Thanks to the publicity blitz in the days leading up to the race, a much larger crowd than that seen in 1998 thronged the enclosure. It also helped that the entrance charge for the guests in the members' enclosure was reduced significantly to Rs 220 from Rs 440 the previous year.

As expected, the Bangalore-based Running Flame was the warm favourite with the crowd. The heroine of the Kingfisher Indian Oaks just two weeks ago, she was sent out at even money, in accordance with her recent consistent performances. On inspection, the Padmanabhan-trained filly looked well in the paddock, gaining her many more admirers.

Next in demand at 5 to 2 was the Kunigal stud-bred Saddle Up, racing in the popular ``White, Black V, Red Cap'' colours of the liquor baron Vijay Mallya. His retainedrider, Pesi Shroff, went into the race as already the most successful pilot in the annals of the Indian Derby, with six previous visits to the winners enclosure on his resume.

Not much interest was evinced by the betting public in the remaining participants. One of the three Deepak Khaitan-owned runners, Masked Bandit, ran off like the proverbial scalded cat. The more fancied runners were steadied by their jockeys, conserving their resources for the final run. In particular, Saddle Up and Running Flame were content to occupy two of the last three spots.

It was plain that Masked Bandit could not sustain the suicidal pace and he flagged while rounding the turn. At this point, the riders of Saddle Up and Running Flame alerted their charge, signalling to them through hands and heels that the decisive moment was approaching.

The Mallya-owned second string, Supervite, on the inside, showed out for a moment at the top of the straight as excitement built to a crescendo. She was soon joined by Saddle Up,enjoying a trouble-free passage on the outside, and the Running Flame even further out, as the trio raced abreast for a few strides. The hoped-for burst from the favourites failed to materialise, and it was Saddle Up that stretched out courageously to put the issue beyond dispute in a matter of strides.

Going under the wire, trainer Imtiaz Sait's ward was over three clear lengths ahead of Supervite, while Running Flame -- who looked certain to be second weakened and had to be content with the minor placing. It was a long way back to fourth-placed Priceless Asset, with the remainder out of sight.Those who trusted their `final entries' to recover the nearly Rs 3 lakh put up by each of them merely to run, were hugely disappointed by the result. None of this trio showed out at any stage and the best finish position achieved by any was the fifth place gained by All For Fun. Alas, this did not recover even a single rupee for his connections.

The first Karnataka-bred to score in a quarter of a century, SaddleUp, gave Mallya his fourth Indian Derby win, while Sait had previously sent out Exhilaration, coincidentally also steered by Pesi Shroff. Saddle Up, who joins Rough Deal, Fair Wood and Topmost as successful Kunigal-breds in this race, has taken his record to six wins from eight starts. He now has his sights set on the Wills Indian Turf Invitation Cup on this same track, and over the identical strip, in four weeks' time.