The Indian Derby, hosted by the Royal Western India Turf Club, is to racing in India, what Wimbledon is to tennis. It has prestige, heritage, prize money and is every horse owner’s dream to win. The training and preparation that goes into it is comprehensive, meticulous and arduous. Says RWITC Chairman Zavary Poonawalla, “This year the Poonawalla Million is 30 years old. The derby holds a special place in my heart. There is a huge amount of effort involved, from the trainers, the jockeys, the handicap committee and so on.”
Former RWITC Chairman and horse owner Vivek Jain elaborates, “This is a rare sport which combines the skill of an animal with a human. For a horse to win the big races it needs pedigree, conformation, training skills and ultimately it is in the hands of the jockey. Of course, luck plays a part, but usually, it is the horse that best meets these criteria that wins. For a horse to win, it must have the form, run over a distance that suits its capability and usually ridden by a jockey of standard. Horses are not machines and animals can have an off day sometimes!”
However, is there an x-factor - call it lady luck or superstition - that plays a part in the proceedings on race day? Horse owner Parvez Damania believes luck plays a part only where betting is concerned. “Some believe that renaming a horse can be bad luck while some believe the reverse. Betting is a big part of racing and when money comes into it, some get lucky and some don't. For punters, different coloured clothes and shoes, a favourite spot to watch the race start and winning on days and statistics are some factors. If they get lucky with some of these factors once, they tend to believe that it’s their lucky charm. It's hard work that pays off in the end and not a lot of luck is involved in it as no horse ever knows their odds before the race starts and the best horse wins. Odds don't matter to horses.”
Derby content partner, CEO of 1 Play Sports Mohit Lalvani informs, “Breeders are the most superstitious, followed by punters and then some trainers. Jockeys eschew superstitions. I know this from my experience as I come from a family that has been involved in this before I was born. Some breeders don't even change their clothes on race day for fear of blighting their luck!”
Breeder Surbirinder Singh Sidhu acknowledges the luck factor, but adds, “The basics have to be right. With a good eye for a yearling and in-depth knowledge of pedigrees, the probability of success in terms of percentage gets higher.”
Jockey Suraj Narredu believes that luck can be more of a function of jockey and horse becoming one unit during a race. “What brings good luck for me is a horse and that is all! It is a horse which ultimately carries us through and other than that, there is preparation.”
Jockey Y S Srinath also believes that preparation brings luck, or as he calls it, winning success. “Jockeys do get butterflies in the stomach before a big race but that is mitigated by planning and preparation. I myself study statistics and the track record of the other horses in the race. I also know which other jockeys are participating.”
However former jockey-turned-trainer Pesi Shroff shrugs off any notions of luck playing a factor. “I don’t think luck or superstition would be something that I believe in when it comes to the races. As a trainer, I leave as little to chance as possible. The rest is in the moment. Character, good attributes and pedigree make a winner.”
Jockey P Trevor offers another viewpoint. “For some people connected with the races, luck does play a factor. That would be more for punters who bet on races and they can have any number of superstitions no matter how quirky, from the colour of their socks to what wristwatch they wear to what they have for breakfast! For me, luck is in the details, such as whether it’s a fast pace, slow pace or heavy pace race.”
According to jockey Neeraj Rawal, “What makes a winning horse for me, is the personality of the horse. Just like human athletes, horses have certain preferences and behavioural ways. The only difference between human athletes and equines is that the latter cannot speak. Therein lies the bond between jockey and horse, which is very important. At the starting gate, there is only one thing - focus.”
