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In an interview after the colt’s illustrious career came to an end, the maestro Rashid Byramji had this to say: “I thought Elusive was not much of a horse. He was tall and very light and began to grow strong only as a late three-year-old. I reluctantly agreed to train him. He gave me hope after the Bangalore Summer Season of 1994 as he grew strong with every race. He won his nine races, including the Indian Derby and the Classic Indian Turf Invitation Cup when he had sore shins. He could not race the Indian St Leger as he had a stifle problem in his hind leg. A long rest after the Invitation Cup did him a world of good for he never had the recurrence of the problem thereafter.”
Breeder AKS Brar had this to say: “I would not like to call Elusive Pimpernel a freak of a horse though he belied everyone's expectations.”
After winning a mile race as a matured three-year-old in Bangalore, Elusive Pimpernel went about the business of winning with ridiculous ease. However, Byramji always felt that Squanderer was superior to him. When this correspondent met him in Calcutta before and after the Invitation Cup of 1995 (which Elusive won in a canter in record time), Byramji was of the opinion that Squanderer could still take him on. It was only after Elusive Pimpernel's victory in the Justice Cup that the maestro was willing to concede (perhaps a little grudgingly) that Elusive may be the greatest horse that he has ever trained. He was racing after a long lay-off and was conceding weight all round. He was also taking on the consistent Diablo. Elusive ran into a wall of horses and jockey Aslam Kader switched him out at almost right angles. Despite his stride having been completely broken and with only 100 metres to go, he came up with an amazing run to overhaul the front-running Diablo who seemed to have the race in the bag. Despite all these hindrances, he still spared a length at the wire!
He lost just once in his illustrious career. Elusive was set to concede 16 kgs to a well-bred got-abroad filly Consequence in the RWITC Invitation Cup at Pune. An over-confident Kader shot him into a six-length lead despite the crushing impost. He eventually lost by the proverbial whisker to a fast-finishing Consequence. He was subsequently retired as a stallion to the place of his birth – the Dashmesh Stud.
