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It was Bhat’s opportunism which won him the colt. The story goes that at the yearling auction of 1974, the colt was initially offered by the maestro to a separate set of owners. The going price was a nominal amount and the big guns were not too keen. Bhat, who was in earshot, asked Byramji if he liked the colt. “He is got a great conformation,” was the reply he got. That was enough for Bhat. He grabbed the opportunity and purchased the colt for about Rs 60,000. The rest is history.
When this correspondent interviewed the maestro Byramji at Calcutta during the Invitation Cup weekend of 1995, he was quite confident that Squanderer was the best horse in the country till that point of time. That year Elusive Pimpernel won the Invitation Cup at Calcutta effortlessly and in record time. Even that did not change Byramji’s opinion. However, at the end of Elusive Pimpernel’s career, the maestro rather ‘grudgingly’ admitted that there was a faint chance that had there been a match race, Elusive Pimpernel may just have got the better of Squanderer.
Probably the win of Elusive Pimpernel in the Justice Cup at Bangalore may have changed his mind. With 100 metres to go, Elusive Pimpernel was badly held up along the rails, and Diablo, a highly rated horse, was well ahead. Under Kader’s urging, Pimpernel devoured ground to win by a length. Nevertheless, the line between the duo is so thin, your guess is as good as mine. A dead-heat may be the safest verdict.
The ‘courage’ of a racehorse on the track is extremely important to his career. In this respect, Squanderer was unmatched. He hurt himself before the 2000 Guineas and still won. Then in Pune, he fell into a culvert before the St Leger, but won a thriller. Then he had a tendon problem just before the President of India Gold Trophy, but he braved that too. Squanderer overcame claustrophobia when he travelled in floats. The doors of the float would be left open for him to stay calm.
Unfortunately, he could not do much as a stallion. He had a back problem and that came in the way of his becoming a successful sire. His mare Milky Way produced several other winners but none in the category of the giant that was Squanderer. His full brother Apache was a relative flop.
During his illustrious career, Squanderer won the Indian Triple Crown, The Invitation Cup, The President of India Gold Cup twice and the Invitational Cup (not to be confused with Invitation Cup). He conceded as much as 17 kg to Class I horses in the Governor’s Cup at Bangalore and gave them a beating to remember.
