Santissimo made a spectacular finish over the line, clinching victory in The HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas held on 22nd December 2024. Trained by Pesi Shroff and piloted by the English Champion jockey Oisin Murphy, the bay colt ran effortlessly till the end of the race making it a one-man show.
The race began with chestnut colt Shambala ridden by Trevor Patel, taking the lead and setting the pace for the other runners. Oisin Murphy had Santissimo in the second position till the home stretch followed by African Gold, Psychic Star, Golden Thunder, and Mighty Sparrow. The champion jockey, advancing with his strategies, trailed behind the frontrunner Shambala on the colt sired by Gusto out of Beldon Hillalmost almost by six lengths. However, by the time the competitors approached the 400m mark, Santissimo kicked into high gear and swiftly charged across the finish line by 3 lengths.
Owned by Mr. Gautam Lala rep. Gainsville Stud & Agl. Farm Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Kishore P. Rungta, Mr. Joydeep Datta Gupta, Mr. Saleem Fazelbhoy & Mr. Achuthan Siddharth, the bay colt has sparked a sense of anticipation for all the spectators by claiming victory in the first leg of the Indian Triple Crown.
Looking forward to the next prestigious race of the Indian classic series, The Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Gr.1) will take place on 14th January 2025.
Santissimo’s outstanding run has left the patrons wondering whether this high-powered performance will be seen in the second leg of the Indian Triple Crown, The HPSL Indian Derby, set to be held on 2nd February 2024, and whether it will progress towards the final showdown, the Indian St. Leger.
