Sporting gesture WIDELY known as the sport of kings, horseracing has been running short on credibility these days. Given this scenario, the decision of Ravi Shastri to become a race-horse owner has delighted the racing fraternity and the long-forgotten Royal Western India Turf Club. The credit for Shastri's initiation into the equine sport goes to late art connoisseur Kekoo Gandhy's son, Adil. An avid race-goer and amateur rider himself, Adil is a senior member of RWITC and the Amateur Riders' Club.
When Adil purchased this beautiful colt during his trip to Jaipur this winter, it crossed his mind that the image of horseracing will get a definite boost if he could convince Shastri to buy a share. Adil knew Shastri's dad, late Dr M Jayadratha, who was a regular visitor at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. That surely helped and got Shastri to buy a race-horse. Eventually Shastri was at the racecourse yesterday morning to get registered as an owner. "Horseracing is a great sport. My father was a keen and regular race-goer and I have decided to support the sport in his memory," Shastri says.
