
The Mastermind Who Rewrote Indian Racing’s Script By Sharan Kumar One of India’s most accomplished and intellectually gifted racehorse trainers, Sadakshara Reuben Padmanabhan (71), passed away in Bengaluru on Sunday, (October 19 at 8 a.m.) after a valiant battle with illness. Fondly known as Paddy, he was a self-made man whose integrity, brilliance, and determination made him a towering figure in Indian racing. A relentless fighter on and off the turf, Padmanabhan’s legacy of excellence, courage, and principle will endure long after his final race. He rose from scratch to the very summit of Indian racing inspiring confidence of the racing fraternity. Padmanabhan belonged to an elite league — one of only three trainers in India to have saddled over 100 Classic winners, the others being the late Rashid Byramji and the late Aris David. His rise to greatness came relatively late, but once the floodgates opened, there was simply no stopping him. Even w...