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| Behind the paddock at the Kolkata Racecourse, there is a metal structure that carries the jockeys’ names in plates and the names of apprentices in red plates. This is a system that has been in vogue in Indian courses and this is the tradition in England. Many of England’s racing practices are being followed today in India. Another example is the announcing of the margins. Bookmaking is a quintessential English institution. Despite the rise of the ‘Tote’ and its increasing strength in recent years, bookmaking in India continues to thrive. Yes, what should be a legitimate activity is being driven underground by oppressive betting tax. A flat tax of 10% will make betting an ‘over the table’ indulgence but eminently sensible ideas do not have widespread appeal. My wife and I were in Calcutta at week’s end. Mid-spring in Kolkata brings out the sun in full measure. It was warm but the heat, I believe, did not have an adverse impact on the horses or on the huge throng that had made a beeline to see the Kolkata Derby, an event with a purse of one crore rupees. Eveready Industries, a Deepak Khaitan venture, was the sponsor. As it turned, Mr Khaitan led in a number of winners. The pre-Derby party on Friday began at 8 PM. Kolkata’s racing elite was in attendance. It was a charming setting. Kolkata racecourse has a backdrop that few courses in the world can match. The Victoria Memorial can be seen as the horses race down the backstretch. The glorious buildings that are part of the racing scene have stood the test of time. In terms of creature comfort, there is a great deal that remains ahead. There is, however, a team that is hard at work to ensure that horse racing in Kolkata gets back to what it was years ago. Cyrus Madan is putting his heart and soul into reviving Kolkata's glory. General J Mukherjee is the ubiquitous Chief Executive Officer, His leadership is taking the Royal Calcutta Turf Club to new heights. General Mukherjee makes the decisions and there is a new sense of purpose that inspires the hierarchy. In Boman Parakh, a tireless worker, Kolkata could not have found a more diligent Secretary. He is hands-on and a man of detail. Robin Corner, though soft spoken, carries a big stick. He has no favourites. He is an ‘equal opportunity’ disciplinarian. Mr Corner manages the racing end of the business. The English and Irish jockeys who used to ride in Kolkata talk about their experience in glowing terms whenever I come across one. Kolkata has been the training ground for many a rider who later became a torchbearer in his native land. I remember, going back may be 50 years, a South Indian owner’s dream was winning the Calcutta Gold Cup. The Hilliard Plate, over 1,400 metres, was the best known prep race for the Gold Cup. Last October, at the end of Saturday’s racing at Longchamp in Paris (the Arc was on Sunday), as I stood waiting for a train at Port d’Autueil to get back to my hotel, I started a conversation with a gentleman and a lady. Hardly a minute later, the talk turned to racing in India and especially Kolkata. The man I was talking to was Albert Klimscha, a jockey who plied his trade in Kolkata in 1959. The lady was Mrs Eva Klimscha. Albert spoke with considerable nostalgia. The Klimschas now live in Budapest, Hungary and make annual visits to Miami in America. . They were in Paris to see a Hungarian runner race in the 1000-metre Prix d’Abbaye, a Group I sprint on Arc day. Marchand D’or, a French horse, won the Abbaye. Mr Deepak Khaitan confirmed that Regal Connection’s poor race in the Gold Cup was because of an eye ailment. He expressed optimism and it was well placed. Regal Connection was an odds-on choice and the race turned out to be a no contest. High Regard took the hike in stride and was a laughing winner in the hands of Imran Khan. C Alford got his second winner with the piping hot favourite, Agios Nikoulas. B Prakash steered Island Warrior, a lukewarm 5-2 chalk, to an easy victory. Axiology, another favourite but at a surprisingly liberal 5-2, gave C Alford his third winner. That was win number three for Mr Khaitan. Gilded Romance, making her second career start and a winner in her debut, was carrying much lower weight on promotion. Neeraj Rawal got away alertly on the 11-10 chance, prompted the pace with the leader, struck the front early in the stretch and managed to hold the hard-charging Certain Smile to win in a photo. The bookmakers were not smiling but the fans were ebullient. Glided Romance gave Mr Khaitan his fourth winner of the afternoon. The procession of favourites did not end. Cascades, seeking an encore, opened at 16-10 and shortened to even money in the Aloknanda Stakes. Jockey Prakash tracked the leaders and took a winning lead midway down the lane. Then came the Derby. Abs Fabs was the rage. The Bangalore invader was 14-10 and 13-10 and the others were at much longer odds. The fans, having tasted blood with a succession of favourites coming through, were not in a mood to relent. It was another blow for the satchelmen. Francis Norton stayed in striking range with Abs Fabs. Showing smart decision-making skill, Norton swept into command with the Burden of Proof filly with 1,200 metres left and the race had been put to bed. A walk in the park would describe the victory for the Pritham Basappa-owned four year-old filly. Jockey Norton eased up and took repeated glances to look for non-existent threats. Raghuvansh headed the well-beaten brigade. The others were out of it a long way from home. Abs Fabs brought a fabulous return on the nine-lakh supplemental fee and owner Pritham Basappa could not be more pleased. I caught up with jockey Norton. “I have been in India before, many times. I won the Derby with Royal Russian for Arjun. Chris (Hayes) had to go with Colourful Lady. Arjun called me and I was thrilled to accept. I have watched the filly run. Yes, I was confident. The race worked out well. I am on cloud nine. I like riding in India. The filly made it all easy for me. She was in form.” I assured Norton I will catch up with him in England in June. The 38 year-old Norton rode 58 winners from 556 rides in England in 2008. That gave him a 10% strike rate. His horses earned 553,288 pounds. I found Arjun Mangalorkar soon after the trophy presentation. “Yes, three races over 2,400 metres since early January was a big concern but my filly was thriving on racing. She was working well. The Bangalore-Kolkata trip she travelled very well. No ill effects. I wanted Norton to be clear of trouble. So, the best place to be is on the lead. Norton gave the filly a great ride. Our target is the Indian Oaks in Mumbai. Abs Fabs deserves a shot there and I am confident she will do well.” Owner Basappa, articulate and an example of sartorial perfection, was matter-of-fact. “Arjun had her in perfect shape. I thought about three 2400 metre-races in a short span but we are targeting a fourth one. She is not showing signs of wear. There is a lot more to come.” I had a chance to chat with Chris Hayes. I told him he was setting Indian racing on fire and asked if he had plans of moving his base to India. “Thank you, No, I have commitments in Ireland. I am going over there soon. I will be back though to ride in the Derby in Bombay. There is a good stable back home. I am expecting a good year. If I do not see you in India, I will see you at the Curragh in June.” Suraj Narredu was another who gave me a minute or two. We talked about his season in India. Suraj is a curious man. He likes exploring the unknown. We talked about racing in the US. I reacquainted myself with Sam Fargeat and Dan Grant. Sam speaks perfect English and speaks it so well. He is a delight to know. Jockey Grant, in his second year in India, is exceeding expectations. There is no question that Grant will be a big part of the jockey colony in 2009-2010. Mahendra Mallya was kind enough to put my wife and me on TV. It was a short interview but Mahendra’s choice of words and manner of asking questions make him an extraordinary talent. Mahendra called the ‘Cascades’ race and it was an excellent call. The phrase ‘in a romp’ was an apt description of what Cascades did. I enjoyed the call. Mahendra told me that he calls races now and then in Mumbai. He excels at whatever he does. I made a new friend. Ranavir Bose, known to fans as Epsom Ace, is knowledgeable. He speaks with conviction. His analysis of races is worth listening to. Bose’s pick, Gilded Romance, helped me out. He now occupies a high place in my list of racing contacts. Mr Zeyn Mirza, impeccably attired, is a man on the go. I have immense respect for his handicapping skills. He expresses his opinion clearly and backs it up with incomparable reasoning. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with him. The Kolkata experience was everything I expected and more. There is no doubt that Kolkata will be better and stronger next year with Cyrus Madan at the helm. When the 2010 calendar is out, I will mark the dates for my next visit. |
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