Mustakim Alam, a rising saddle artist - By Shailendra Awasthi : TOI
Posted on - 04 Dec 2022
Mustakim Alam, a rising saddle artist
- By Shailendra Awasthi : TOI
MUMBAI: When young Mustakim Alam received the champion apprentice jockey trophy of the Pune Season last month, he could not hold his emotions, and understandably so. Just five years ago he couldn’t have imagined that riding horses would be his career. His is a classic rags-to-riches story still in the making.
Born and reared in a remote village Katta Mattha in the Kisanganj district of rural Bihar, Mustakim had dropped out of school owing to lack of funds and was looking for a job to support his parents and siblings.
Born and reared in a remote village Katta Mattha in the Kisanganj district of rural Bihar, Mustakim had dropped out of school owing to lack of funds and was looking for a job to support his parents and siblings.
One of his neighbors is a syce (horse handler) in Western India and he advised him to come to Mumbai and work in stables for his livelihood.
16-year-old Mustakim landed in Mumbai in 2017 and started working at veteran trainer Narendra Lagad’s stable. “I knew nothing about horses and stable work but picked up fast,” says Mustakim.
Later, part of his work also included mounting horses and bringing them from the stable to work in the morning. Here, says Mustakim, he was awestruck by the fascinating experience of sitting on horseback. “It was quite thrilling, and I made up my mind to learn riding,” added the youngster.Lagad too was generous enough to allow Mustakim to become a work rider. “He was very confident sounding and eager to learn which impressed me,” says Lagad who has groomed about 30-odd trainee jockeys so far.
Gradually, Mustakim learned the tricks of the trade and was ready to graduate to the next level. “His height was ideal for a jockey and he was also built on the smaller side. I found him very hard-working, sincere, and very punctual at work. I also sensed a burning desire in him. He had little money, but he was always in fine shape. So, I just put in an application and he was smart enough to sail through,” says Lagad who has been training horses at the Royal Western India Turf Club since 1977.
Lagad even found him best of the lot. “I have trained over 30 youngsters and I would rank him among the top three. Even the stipes and the jockeys’ trainer Jerome Pereira had good things to say about him,” says Lagad who hails from a racing family and his elder brother Bal was a trainer.
One needs to ride well in mock races to get a license. “I put him up in many mock races. Because of his height, weight, and shape, he was always impressive,” says Lagad who currently trains 44 horses.
With one of his boys, Kaviraj, already graduated and another boy Aniket Karande suspended, Lagad needed one apprentice and Mustakim was the obvious choice. “I got him the license and I must say he has a mature head on his shoulders and he is a thinking boy and a quick learner from his mistakes,” says Lagad.
After getting his license in the 2021-22 Mumbai Season, Mustakim got 12 rides. Though he did not succeed in winning, the exposure that he got was invaluable. That experience soon resulted in his first success in his second ride of the Pune Season 2022 astride Majestic Warrior.
After 41 rides, he had accumulated seven wins and three seconds and was adjudged the best apprentice of the Pune Season with a little bit of luck. He was fighting for the top spot with another apprentice S Saqlain replica rolex who had a fall with just two races left on the last day, leaving Mustakim to land the riches.
“I must say most of the senior jockeys helped me learn horsemanship, but P Trevor has always taken a keen interest in me and always points out where I am doing wrong,” says Mustakim.
Mustakim, however, is a big fan of Suraj Narredu for his great finish. “He is so majestic during the finish. I would certainly like to be as strong a finisher as he is,” he says.
