Trainer Byramji’s Derby success will always be remembered

Rashid Byramji. Pic/RWITC

Horse trainer Rashid Byramji, who passed away last week at Bangalore, will always be held in awe for his stupendous achievements, but among his conquests is one record for which every railbird attending the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby (Grade 1) this Sunday (February 6) at the Mahalaxmi racecourse will remember the legendary trainer: Byramji won the Indian Derby a record 13 times!

The record books mention only 10 of the 13 against his name, because the other three Derby winners were saddled through proxies, when he was exiled from Mahalaxmi by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) bosses.

Unique feat

No horse trainer in world history, from any country, has a double digit score in winning the national Derby. Most trainers, jockeys and horse owner's dream of win the Indian Derby at least once.

Such was Byramji's stranglehold over the Indian Derby that he won it nine times in a period of 12 years (1972 to 1983), beginning with Prince Khartoum, owned by film star Sanjay Khan.

Hat-trick of wins

This spell included a hat-trick (all three winners owned by his dear friend Ranjit v Bhat). Then after a year's gap, a four-in-a-row (if we disregard the proxies who saddled for him). The last Derby winner of this quartet, Nelston (1983), featured on the cover of India Today magazine - the headline was The Wrong Horse Wins!

Byramji had another serious contender in the 1983 Derby line-up, and Nelston boarded the float (a van designed specifically for horse travel) as a traveling companion for this main hope.

And Vasant Shinde, who did not have a ride in the Derby because the stable's star contender was going to be ridden by a foreigner, ended up riding Nelston to victory at huge odds.