Incredible feats on race track
I had written sometime back that sport is being about courageous. Nowadays with so much at stake, jockeys rarely take chances and at the slightest pretext, want to withdraw. We have seen several race days being cancelled if there is some amount of rain as jockeys protest citing dangerous underfoot conditions. But there have been instances when jockeys have shown exemplary courage in the face of adversity and such deeds need to be remembered for posterity.
The other day I was playing the videos of Kolkata races held on February 16 and was fascinated by the splendid effort by apprentice jockey Shezad Khan who fortuitously stayed in the saddle despite his horse brushing the rails and the jockey almost rolling out of the horse. The jockey miraculously jumped back on to the saddle and managed to ride out the horse. Nine out of 10 times the jockey would have landed on the ground with a thud as the horse ducked by the impact on the rails and the jockey’s both legs came out of the horse and he was fractions away from hitting the ground on the right side of the horse. The fact that the jockey managed to climb back itself was a miracle. That he did it on a moving horse without losing his balance or equanimity was an act worthy of a seasoned circus artist. Ashridge, the Bharath Singh trainee was cruising home in the 2000 metres Wansfell Handicap but inside the final 150 metres, the horse brushed the rails as the jockey used the whip aggressively without retaining his balance and the horse brushed the rails, causing him to be almost thrown off. His acrobatics brought him back on the horse. The pity is that his heroics did not win him the race as the horse could only finish third.
The present day race goers may not remember the feats of jockey Vasanth Shinde, the complete saddle artist. In fact he was god’s gift to the saddle. There has not been a jockey like him before or after. He was simply amazing. There was not a false note in the way he rode horses. He seat, his finesse, his understanding of a horse is something the present day jockeys lack. The first running of the Kingfisher Derby in 1988 was an eventful one. In a three horse photo finish, Treasure Girl nosed out Nine Carat and Lucky Shrike to win the Derby in the hands of Aslam Kader. Nine Carat stumbled badly at the start, came down on his knees but the jockey miraculously stayed in the saddle, gained composure and then drove out the filly who just about lost by a whisker. It was an amazing performance by the jockey and the horse.
Shinde's victory on Tiberio in Mumbai way back in the 70's is still talked in awe by old-timers. During the 1800 metres race, the saddle slipped but undeterred, Shinde rode his mount to victory with great ingenuity and guts, holding the saddle in one hand and reins in the other. Shinde then was as some said, God’s own jockey and incredible feats in the saddle came naturally to him.
Jockey Karl Umrigar who unfortunately died very early in his career, was said to be amazingly talented who could defy the odds by his incredible feats in the saddle. He won with a slipped saddle on Pink Passion over 2000 metres trip. Kheem Singh who was the first Indian jockey to win the Indian Derby won a race at Pune with the saddle slipped at the start with his legs dangling out. The horse was expected to be ridden in restraint but he hit the front and the jockey hung on and managed to win the race which had racing veterans singing his praises. Wally Swinburn who won on Invitation Cup on Columbia very nearly came down at around the 600 metres marker due to a bad bump that he received but the jockey rode with amazing composure, allowed the horse to recover from the shock and managed to win. Jockey Still who rode Air Hostess was another who hung on to the neck of the horse and won the Bangalore Oaks.
India’s all-time favourite Elusive Pimpernel was such a game horse that despite being thrown off the saddle and pulled out violently inside the final 100 metres to get a clear run, flew home to win the Chief Justice Cup against some stalwarts is still fresh in one’s memory. The performance of Sir Bruce in the Pune Derby is permanently etched in one’s memory. Sir Bruce literally came down at the final bend and lost huge ground to eventual winner Amorous Knight but the brave horse came with such a stunning run only to miss the berth narrowly. Sir Bruce went on to avenge the defeat in the Indian Derby and was also a successful stallion.
Similarly the never say die spirit of jockey S R Bhagwat ensured the victory of Grand Entry in a 2000 metres term race The horse was practically out of the running at the final bend but the horse came up with amazing acceleration to win. Jockey S John also deserves commendation for his persistence on Scarface in a six furlong trip at Mumbai where almost everyone was reconciled to the defeat of the favourite as he was not sighted at the final bend. John persisted and the horse responded and won fluently in the end. This was a case where the jockey and horse were the heroes.
Long back a leading jockey who is now a successful trainer had tipped his horse as a certainty. He had said that if even he were to have a fall in the race, he could still get back on the horse and win! Funnily, the jockey was left in the gates as the horse took off! As such, he could not perform one of those incredible feats that I have narrated in the story!
The other day I was playing the videos of Kolkata races held on February 16 and was fascinated by the splendid effort by apprentice jockey Shezad Khan who fortuitously stayed in the saddle despite his horse brushing the rails and the jockey almost rolling out of the horse. The jockey miraculously jumped back on to the saddle and managed to ride out the horse. Nine out of 10 times the jockey would have landed on the ground with a thud as the horse ducked by the impact on the rails and the jockey’s both legs came out of the horse and he was fractions away from hitting the ground on the right side of the horse. The fact that the jockey managed to climb back itself was a miracle. That he did it on a moving horse without losing his balance or equanimity was an act worthy of a seasoned circus artist. Ashridge, the Bharath Singh trainee was cruising home in the 2000 metres Wansfell Handicap but inside the final 150 metres, the horse brushed the rails as the jockey used the whip aggressively without retaining his balance and the horse brushed the rails, causing him to be almost thrown off. His acrobatics brought him back on the horse. The pity is that his heroics did not win him the race as the horse could only finish third.
The present day race goers may not remember the feats of jockey Vasanth Shinde, the complete saddle artist. In fact he was god’s gift to the saddle. There has not been a jockey like him before or after. He was simply amazing. There was not a false note in the way he rode horses. He seat, his finesse, his understanding of a horse is something the present day jockeys lack. The first running of the Kingfisher Derby in 1988 was an eventful one. In a three horse photo finish, Treasure Girl nosed out Nine Carat and Lucky Shrike to win the Derby in the hands of Aslam Kader. Nine Carat stumbled badly at the start, came down on his knees but the jockey miraculously stayed in the saddle, gained composure and then drove out the filly who just about lost by a whisker. It was an amazing performance by the jockey and the horse.
Shinde's victory on Tiberio in Mumbai way back in the 70's is still talked in awe by old-timers. During the 1800 metres race, the saddle slipped but undeterred, Shinde rode his mount to victory with great ingenuity and guts, holding the saddle in one hand and reins in the other. Shinde then was as some said, God’s own jockey and incredible feats in the saddle came naturally to him.
Jockey Karl Umrigar who unfortunately died very early in his career, was said to be amazingly talented who could defy the odds by his incredible feats in the saddle. He won with a slipped saddle on Pink Passion over 2000 metres trip. Kheem Singh who was the first Indian jockey to win the Indian Derby won a race at Pune with the saddle slipped at the start with his legs dangling out. The horse was expected to be ridden in restraint but he hit the front and the jockey hung on and managed to win the race which had racing veterans singing his praises. Wally Swinburn who won on Invitation Cup on Columbia very nearly came down at around the 600 metres marker due to a bad bump that he received but the jockey rode with amazing composure, allowed the horse to recover from the shock and managed to win. Jockey Still who rode Air Hostess was another who hung on to the neck of the horse and won the Bangalore Oaks.
India’s all-time favourite Elusive Pimpernel was such a game horse that despite being thrown off the saddle and pulled out violently inside the final 100 metres to get a clear run, flew home to win the Chief Justice Cup against some stalwarts is still fresh in one’s memory. The performance of Sir Bruce in the Pune Derby is permanently etched in one’s memory. Sir Bruce literally came down at the final bend and lost huge ground to eventual winner Amorous Knight but the brave horse came with such a stunning run only to miss the berth narrowly. Sir Bruce went on to avenge the defeat in the Indian Derby and was also a successful stallion.
Similarly the never say die spirit of jockey S R Bhagwat ensured the victory of Grand Entry in a 2000 metres term race The horse was practically out of the running at the final bend but the horse came up with amazing acceleration to win. Jockey S John also deserves commendation for his persistence on Scarface in a six furlong trip at Mumbai where almost everyone was reconciled to the defeat of the favourite as he was not sighted at the final bend. John persisted and the horse responded and won fluently in the end. This was a case where the jockey and horse were the heroes.
Long back a leading jockey who is now a successful trainer had tipped his horse as a certainty. He had said that if even he were to have a fall in the race, he could still get back on the horse and win! Funnily, the jockey was left in the gates as the horse took off! As such, he could not perform one of those incredible feats that I have narrated in the story!
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