Metro Today, February 8, 1999

Gym Jam
Bubbly, circa 2000 AD
The Wedding and After
The Swing Thing
High-fly in Bangalore
Look, Don't Touch

The Accent of Fame
London Buzz
Net Gainer

Go Delhi
Go Bangalore
Go Chennai
Go Metro

METROSCAPE
The Big Race
Mallya having a ball

Derby day in Mumbai is pretty much the McDowell Indian Derby, the annual bash that is UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya's personal statement for life, the universe and everything else. The richest stakes -- Rs 50 lakh -- combine with the flashiest parties. This year, last weekend, Mallya outdid himself. He invited 3,000 people for the pre-derby night gala, and 4,500 showed up. So many, that the booze ran out. "They stopped us from advertising," Mallya crowed. "But they can't stop us from having a good time."

The day after, the don scored big too, his horse Saddle Up, which he co-owns with Ross Deas, winning the biggest race. It hardly seemed to matter that much of Mumbai's glitz stayed away, drawn by Gautam Singhania's wedding reception. But it must have hurt when Cyrus Poonawalla, chairman of the Royal Western Turf Club, announced the Pune Derby would top the prize money stakes with Rs 60 lakh.

-- Robin Abreu