The ‘Set Alight Show’ may not, actually, be a one-horse race after all. There is one colt in the fray, who might have saved all his energies for the big day – Autonomy, and he doesn’t really fit into the ‘outsider’ mould. The more you think about his chances, the more you are inclined to believe that his chance of dashing the wonder filly’s super run of successes are far better than the rest.
 
Autonomy’s foremost claim will remain the fact that he is the only one to have headed the filly at the winning post (2008). No doubt, the filly went on to win everything that interested her in Bangalore and Pune before returning to stamp her authority on her home turf in her second stint. However, if you look at Autonomy’s performances after that fateful race, you would tend to agree that the colt has done little wrong, and is forced to play second fiddle only due to the sheer brilliance of Set Alight’s conquests.
 
Assessing his chances then, would be an interesting proposition. A striking co-incidence is that both Autonomy and Set Alight share their birthday 22nd April 2005. Both were born at the Usha Stud Farms. Razeen sired both of them. Both were impressive winners on debut. While Set Alight boasts of bigger conquests like the Kingfisher Bangalore Derby, Autonomy impressed with a brilliant victory in the PBMM of 2008 popularly termed the Juvenile Derby. Set Alight recently bettered the course record for 2000 m in the Ruia Gold Cup. Exactly eleven days earlier, Autonomy too erased the record for 1600m in the Indian 2000 Guineas.
 
 That is enough evidence that both horses are in peak form and in the pink of condition. While Set Alight has easily passed her rivals to win, Autonomy has never let a rival pass him particularly in the final furlong. One race that contradicts this statement is the one Autonomy lost in Pune in the SA Poonawalla Million by the hair of his nostril to Flaming Ace. Autonomy then, was running after a lay off and did look a touch off colour as well. Set Alight, won in an amble but had nothing in the field of great repute.
 
Back in Mumbai, they have both come a full circle. Set alight has shown sheer brilliance and has earned a huge reputation already being compared to the all time greats. Maybe, just maybe, we are simply overawed by the sheer audacity with which Set Alight has repeatedly dispatched her rivals time after time on the ten occasions that she has raced so far. If you discount Autonomy’s second run in Mumbai last (Nitco Million) and the Pune effort which was too narrow a loss to worry about, Autonomy currently looks a formidable and worthy challenger. His latest gallop in the morning trials has been tremendous and he surely is in great heart and probably in the best of condition that he has ever been. Autonomy is surely peaking at the most appropriate time.
 
The fifteen-horse field of the McDowell Signature Indian Derby 2009 is well filled in quantity and quality. Abs Fabs, Dancing Dynamite, Riyasat, Icebreaker, Nora, Juventus and Antonios are a formidable line up. Anyone could produce a blinder on his/her day. Nevertheless, this would be more of a hope than reality. Set Alight will surely lose no sleep worrying about them. However, can she take Autonomy lightly as well?