In
England, there is the two-day Oaks-Derby Festival at Epsom Downs in
early June. The five-day Royal Ascot meeting that follows is the high
point in the British social and racing calendar. The Arc weekend in
Paris in early October provides the climax for the French flat racing
season. The Dubai Racing Carnival culminates in the glittering
multi-million dollar Dubai World Cup purse give-away program. In
America, the Breeders' Cup weekend is the definitive point for horses in
different categories and over different distances. India's Turf
Invitation Cup, now in its 44th year, holds the pride of place in the
Indian racing framework.
Conceived as the race to determine the champion four-year-old in the
nation, the Invitation Cup has acquired multi-dimensional significance.
The 2400-metre race, an event in which only those horses nominated by
the various turf authorities can take part, is the piece de resistance
in a two-day extravaganza that includes three other Grade I contests.
The 1200-metre Sprinters' Cup brings together the swiftest in India. The
Super Mile offers the testing ground for middle distance performers. The Stayers' Cup, over 3000 metres, serves as the last word on stamina and
strength of the Indian thoroughbred.
The last time Kolkata staged the Invitation Cup was in 1995. From 1963
since its inception, the Invitation Cup has been held in Kolkata eight
times. This year's running will mark the ninth time the Royal Calcutta
Turf Club will conduct India's most prestigious horse race.
RCTC, once the flag-bearer of the Indian turf establishment, had fallen
on hard times as horse racing in India went through dramatic changes. In
2007, after missing the cycle twice, RCTC is back in the limelight. The
Invitation Cup returns to Hastings, the race course that made India
famous and one in which great artists of this exciting game plied their
trade.
The Indian Turf invitation Cup has more often than not, produced drama,
incidents that continue to be talked out and finishes that have become
part of the Indian racing fabric.
The inaugural year in 1963 saw the Chennai-based Mount Everest beat The
Leprechaun, the Calcutta challenger, by a short head.
In 1964, the formidable Prince Pradeep's colors were lowered by
Hovercraft, a filly. Jockey Raghunath, astride the odds on Prince
Pradeep who had swept the Bombay classics in effortless fashion, lost a
stirrup iron leaving the gate. The unrestrained enthusiasm of the
favorite resulted in his weakening in the run-in and Hovercraft, in the
hands of the wily Val Faggotter, raced past the 'Prince' to the
consternation of the huge Hastings throng.
The scene shifted to Chennai in 1965. When the starter let the field go,
only four stalls opened and the riders of the four horses, Royal Scot,
Quentin Durward, Flora, and Subari's Pet, did not realize that there was
a false start. They went through the trip and it paved the way for an
easy victory for Esquire and Wally Swinburn.
In 1966, I had the pleasure of seeing jockey Raghunath gaining
compensation after his unfortunate loss with Prince Pradeep. Raghunath
steered Red Rufus to a decisive win.
The Chennai running in 1968 went to Mother's Boy and Stan Smith.
Mother's Boy paid a whopping Rs. 692 for win. Several of the contenders
came up with valid excuses but the fact remains that Stan Smith did what
needed to be done to take advantage of the opportunity.
The 1969 edition run in Bangalore for the first time was won by the
got-abroad filly, Venus de Milo. The late A.F.S. Talyarkhan, in a
tribute to the filly, had once written, "as she put her stride into
action, the entire Mahalaxmi rose with a roar."
Bombay's dominance continued with Loyal Prince winning in 1970. Bright
Hanover scored in 1971 and Prince Khartoum, in actor Sanjay Khan's
colors, emerged victorious in 1972.
High drama was back in vogue in 1973 when Prince Royal happened to be at
the right place at the right time. The Invitation Cup was staged during
the winter meeting in Bangalore. Mansoor and Bade Miya were disputing
the issue in the lane. The latter was tiring and the left rein got out
of position and Ernest Alford fell. Bade Miya, without a rider, was
seriously interfering with Mansoor, Pandu Khade up. Ronnie Butfoy and
Prince Royal made the most of what was presented to them. There have
been incident-filled Invitation Cups over the years and many more
paragraphs could be written.
What has changed in India? Chennai has ceased to exist as a viable
racing center. On the other hand,
Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy, who runs the Chennai Race Club, has become the
undisputed top owner in India. He wins classics everywhere. He buys the
best stock. He employs the best riding talent available. In many of the
classics, Dr. M.A.M. is represented by more than one runner. Quite
often, half of the runners carry his colors, with the announcer using
the color of the cap as the only means of identifying the many runners.
Dr. Ramaswamy's interests are going to be represented in 2007 in
abundant measure. Who will it be? Will Southern Empire redeem himself
and show us that his loss in the Indian Derby was an aberration? Will
Diabolical prove that his win at Mahalaxmi was not a flash in the pan by
winning three big races in a row? Can Star Luminary, the filly who won
the Bangalore Derby, have the last laugh in Kolkata? Will Secret Memory,
beaten in a heart-breaking photo finish in Bangalore, come back with a
vengeance and prove the best them of all?
As 2007 unfolds and as another Invitation Cup moves into the record
books, there is one gratifying development that is keeping the Indian
flag flying high on the world racing scene. Mystical's victory in the
Dubai Racing Carnival brings home the point that Indian horses can hold
their own in international competition.
Acknowledgement: Srinivas Nargolkar's "A Legacy of Champions"
