India, Jan. 9 -- Sunday is Ladies Day at Mahalaxmi, with three group races, including The Indian Oaks, popularly known as the Ladies Derby. The Rs.75 lakh purse for the Oaks, is a smart rise from circa Rs.50 lakhs, the last few years, a fall out of the Club having enhanced the guaranteed money for the classics. 8 runners, with half the field under the care of Pesi Shroff, who has won this the last five years, and will be bidding for an eighth Oaks, holds the aces or "queens" this year as well. The surprising omission is that of Kavya, the 1,000 Guineas heroine. Fynbos, a controversial runner up in the 1,000 which got her jockey Trevor Patel, a four day suspension (watered down to two days by the BOA ) will be the clear favourite. The inexperienced Namiri, ran above her form when a gallant third in the 2,000 in stronger company and faster time is a serious threat. The danger to Pesi's duo is the outstation Ravishing Beauty, the 1,000 winner at Mysore and who did an excellent mock in her prep. The side feature is the R R Ruia, the traditional Derby lead up, with a strong seven horse field, including the impressive 2,000 winner Baychimo and the failed favourite in that race, Zacharias, waiting to make amends over a more suitable trip. The outsider of the pack is Gunsmoke in whose colours Enabler did the Ruia-Derby double, who though short of a run, impressed in a mock race and should stay well. If Trevor's four day suspension by the Stewards had the racing fraternity divided, close on the heels was the 12 days given to leading jockey Sandesh for his "unsatisfactory" riding on Bezalel. Considering he will miss out most of the remainder of the season , the grapevine has it he will surprisingly not be appealing, ostensibly not wanting to risk a higher punishment by the BOA, as a suspended sentence of six months is hanging fire and would have to be enforced if the BOA would consider the ride to be not on merit rather than just "unsatisfactory." Surely the Stewards mean business this season. A zoom call was initiated by the National Horse Breeding Society, to apprise the racing community on the burning issue of glanders which has ground racing to a halt in the South. With an attendance of 150 plus, the situation presented is surely alarming with no possibility of the resumption of racing at the affected centres. It was decided to have strict SOPs at the race courses and breeding establishments and a Working Group was to be set up . A major fall out is the indefinite postponement of the Invitation Cup scheduled at Mysore in early March....