racing professionals.

Shroff's runners include Nifty carrying big bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwalla's colours, Myrtlewood sporting Mehernosh Deboo's silks, Solange with Vijay Shirke's colours and Angelic Aria donning Keki Mehta's silks.

Eternal Flame, trained by S Ganapathy, will represent the goldie brown silks of the late Dr MAM Ramaswamy who passed away recently, while Amazing Charm will don the Vijay Mallya colours. Shapoor Mistry has Victoria Harobur in the fray, Shyam Ruia's blue silks will be seen on Avant Garde, and trainer Malesh Narredu's only entry, Sweeping Star, will sport the Saldhanha silks.

I expect the main fight to take place between Eternal Flame and Myrtlewood, with Sweeping Star and Avant Garde running with an upset chance. If forced to make a bet, my money will ride on the Pesi Shroff-trained Myrtlewood whose last victory rated very highly on the class table of my Dynamic Ratings.

First race at 1.30 pm.