Golden sweep of Hazara Stud Farm continues

Any stud farm which has begun its breeding operations on a massive scale cannot ask for better results than the one obtained by Haryana-based Hazara Stud Farm whose produce has virtually swept every big race in the country in an unprecedented golden run since last year. 

. Owned by racing enthusiast Nirmal Singh, the stud farm named after his late father Hazara Singh, has set Indian racing on fire. The stud farm has produced in the last year the winners of Bangalore Derby, Indian Derby, Golconda Derby, Calcutta Derby, and the winner of India’s juvenile race, the Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million in Muroi. With Toroloco standing tall amongst the contenders of this Sunday’s Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Hazara Stud Farm’s resident stallion Rebuttal could add another feather to his distinguished cap. 

Last year’s Kolkata sensation Dandified is also making a bid for the coveted cup. Originally operating as a small set up at Ambala, Nirmal Singh expanded the scale of operations by setting up the yearling station at Belgad which on three sides is surrounded by forests and one side by the Yamuna River. The land is fertile and the environment is conducive for breeding top-class horses. Space is not a constraint as each of the paddocks is more than about 20 acres which enables the weanlings and yearlings enough space to run about and grow as robust specimens. The stud farm also has committed staff and they also break in the yearlings and by the time they enter the race track, they require very little time to get race fit. Since the preliminary training has already been imparted, the yearlings from this stud farm are not raw like most purchases from other stud farms. The excellent environment under which the horses grow into stronger specimens from weanlings is also the single most important factor that has helped the stud farm to make a big splash on the Indian racing scene. 

 High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true goes a saying. Nirmal Singh was quick to spot opportunities as he bought in a big manner pregnant mares from Goff’s and also from Keeneland, Tattersall and Arquana sales to upgrade the breeding stock. This helped the horses bred at the stud farm to make a big splash in a short span of time. 

Though every stud farm in India buys pregnant mares abroad every year, one can safely say that Nirmal Singh has been pretty lucky in this regard. While Red Baron, Tintinnabulation, Machiavellianism, Murioi et al are products of such purchases, his resident stallion Rebuttal (Mr Greeley) has proved to be an outstanding sire, belying expectations of his progeny being not capable of tackling trips beyond a mile. Dandified, Toroloco and Super Storm today stand testimony to the value of their sire Rebuttal. Super Storm won the Indian Derby over 12 furlongs while last year’s Bangalore Derby winner Toroloco has proved to be an outstanding stayer. 

In short, the stud farm has been able to produce solid performers who are capable of taking the hard grind of continuous racing over varying trips. The stud farm has another ace up its sleeve in its new stallion Dancing Forever (Rahy) whose first crop will be beginning its racing career sometime in November later this year. ``I have high hopes on the produce of Dancing Forever and it is my belief that they are even better than that of Rebuttal,’’ says Nirmal Singh with an air of confidence. 

``I am planning to import one more stallion to further strengthen my breeding operation,’’ he added. Given the infrastructure that the stud farm has with over 400 acres of fertile land, Hazara Stud Farm has no problem with the space even if the crop size were to double in the coming years. 

 The Hazara Stud Farm's success is built on a sound foundation. The stud farm has enjoyed classic success with got abroad horses and also home-bred horses which is what makes the future of the stud farm safe. Importantly for the stud farm, there has been a tremendous pedigree upgrade in the form of the previous progeny of the mares picking up big races after they have been sold to the stud farm.

 Sun Shower was the dam of Europe’s second-best horse of last year Excelebration in the year of the great Frankel and the mare was bought back for a big price by Ireland’s biggest stud farm Coolmore.

 Goffs has been a happy hunting ground for Nirmal Singh where mares picked up at modest prices have turned out to be money-spinners after coming to India. 

 The Hazara Stud Farm has made a big splash on the Indian racing within a short span of it expanding its scale of operations. The stud farm has also had the unique record of the first four finishers of the Indian 2000 Guineas being its products. Success is the consequence of applying basic fundamentals and given the strong fundamentals that guide the running of the farm, Hazara Stud Farm should be a stud farm to reckon with for years to come. Achievement comes when pursuing a goal with dedication and commitment. Nirmal Singh can be proud of the fact that his hard work and vision have paid off.