Derby reflections ..the remarkable Red Rufus - By Tom Krish
Posted on - 31 Jan 2013
Derby reflections ..the remarkable Red Rufus
By Tom Krish
The Derby is three days away. At one time, the Derby carried prestige and money and prestige was a bigger element than prize money. Today, there is prestige but it is far outweighed by stake money that is out of this world. Sooner than later, India may have a race or two that may carry prize money rivaling some of the big races around the world. The 2013 Indian Derby, sponsored by the McDowell Group, is worth one crore and eighty lakhs to the winner.
Thursday’s ‘Breakfast With the Champions,’ was well attended. The ubiquitous Mahendra Mallya made comments as the Derby contenders went through their workouts. He conducted an interview or two. The professionals had gathered in large numbers and were eager to respond to questions. Above all, breakfast that would satisfy any palate was on offer. It was a delightful morning and I am happy I was part of it.
Derby at Epsom over the years was the high point of my racing travels. The train ride from Victoria Station with a changeover at East Croydon to continue on to Tattenham Corner was an exciting part. The return trip was a problem with overflowing crowds and many a time, I have traveled standing. If you have had a winning afternoon, why would you mind? Then the betting ring at Epsom, let us call it the betting field and you could walk up and down the area and take several minutes doing it. The three year-olds would climb 412 feet in the early part of the Derby and the undulations of left-handed Epsom Downs was a true test of a champion.
Chantilly, outside Paris and the venue of the Prix du Jockey Club (the French Derby run over 2100 metres since 2005 when Shamardal won it), is a flat right-handed course. Traditionally, the French Derby is run a day after the Epsom showpiece. There is a large contingent from London. The Eurostar used to leave from Waterloo forGare Du Nord in Paris. Now, the Eurostar starts from King’s Cross. It is a two and one half hour trip. From Gare Du Nord, you take a suburban train to Chantilly. From the station, it is about a 15-minute walk through a tree-lined path.
We have Dan Grant and O’Donoghue in our midst. Why incur their wrath? A word or two about the Irish Derby at the Curragh. Generally, it is held in the last week of June. It is a 2400-metre race on the right-handed Curragh. My practice is to take a bus from Bussaras (the bus station in the heart of Dublin) to the Curragh, a 60-minute trip. The riders walk to the paddock through a public area. In that moment or two, you get chance to greet someone you know.
The Kentucky Derby, run on the first Saturday in May, gets the American Triple Crown rolling. It is a 2000-metre contest on the dirt at Churchill Downs, a left-handed racecourse. All the betting is done on the tote in America and Canada. I park at the press lot and take a shuttle bus to the track. Churchill gets throngs in excess of 130,000 and the Kentucky Derby gets covered by NBC, a national TV network, in a 90-minute broadcast.
In the 1960s, I used to take the train to Mahalakshmi from Churchgate. Occasionally, I would take Bus-124 that would stop outside the first enclosure. The 1965-66 season in Mumbai began with Bakthawar winning two races in the first two weeks. The resolute Flower Dust gelding completed a hat trick when carrying top weight to victory over 2000 metres in a handicap. As the season progressed, Bakthawar, then owned by M D Mehta and trained by S M Shah, became a frontline contender for the Classics but he always remained a step or two behind the stretch-charging Red Rufus. Monitor edged out Red Rufus in the 1400-metre Morvi with the help of a smart Jock Wilson steer. A well-judged (jockey) Raghunath ride enabled the Meherjee-trained Red Rufus sweep past the field in the 2000 Guineas. Humour upset Red Rufus in the Ruia Gold Cup. Fans, however, did not look beyond Red Rufus when wagering on him at 2 to 1 and under in the Derby. Raghunath timed his assault to perfection and Red Rufus, with those striking pink jockey silks, landed the Derby in great style. I was a few months away from 23.
Altamash Ahmed spoke to me about An Acquired Taste. He listed the problems his trainee has gone through. “He is in fine shape. My work is beginning to have its rewards. The 2000 Guineas run showed an upward trend. He did one better in the Ruia Cup. I believe there’s more to come,” trainer Ahmed said in upbeat fashion.
Machiavellianism hails from a trainer who is on fire this winter. He is firing on all cylinders. After a stunning burst of speed that carried him from the rear of the pack to a winning lead in late stretch, the son of Jazil (the 2006 Belmont Stakes champion) did not have a happy trip in the Ruia Cup. Vittal Deshmukh had this to say about his charge, “He can pretty much do anything the jockey wants. I’m absolutely satisfied with his well being. He will stay. Post position will not have an impact.”
Jimmy Fortune is not a stranger to India. He was hard at work Thursday morning. He took Satish Narredu’s Super Storm for a spin and came back in an ebullient mood. Fortune expressed satisfaction at Super Storm’s readiness.
Jockey Fortune, now in his early 40s, had a productive association with trainer John Gosden. In 2008, Raven’s Pass, owned by Princess Haya of Jordan, chased Henrythenavigator all year long. In late September in the Group I Q E Stakes over 1600 metres, Raven’s Pass beat Aidan O’Brien’s ward. Gosden took Raven’s Pass to Santa Anita to have a tilt at the five million-dollar Breeders’ Cup Classic. Jimmy Fortune was held guilty of an infraction and was not eligible to ride in the Classic. Frankie Dettori was the replacement. Raven’s Classic made no mistake and one of his victims was the multiple Group race-winning Curlin.
Missing out on a big race is also an item in Martin Dwyer’s career. Dangerous Midge, in irresistible form, arrived at Churchill Downs in 2010 to run in the 2400-metre Breeders’ Cup Turf. Dwyer had a fall in England and suffered injuries that stopped him from making the trip. It was Frankie Dettori who picked up the ride on the Brian Meehan-trained Dangerous Midge and he delivered. So, what do Fortune and Dwyer have in common? They missed winning rides in Breeders’ Cup races and they are riding in our Derby on Sunday.
Shivalik Hero looked a picture of health when I saw him in the stall. D K Ashish has been doing the work on the Malesh Narredu-trained four year-old. ColmO’Donoghue, now in Dubai, checks in to ride the Dr MAM-owned star. Dr MAM has won four major classics at three centers in recent weeks.
There are two streaking stables. One is Dr MAM and the other is Vijay Kumar Gupta who is mopping up Grade races with trainer Deshmukh and jockey P S Chouhan.
I do not know at this point what I like. Decision time is coming soon. I will announce it.
