Aris David, a legendary trainer in Indian racing history

The death of Aris David on Sunday (April 8) brings to an end a glorious inning that was marked by incredible feats. The unassuming David was the first trainer in the country to record a century of classics. The remarkable results that he obtained from his horses despite racing them practically in every center in a matter of days are something no present trainer would dare to attempt. 

In a career spanning about four decades, he won about 150 classics. Despite his glorious achievements he kept a low profile and carried his fame in a dignified way. He literally lived in the stables in a manner of speaking. .Turf baron Dr MA M Ramaswamy rated Aris David as the very best. 

He should know because their association was legendary. Here is what Dr Ramaswamy had said about his association in an interview with Turfite magazine. The partnership had by then notched up close to 100 classics and 1000 winners. `` I treat Aris like a brother and friend and not like a professional hence there is a perfect understanding between us, and I don’t think we have differed on matters of racing. He looks after my horses as though they were his personal property. He guides me in the purchase of horse flesh but never objects to any purchases. Heis very dedicated and when I see a frown on his forehead I know at once that something is wrong in the stable with one of the horses.`` 

 Unfortunately, racing is such a sport that even such a wonderful association can end abruptly.. ``It is Aris David who sacked me. I will not train with him again,’’ the big man had said after he broke up with the trainer the second time. By the time, Dr Ramaswamy entrusted horses to David, he had won three classics but when the Turf Baron completed 100 classics through Queen of the Hills in the Mysore 1000 Guineas on September 3, 1983, he had contributed 84 of them. Several of his horses won at different centers in a matter of days, the notable among them being Aristocrat who won the Deccan Derby on October 2 and four days later won the Mysore Derby in 1979. 

Aristocrat was an amazing traveler and he continued the streak of wins by winning the Golconda 2000 Guineas the same year, a week later the South India 2000 Guineas and within less than a month won the South India Derby, traveled to Kolkata, won the Calcutta St Leger on March 19 and then traveled back to win Bangalore St Leger on March 29 in record timing. Cupid was another who ran in four Derbys in a matter of a month in 1976, starting with the win in the Calcutta Derby (January 10) followed by the success in the South India Derby (January 15). Cupid next raced in Arc De Triomphe (now known as Bangalore winter Derby on January 26) where he finished third and then went to Mumbai for the Indian Derby (February1) placing fourth to Commanche. What David did with his horses is something modern-day trainers don’t even think is possible. David did this not with just one horse but practically with all his champions under his wing. After he parted with Dr Ramaswamy for the second time in 1990, he sparked for a brief while for his other owners before fading into oblivion. The last few years of his life were not exactly cheerful as the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease afflicted him. The present-day leading trainers Subbaiah Ganapathy and Kolkata’s champion trainer Vijay Singh worked as his assistants at different point of time. Aris hailed from a family of clergymen. He spent his early days at Calcutta and took to racing there. He became Mac Galstaun’s assistant in the early 1950’s. After completing his ‘apprenticeship’, he moved to Hyderabad with 30 horses as a private trainer to M.P. Davis. He led in his first winner in 1956. He trained Canny Scot who however won the Indian Derby under Baba Khan. Scone Stone (Pandu Khade astride) had created what looked like an invincible course record in 1958 over seven furlongs in Bangalore which stood for 50 years before Rhapsidion Snow broke the record in 2009. He parted with M.P. Davis towards the end of 1950’s and faced a hard grind till he began to train for MAM in 1967 which lasted till 1990. Every big foreign jockey who used to ride in India has ridden classics for him. W R Swinburn, Christy Roche, Terry McKeown, Johny Lowe, Willie Carson, Cope, Ray Still are the names that come readily to the mind. 

All the top jockeys of yesteryear like Jagdish, Karan Singh, Vasant Shinde, Pesi Shroff, Marshall brothers, Aslam Kader, and Robin Corner have won classics for him. Pesi Shroff rode Fond Hope to victory in Colts Trial Stakes in Bangalore. Ministrella won the Kingfisher Bangalore Derby under Robin Corner in the toughest of conditions with the track battered by continuous rains. The Derby was postponed and held on Wednesday in treacherous underfoot conditions. Terry McKeown rode The Prodigy to victory in the South India St Leger inn February 8, 1976. Terry’s son James is currently working as Assistant Trainer to S Padmanabhan. Aris David trained his first classic for Ramaswamy through Fair Court, ridden by Wally Swinburn on December 21, 1969 and the last classic through Oxford Blue which won the South India Derby in 1990 on January 14 under Robin Corner. 

The classics in 70’s and 80’s were dominated by Aris David along with Rashid Byramji. Own Opinion was his first Indian Turf Invitation Cup winner and Own Beauty his second and last. The success of Own Opinion was brilliantly planned by the team and executed on the race track by the three jockeys where the race tactics had the young Karl Umrigar on Royal Tern in a dilemma. Sinclair Marshall on Philanderer led the field to upset the rhythm of free-running Royal Tern. Red Chieftain took over the running at 1600 metres which had Umrigar in a dilemma whether to allow a free run for Red Chieftain or go in chase of him or wait for Own Opinion who was tracking him. He chose to go after Red Chieftain and was beaten close home by Own Opinion (Jagdish). The defeat of Royal Tern could be attributed to the pace of the race which tested his suspect stamina to the hilt. 

 The 100 classics that David achieved had their own aura, unmatched for their sheer brilliance. Incidentally, Own Opinion is the only Indian horse to have been invited to race in Japan Cup and despite running left-handed; the horse achieved the fastest timing of his career over a mile and half trip as a six-year-old. David trained several champions in his illustrious career, Own Opinion and Red Chieftain were easily the best among them. Fair Court, Star Haven, Half A Crown, Air Hostess, Republican, Cupid, The Prodigy, Red Stain, Response, Nicolette, Deep WaterBlues, Blue Ice, Star Asset, Birthday Girl, , Master Key, Maltese Prince, Queen of the Hills are among the champions that David trained. Red Chieftain won the Deccan Derby and Mysore Derby in the space of 13 days. Star Haven was one of those top horses which won all the five South India classics. Air Hostess had the unique distinction of dead-heating in two classics namely the Bangalore Fillies Stakes with Fire Haven and in South India Leger with Rock`s Son. Air Hostess had won the Bangalore Oaks despite a slipped saddle. She won the South India Oaks and four days later won the Bangalore Oaks. Birthday Girl was multiple classic winning horse of his. 

Queen of the Hills provided the 100th classic success for Dr Ramaswamy at Mysore by winning the Mysore 1000 Guineas. David came across as a friendly person who was willing to share his knowledge with any youngster. I remember him telling me in my early days when I wrote an article on him: ``Follow professionals who win on a consistent basis. Otherwise, you may have to back 10 losers to get a winner. ‘’ He firmly believed that talent alone did not guarantee success. ``An ounce of luck is a crucial ingredient for success,’’ he had said. He had a wry sense of humour. Former Chairman of Bangalore Turf Club P G Belliappa who used to be a newspaper columnist said that he had not seen a trainer who traveled his horses to different centers in a matter of days and achieved incredible success at a time when transport was nowhere comparable with the present day. The Aris David – Dr Ramaswamy combination was a legendary partnership in Indian racing. Trainer Padmanabhan said Aris David was a good human being who carried his fame lightly. Dr Ramaswamy said that he had lost a dear friend in the passing away of Aris David. ``He was an excellent trainer, very knowledgeable, and had a fantastic eye for horses. His judgment was impeccable. I am deeply saddened by his death. May God bless him.’’