B R Sharan Kumar

I never thought that I would become a full-time racing writer when I set out as a journalist in the year 1980. My passion for cricket was what drove me to become a sports journalist. If there are many converts like me in the field of horse racing, you can blame it on the enduring charm of the Derby. Most people come to the Derby because they hear so much about it. Many of them stay back and I was one of them.   The first time I attended any race day was the running of the 1984 Derby. Eddy Cracknell trained Lively Empery was one of the highest priced runners in the fray. The horse reportedly was for sale much before the Derby. Luckily for the trainer it remained unsold and the horse went on to win the Summer Derby as well as the Winter Derby in the hands of Alan Mercer. It won the Derby at odds of 100 to 1.   Legend has it that the current leading trainer Padmanabhan told one of his owners to buy the horse and that he would win the Derby with this horse. The owner was n...

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...

After several years of debate and resistance, the Gr 1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup has finally been thrown open to four year olds and over. The Invitation Cup race has always been one of the premier events of Indian racing calendar and enjoyed the pride of place though often it ended up as a repeat running of the Indian Derby. After 50 years, the Turf Authorities of India have finally decided to make it a weight for age without penalties race. We should not judge whether the decision is right or wrong by the running of this year’s ace alone. The race is sure to evolve over the next few years. The turf authorities also could try and promote this event in a bigger way by making the stake money even more attractive so there is temptation to keep the champions of previous year in racing. A top class performing filly is usual retired at the end of the Invitation Cup or campaigned abroad in the hope of greater glory. The other thing that the turf authorities of India could do is to allow...

Epsom Derby-winning jockey Joseph O’Brien comes across as a young lad with his priorities firmly in place. Joseph arrived in India in the wee hours of Thursday but he showed his commitment to the profession by turning up for morning track work and was astride several horses. Later in the day he gave a peach of a ride to Pesi Shroff trained Shahenshah which he lost by a neck. Despite this being his first ride in India and in a crowded field, he nursed his horse brilliantly from the wide outside draw. He was beautifully balanced and in the final furlong when Shahenshah seemed to have shot his bolt, he goaded the horse to produce that bit extra before the horse lost in the final strides of the race being ring rusty. Surely his presence enlivened an otherwise drab day’s races.   The interest in Joseph is not because he is the son of Ireland’s most powerful trainer Aidan O’Brien and he rides for one of the biggest owners in the world. The boyish-looking jockey is a draw not onl...

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...

English jockey Martin Dwyer left a lasting impression on Indian race goers during a fruitful season in India. He struck great partnership with wonder filly In The Spotlight who won the Gr 1 Indian Derby like no other horse had done in the last two decades. Dwyer comes across as a friendly person, who has a fine grasp of his trade, instinctive rapport with the horses he rides besides being an excellent team man. It is no surprise that trainer Padmanabhan has reposed faith in this talented jockey for well over a decade. From the time he came to India as a young jockey and rode Running Flame to Indian 1000 Guineas victory in 1998 at Mumbai to the Gr 1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup win on In The Spotlight in March, the association with Padmanabhan has been fruitful. Martin has won six Group I races for the trainer. Martin’s big race temperament and his skills help a horse to bloom to full potential. Martin is one of the top jockeys in England and has the distinction of winning the Epsom Derby...

The suspension of Pesi Shroff following his horse Eloise testing positive for boldenone last year and the subsequent happenings haven’t done the sport any good. The problem arose because the club was averse to check the feed supplement for contamination as requested by the professional and simply went by the rule book. The spirit behind the rule is to protect the integrity of the sport and not necessarily to punish the professionals. The term 'Vicarious responsibility' is being loosely used but this could turn out a double edged weapon because an extreme extension of this interpretation could make even the club liable for the supply of contaminated feed supplements. Narrow interpretation of rules and refusal to accept any contrary findings in good faith are the reasons why issues get complicated. Racing often gets relegated to the background because personal ego hassles outweigh racing considerations. The RWITC has in the past let off trainer H Daji after his horses tested posi...