Neeraj Rawal and his 'waiting game' to stardom - By Usman Rangeela I Mirror
Posted on - 30 Mar 2017
Neeraj Rawal and his ‘waiting game’ to stardom
By Usman Rangeela
Mumbai Mirror
If the story behind the success of Temerity and Serjeant At Arms was about luck and talent in equal proportions, here’s one which is all about the tenacity and perseverance shown by a jockey whose performance has been as understated as his introvert personality. Meet Neeraj Rawal, the thirty-one year old rider who recently claimed several classic events, five to be precise, on his way to the most successful year of his career, which began inconspicuously in the summer of 2004. Neeraj was born in a middleclass family and Malesh Narredu’s mother happened to be his paternal aunt. When in his teens — at an age when most boys would be reflecting on what career they should be pursuing after completing their studies, Neeraj would be seen standing in front of the glass cupboard where the trophies, with name of his famous cousin inscribed, were arranged.
At every family gathering at Malesh’s residence, Neeraj would routinely get lost in his thoughts and dream about becoming a “famous” jockey while admiring the silverware. Interestingly, it’s six years to the day since Neeraj rode Malesh’s first winner as a trainer, Enlightenment.
Slow grind
Neeraj schooling stopped abruptly when he made his intentions — about wanting to follow Malesh’s footsteps in becoming a jockey — clear to his father. Accepting his son’s decision, Rawal Sr called upon Malesh that day itself and sought his help. The down-to-earth lad recollects, “It was a Monday and the admission forms for the jockey’s school were issued on the same day. On finishing my riding course, I was granted an apprentice rider’s license in April 2004.”
As an apprentice, Neeraj was fortunately assigned to trainer Subhag Singh, who played a significant role in the rider’s career by introducing him to Shyam Ruia. Neeraj soon got first-hand experience of competitive riding on his visit to Mysore where he rode his first career winner, Rosnovski. It was a slow grind thereafter but there came a turning point in Neeraj’s career when he came in contact with Ruia, a senior RWITC administrator, horsebreeder and owner, which changed his destiny as a rider, so to speak. Shortly afterwards, Neeraj replaced Ruia’s jockey Aadesh Kumar when he expressed the desire to freelance. In Ruia, Neeraj had found a mentor par excellence; one who never doubted his integrity and backed him to the hilt.
Elusive stardom
Ruia believed in the theory that any jockey who wanted to make it big must know how to ride a “waiting” race. To ensure that his new protégé perfected this art, Ruia sent Neeraj first to France and then Ireland where he got to hone his riding skills from two of the world’s top-notch trainers, Andre Fabre and John Oxx respectively.
Meanwhile, last year, Pesi Shroff offered Neeraj the second retainer of his stable which actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He got to “see” racing from eyes of the master craftsman himself which, among other lessons, thought him that a jockey should ‘never wait for things to happen during a race.’ Stardom eluded Neeraj all these years, but he never lost hope. Over the years, he had learnt that everybody had to wait for his turn. Neeraj’s turn finally came this year with Temerity, who won the Indian Oaks and the Invitation Cup.
