Apprentice Jockeys Run the Race
By Parjanya

Sep 12, 2007

"No matter what, whether the day is for the five kilos allowances, we are here to just cheer around. No gambling today, we would just follow them for future." That was a remark coming from the benchers sitting around the paddock before the first race of Delhi on Tuesday.

The races turned out to be successful with new nine licensee and four jockeys still under the contract of the Delhi Race Club showed out their brilliance as the regular reinmen were off the scene protesting against the denial of licence to two colleagues--Veer Bahadur and Mandeep Maan--by the Royal Wetsern India Turf Club Ltd. The RWITC feels that the strike was uncalled for, and they didn't deliver any injustice to any of the jockeys.

The jockeys, who went on strike on Monday and Tuesday keeping away from the morning warm-up session, had even refused to accept the mounts to be ridden in the races. But the club had geared its lion by making special arrangements to make the races go on without interruption. And apprentice jockeys kept the strength of the club intact by showing their 'Never say die' attitude.

Apprentice Rajinder Saini stole the show pocketing three remarkable events including a nail-biting, dead-heat victory on Image To Remember over the seven furlong's Nandan Plate, which was earmarked for the class two horses. He went ahead also to gain popularity by driving home a clever victory through Lopara over 1,600 m. Earlier, he had shown a great zest en route to earn his corn bill sitting in the saddle of Majestic Moment. Interestingly, the colt broke out slowly, but the way Saini handled it, the connection had more trust on him.

Meanwhile, during the races, the jockeys heaved a sigh of relief, when their plea was entertained by the supreme club, who asked jockey Bahadur and Mandeep to appear before the stewards in connection of their licenses at Pune on Saturday. There will be a full-fledged Stewards meeting on that day. Eventually, the club saw the life coming back to normalcy in the morning of Wednesday, when the jockeys appeared for the practice.