Mallya's derby encounter

It was the delightful day of the Derby at the racecourse on Sunday ��� the prestigious McDowell Signature Indian Derby 2009, dubbed as the playground of the bold and beautiful.
Holding forth on the race, Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman, The UB Group, spoke about how McDowells has been associated with the Indian Derby for over two decades now and this racing fixture has come to be regarded as a marquee event in the Indian racing calendar.Ashok Capoor, Vice President, USL and Debashish Shyam, Business Head , USL played gracious hosts to this haute couture weekend with India���s finest horse racing.
This year, it was also time for Saddle Up, the Signature cocktail named after Dr Vijay Mallya���s legendary horse. People were seen sipping and savouring this Signature drink and also chilling out in the confines of an air-conditioned tent. Of course, the action was outside, with horses parading around the paddock and then racing around the bend and onto the finish line. The majority of the punters may have been upset that Antonios snatched victory from the favourite Set Alight but they were set alight alright what with the entertainment in store for them ��� from a stunning performance by the International Ariel ballet duo, a salsa show by Kaytee Nimghal and terrific tribute performances to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Sir Cliff Richard with look-alike artistes.
Pre-race, Vivek Jain, Chairman of the Stewards, Royal Western India Turf Club was ecstatic that this was a record-breaking Indian Derby ��� the first time ever the winner of a race would take away Rs 1.75 crore as prize money! Adding to the glam quotient was the pretty presence of Sophie Choudry and former Miss Indias Simran Kaur Mundi and Sarah Jane Dias, all showing off those race-inspired dresses. The specially-designed 9,000 sq ft air-conditioned hangar for the comfort of the members, with a flea market, tarot readers, sale of Derby hats, face sketching and several other attractions, was a big hit.
Dr Vijay Mallya saw the horses off before the big race, while his wife Rekha Mallya gave away the Derby trophy. Also present were the Mallya children ��� Laila and Siddharth. Enjoying the day of the Derby, that attracted over 25,000 people, were derby regulars Zavaray Poonawala with daughters Delna and Simone, Dr Cyrus Poonawala and Adar Poonawala, Mohit Burman, Dallas Toddywala, Riyadh Oomerbhoy, Randhir Kapoor, Esther and Raju Daswani, Rashmi Nigam, Devita Saraf, Shaan Khanna, Akbar Khan, Mohit Lalvani and Gary Lawyer. It truly was an afternoon of bold fashion and a lot more excitement.