INDIAN DERBY SIXTY YEARS AGO - By Major Srinivas Nargolkar (Retd.)
Posted on - 17 Jan 2025
INDIAN DERBY SIXTY YEARS AGO
By Major Srinivas Nargolkar (Retd.)
While Bombay was still sleeping, a deadly Viet Cong attack on the American base Camp Holloway had taken place but it had happened too late to even make the 'Stop Press' in India. So, Bombay woke up on the first Sunday in February 1965 to read, along with the morning chai, bland headlines in the newspapers for most Bombayites, it was a lazy Sunday but for the Mahalakshmi pilgrims it was Derby Day.
Bombay's winter season that year had been much hampered, principally because of an outbreak of equine influenza. The two Guineas were twice postponed and run only in January. The Gwalior filly Rose Royal had won the Indian 1000 Guineas and the Indian Oaks while Mr T G Gaokar's Sun-Deep had claimed Indian 2000 Guineas. Most racegoers believed that one of them would win the Derby and both camps had their staunch supporters.
The filly Rose Royal had started her racing in Madras. She was then owned by M/s G Narasimhan and Sam Hill. Making her debut as a two year-old on the Boxing Day of 1963, she had finished last of three runners after having led well into the straight. After she had won her next start stylishly in February, leading all the way, she was bought by the Gwalior stable and came to Bombay. She had her first Mahalakshmi outing in March, jumped sideways at the off, was slowly away but soon made up ground and in the end won easily by three lengths. Her saddle had slipped and it was Shammu Chavan's skill that made light of the mishap. Her first three starts had all been over the minimum distance.
Rose Royal's troubles started when the racing moved to Poona. Starting Stalls had been introduced and Rose Royal took an instant dislike to the new contraption. An introductory provision was that horses who refused to be stalled could be started from outside the gate. Rose Royal used that provision to win the Wai Plate over 1200m. on her Pune debut. Ridden by Purtu Singh, she came home by six lengths. Purtu Singh was astride her in her next two starts, both over 1200m., in which she was beaten by the speedy Zinosca filly Zirraba. In both the races, she was blindfolded and loaded into the stall with much difficulty and was slowly off.
Gwalior had engaged jockey Durr for the 1964-65 Bombay season. After he had worked the filly for the first time, he told her trainer Maj Lad, "You sort out her gate manners and I will win a Classic for you". Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the trainer and his trusted lieutenant 'Bua' Kasbekar, the high strung filly refused to mend her ways. She continued to be adamant and fractious and waste her energy even before the race had begun.
Though Rose Royal was essaying the mile for the first time, she was a 9/4 favourite for the Indian 1000 Guineas. Slowly off, she was in the rear in the mile chute, improved to be midfield round the bend and burst through opposite the First Enclosure and finished four lengths clear off her fourteen rivals. It was a similar story in the Indian Oaks till the field came into the straight. Then came the twist. Fairy Gold shot to the front, Rose Royal went past her but Mr. F D Wadia's filly put in a second run and they went past the post locked together. The camera gave the victory to Rose Royal by a mere short-head.
The Indian 2000 Guineas winner Sun-Deep carried the colours of Mr. & Mrs. T G Gaokar. The previous year's Indian Derby winner Prince Pradeep had carried the same colours and heralded Mr. Gaokar's spectacular entry on the Indian racing scene. Both Prince Pradeep and Sun-Deep were bred at Yeravada Stud. The 'got-abroad' Prince Pradeep had cost Mr. Gaokar Rs. 50,000 but he had to pay Rs. 75,000 to acquire Sun-Deep. Sun-Deep was a Golestan (son of the great Nasrullah) half-brother to Al Bashir, an older horse which Mr. Gaokar had bought from Mr. F D Wadia. Al Bashir won a few good races for Mr. Gaonkar.
While Prince Pradeep was trained by Aziz Mahmoud, Sun-Deep was entrusted to Dara Pandole. Sun-Deep won on his debut and picked up another race in his first year's racing. He was sparingly raced in his first year; possibly because he was a bit straight in his front legs and troubled by sore shins. He started off his second year with a facile victory over Gwalior's grey colt Meghdoot in the The Maharaja of Morvi Trophy and then put it across Meghdoot, Rainbow Trout and Blue Haven in a slow run Indian 2000 Guineas. He won his prep race, the Kailashpat Singhania Trophy over 1800 m. and went into the Indian Derby with an unbeaten hat-trick to start as the 5/4 favourite.
In the meantime, Meghdoot had won the R R Ruia Trophy, the traditional lead-up for the Indian Derby, beating Talib's Zabardast and the consistent Rainbow Trout. People, though, tended to disregard that race because Meghdoot's winning time was the slowest ever recorded. Just like the colt Sun-Deep, the filly Rose Royal was also unbeaten that term. Both her wins were Classics and she was a course and distance winner. Against that was the fact that she had had a hard race in the Oaks and was running a big race like the Derby within a week. In the mid-week racing before the Derby, Talib landed a long priced treble to remind everyone that with five previous Derby victories, he topped the Trainers' Table.
1965 INDIAN DERBY
Bombay, Sunday, 7 February 1965
A gold Trophy value Rs. 3,000; sweepstakes of Rs. 800 with Rs. 55,000 added from the Fund.
Total stakes Rs. 1,08,800. Winner, the Trophy and Rs. 69,768; second, Rs. 20,672; third, Rs.12,920; Rs. 5,440 to the Breeder of the winner. For Indian Colts, Geldings and Fillies, four year old only (foaled in 1961). Colts and Geldings 57 kgs., Fillies 55.5 kgs. 2400 m.
Total stakes Rs. 1,08,800. Winner, the Trophy and Rs. 69,768; second, Rs. 20,672; third, Rs.12,920; Rs. 5,440 to the Breeder of the winner. For Indian Colts, Geldings and Fillies, four year old only (foaled in 1961). Colts and Geldings 57 kgs., Fillies 55.5 kgs. 2400 m.
1. ROSE ROYAL (F Durr) (2/1)
(b f Flower Dust* - Quarter Copy* by Fair Copy)
H H The Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia of Gwalior
2. Sun-Deep (J Mercer) (5/4, fav)
(b c Golestan* - Aroma by Solar Day*)
Mr & Mrs T G Gaokar
(b c Golestan* - Aroma by Solar Day*)
Mr & Mrs T G Gaokar
3. Blue Haven (M J Rajoo) (12/1)
(b c Hervine* - Blue Lake* by Abernant)
Mr M D Mehta
(b c Hervine* - Blue Lake* by Abernant)
Mr M D Mehta
4. Alcmene (S Millbanks) (60/1)
(gr f Rock of Gibraltar* - Magic Night* by Magic Red)
Mr C J Ardeshir
(gr f Rock of Gibraltar* - Magic Night* by Magic Red)
Mr C J Ardeshir
Also ran: Meghdoot (G Lewis), Parnassus (P Khade), Roman Rock (S Smith),
Sparkling Rock (J Wilson), Rainbow Trout (K Raghunath), Fairy Gold (E Eldin),
Morning Mist (G McGrath) and Indrasan (S Chavan). 12 ran.
Winner trained by Maj V M Lad
Verdict: Nk, 1 1/2, 3 Time: 2.41
Tote: Rs. 21 for win and Rs. 13, Rs. 12 and Rs. 33 for places. Forecast: Rs. 24.
First Indian Derby in which geldings were permitted to run. However, none participated.
First Indian Derby in which the field was dispatched from the starting stalls.
First Indian Derby winner who had finished last on debut.
An objection was lodged by the trainer of Sun-Deep on Monday morning against the winner Rose Royal on the grounds that the winner had got an unfair start. The objection was not admitted since it had not been lodged in the stipulated time.
The Race
There were a dozen runners for the Derby, six colts and six fillies. Half the field consisted of Jammu Stud-breds, five by Rock of Gibraltar whose daughter Rocklie had won in 1963 and one by Flower Dust, the sire of 1960 winner Rose de Bahama. Sun-Deep was a clear favourite while Rose Royal had strong support at 2 to 1. Joe Mercer, astride the favourite Sun-Deep, had missed the winning ride the previous year on Prince Pradeep due to an injury and now got another chance. Of the eight foreign jockeys in action, only Stan Smith had ridden an Indian Derby winner earlier; his two wins had come on Talib-trained horses. Here he was riding Roman Rock from the same yard.
Rose Royal was drawn in the widest stall for the Derby. She was stalled but continued to be uneasy and fractious. All the horses were stalled when Rose Royal burst through the gate with the blindfold on. While Durr was attempting to remove the blindfold, the Starter dispatched the field and it passed Rose Royal before the blindfold was removed. In reality, Rose Royal lost a few lengths before she began racing at the tail end of the field. There was no early pace and that suited Durr who gradually had Rose Royal catching up with the other runners. Down the back-stretch, he had the filly moving up stealthily along the rails. He was mid-field round the bend but as they entered the straight, the pace picked up and the field fanned out.
Durr had Rose Royal in a striking position but there was no opening. Suddenly, a small gap appeared. Durr, and Mercer on the favourite, both saw it. Durr got there first and drove the filly through it while Mercer had to switch out to get a clear run. Once in the clear, Durr got a rails run and he pinched a vital length or two. Mercer, a strong finisher, drove Sun-Deep while Durr had just to ride with his hands and heels. At the wire, the filly had a neck to spare. The Gwalior stable had won its fourth Indian Derby to equal Kashmir's record.
The Controversy
The controversy in Rocklie's race had come at the end. Here the bone of contention was right at the start. In those days, there were no CCTV cameras and only the alert watchers in the Members' Stand had seen what happened at the start. There was no hubbub, no clamour and no demonstration as Princess Usha Raje led in Rose Royal nor when the White Cone was hoisted.
One of the local newspapers carried a photograph the next day with its report showing Rose Royal outside her stall, still blindfolded and her jockey trying to remove it while all other runners were still in their stalls. This was construed as evidence of Rose Royal having gained an unfair advantage. The connections sought to lodge an objection on Monday around 11.00 a.m. claiming an unfair start. As per the Rules of Racing, no objection can be lodged after the White Cone goes up and "All Clear" bell is rung. Whether the objection was not entertained or whether it was overruled is still unclear. The fact is that Rose Royal's win still stands.
The Question
As the Rules then stood, was the Starter right in dispatching the field or should he have asked Rose Royal to be re-stalled ? The consensus of knowledgeable opinion was that the Starter had no discretionary powers and that Rose Royal should have been re-stalled. However, even those who questioned the Starter's decision, felt that while an objection was warranted, it should have been lodged in the stipulated time.
In those days, there was a popular publication Illustrated Weekly. It had a photograph which showed the field having gone past Rose Royal, her jockey still having her blindfold in his hand.
H H The Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia of Gwalior (1945 -2001)
Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia was barely sixteen when his father passed away and still at Scindia School in Gwalior. Later that year, he went to England to complete his education at Winchester and New College, Oxford. He was not present at Mahalakshmi when Rose Royal won the Derby. On his return, he took active interest in racing and served on the Committee of RWITC, Ltd. Politics soon became his main interest and, thereafter, racing was just a family tradition to be maintained. That was a big loss for racing for he exhibited a keen administrative acumen as a Minister that would have been invaluable to racing. Even while he was still in England, he had realised that with the existing import restrictions, a racing operation would degenerate if fresh blood was not introduced and he spoke to Maj. Lad about it. Thus, Gwalior began buying fillies like Rose Royal, Florina, Sparkling Water, Elegance, Nutmeg, Eloquence from other stud farms. It was a path breaking move.
He died at a young age in a tragic helicopter crash in 2001.
Maj. V M Lad (1915 - 1999)
Maj K P Jadhav had trained Chand Bibi and Deepak to win Classics for Gwalior in 1944. He became the Champion Trainer at Poona that very year. The stable went through a lean patch at Bombay in 1944-45 and had just eight winners, the last coming on 10 April through the favourite Mickey Mouse. Four days later, it was Capt. V M Lad who saddled the Gwalior horses and his third runner, Usha (W J Sibbitt up), who gave him his first winner. He saddled 13 more winners before racing ended for the season.
In his first three years as the Gwalior trainer, he became a Major and sent out 97 winners. In the next eight, his tally was a bare 68. In eleven years as a trainer, Maj Lad did not have a single Classic winner. Yet, Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia never lost faith in him. The breakthrough came with Star of Gwalior's Indian Derby victory in 1956 and then there was no looking back. By the time he retired, he had trained 18 Classic winners, all in the Gwalior silks. His tally of 16 Indian Classics including three Indian Derbies was bettered only by A L J Talib. Maj Lad saddled a winner of each of the five Indian Classics through a different runner. He was the Champion Trainer at Mahalakshmi four times and on seven occasions in Poona. His career total of about 800 winners may not appear to be much but it has to be remembered that he trained for only one owner. After his retirement as a trainer, he worked as a Consultant to the Mistrys who had taken over the Manjri Stud from the Scindias.
Maj Lad was a diligent, painstaking handler. He could talk interestingly about horses, jockeys and races. He once said, "Horses tell you what they need and what is wrong with them. It is our fault that we cannot understand what they are saying." Maj Lad passed away in 1999. "Triumphs On The Turf" is a story of his life penned by Sunita Lad Bhamray. It is more of a doting granddaughter's tribute than a proper racing book but it is informative and readable.
Francis "Frankie" Durr (1925 - 2000)
Scouser Francis Durr was always called 'Frankie'. An apprentice with Miss J Clayton at Bedford Cottage in Newmarket, he rode his first winner before he turned 20 and was a Champion Apprentice, jointly with Tommy Gosling, in 1945. In a career of 35 years in the saddle, Durr rode about 1700 winners and won Classics on Sodium (for Mr. Radha Sigtia), Mon Fils, Roland Gardens and Peleid. He became a trainer and sent out plenty of winners from Fitzroy Stables in Newmarket till 1991 when he finally quit racing to enjoy his remaining years playing golf and managing his farm at Kirtling. In his best year as a jockey, he rode 87 winners while as a trainer 57 wins in 1983 was his personal best. He was recognised as a fierce competitor, a tough jockey to beat who never gave a quarter nor asked for one.
Durr first came to India in 1950 and won on Kashmir's Fitz Call, trained by H McQuade, on just his second ride. He had five more winter sojourns in India which were well spaced out, the last one in 1965-66. He rode only at Mahalakshmi and won 68 races in his six years. Apart from his Classic treble on Rose Royal, he also won the Indian 1000 Guineas astride Titwillow. Riding mostly for Gwalior, he was the Champion Jockey at Mahalakshmi in 1957-58 with 26 winners, the only foreign jockey to have done so in the second half of the twentieth century. On Rose Royal's One Thousand Guineas day he also rode Chanderi, Gwalior Lass and Shahen Shah in Gwalior silks for a 156/1 four timer.
Maj. Lad always gave the entire credit to Durr for Rose Royal. The trainer was much impressed by the jockey's meticulous planning. He had a model of the Mahalakshmi racecourse in his flat on which he would place small figures of horses. He would then envisage how the race would pan out, how it would affect the field and where he had to be during the various stages of the race. Durr's sister-in-law was married to J Egan who had won the Derby for Gwalior previously on Star of Gwalior while his daughter was married to Geoff Baxter, who won the Derby later on Almanac.
PAST THE POST
The next article will deal with Rose Royal as an individual and her breeding. It suffices here to mention that she belonged to the La Francaise family. That family was to the fore in the mid-1960s with Tambourine winning the Irish Sweeps Derby in 1963 and Nasram stunning the Epsom Derby winner Santa Claus in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in 1964. Rose Royal, as has been described, won the 1965 Indian Derby.
