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Leading UK jockey Richard Hughes rarely misses on his regular visits to India but he got it wrong on Sunday when Oaks winner Moonlight Romance followed up with a win over the colts in the Indian Derby at Mahalakshmii in Mumbai.
Hughes was aiming for a seventh successive Indian classic win as his last six rides in Indian classics had won including the Oaks on Moonlight Romance.
He also partnered the daughter of China Visit when she won the Derby Bangalore last July but discarded her in favour of her stablemate, the 2000 Guineas winner Ocean And Beyond, who was sent off favourite in the Derby.
However the colt was beaten a length and a quarter into second behind Moonlight Romance in the IR21 million ($A500,000) event.
First and second are owned by Rakesh Wadhwan and trained by Cooji Katrak.
Wadhwan, owner of a major construction and real estate company, has invested heavily in bloodstock over the last five years and is perhaps the biggest owner in India.
This year as he has won three of the four Indian classics with Moonlight Romance and Ocean And Beyond.
Moonlight Romance becomes the tenth filly to notch the classic Oaks-Derby double.
Cooji Katrak started training in 1979 and has twice been the champion trainer at Mumbai and has now won 10 Indian classics with bthis his first Derby victory.
The 2006 Indian Derby winner Velvet Rope was in his yard but was saddled in the big race by Vinayak because Katrak was suspended.
Hughes wasn't the only visiting jockey to miss out as Jamie Spencer was unable to obtain a visa in time to take the ride on Moonlight Romance with David Allan picking up the lucrative ride in India's premier classic.
Allan, who has been based with Tim Easterby in Britain, had his previous biggest success in the St Leger Yearling Sales Stakes on Midnight Martini in August 2009.
Deccan Derby winner Xisco, ridden by French star Stephane Pasquier, was third in the Derby with other visiting riders Paul Mulrennan, Chris Hayes, Silvestre de Sousa and Niall McCullagh unplaced.
Hughes, who won the Indian Derby last year on another filly Jacqueline, enjoyed success on the Mumbai card in a minor race. Pasquier and McCullagh also rode winners.
* IN MALAYSIA Australian jockey Noel Callow, after narrowly missing out to Azhar Ismail in their close battle for the jockey's title last year, began 2011 with a bang when he scored on his first two rides of the new season at Sungei Besi in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Fresh from taking a break back in Australia, Callow is determined to win the title this year after missing a big portion of last season.
Jackson Low rode a treble on Sunday to share weekend honours over the two meetings with KT Cheng.