D’Artagnan rose to the biggest challenge of his young career with an accomplished victory in the ₹5 crore Zavaray S. Poonawalla Bangalore Summer Derby at the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) on Sunday, giving trainer P. Shroff and jockey Yash Narredu a prestigious Classic success on the most important afternoon of the summer meeting.
The dark bay colt defeated seven rivals over 2,000 metres to claim the season’s defining Classic and the winner’s purse of ₹2.97 crore.The strongly fancied Margaretta, D’Artagnan’s stablemate, took second under Vivek G. while Knotty Emperor finished third for trainer Prasanna Kumar and jockey Suraj Narredu.
The Zavaray S. Poonawalla Bangalore Summer Derby 2026 carried total prize money of Rs.5,00,00,000, making it one of the richest and most sought-after races on the Indian racing calendar. With six fillies and only two colts in the eight-horse field, much of the pre-race attention had centred on the clash between D’Artagnan and Margaretta, winners of Bangalore’s principal three-year-old championship races earlier in the season.
D’Artagnan, however, left no doubt over which of the pair would wear the Derby sash.
Yash Narredu allowed the colt to find his rhythm through the early stages rather than forcing the issue in a race where stamina was always going to prove decisive. D’Artagnan travelled comfortably before being brought into contention approaching the business end of the contest.
Once asked to quicken in the straight, the P. Shroff-trained runner responded with the authority expected of a genuine Classic performer. He moved past the opposition and maintained his advantage to the finish, completing the transition from championship winner to Derby hero.
The victory also confirmed D’Artagnan’s superiority over Knotty Emperor, whom he had defeated in the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Colts’ Championship Stakes over 1,600 metres on June 21. Stepping up by another 400 metres in the Derby, the son of Deauville and Exception showed that his speed could be carried over the longer and more demanding journey.
Margaretta again emerged as D’Artagnan’s closest pursuer. Ridden by Vivek G., the P. Shroff trainee produced a determined effort and stayed on strongly to secure second place, earning ₹99 lakh for his connections.
Knotty Emperor entered the contest as the public choice after establishing herself among the leading fillies of her generation. The Prasanna Kumar-trained filly was sent off at short odds but could not produce the finishing power that had carried her to earlier success. She nevertheless completed a significant afternoon for the stable by finishing third and collecting ₹49.50 lakh.
For Yash Narredu, the victory represented one of the most important additions to his riding record. Composed through the opening stages and decisive when the race began to unfold, he delivered D’Artagnan’s challenge without asking the colt to expend unnecessary energy before the final run.
It was another major triumph for P. Shroff, whose handling of the three-year-old division has been a defining feature of the Bangalore summer season. Shroff saddled two of the first three finishers, but it was D’Artagnan who supplied the emphatic answer to the question that had dominated the build-up to the Derby.
D’Artagnan races for Horse Haven Breeding and Racing Private Limited, represented by Mr. and Mrs. Vijay B. Shirke and Mr. Jay V. Shirke; Hyperion Bloodstock Private Limited, represented by Mr. and Mrs. Farouq K. Rattonsey, Mr. Sameer F. Rattonsey and Mr. Zaheer F. Rattonsey; and Mr. Mehernosh H. Deboo and Mrs. Liane.
Bred at Usha Stud, the Deauville colt has now secured two Grade I races during the Bangalore campaign and strengthened his claim to being among the leading members of the Indian three-year-old generation.
On a day carrying the weight, tradition and expectation of Bangalore’s premier summer Classic, D’Artagnan delivered the performance that mattered. He arrived at the Derby as a proven championship winner and left the Bangalore Turf Club as its newest Derby champion.
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