YOU CAN COUNT ON THIS GUIDE - By Shailendra Awasthi | TNN
Posted on - 31 Jan 2012
YOU CAN COUNT ON THIS GUIDE
By Shailendra Awasthi | TNN
Whats common between the racing enthusiasts present at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse during the inaugural staging of the Indian Derby in 1943,and the ones who will be attending the 70th running of this most prestigious event in Indian racing,the McDowell Signature Premier Indian Derby,to be run this Sunday
Yes,one is the common passion for racing action.And the other Its that pocketbook guide the racegoers would be holding in their hands on Derby day: the Cole racebook!
Yes,Coles the only bridge still intact that connects the generations of racing enthusiasts,not only in Mumbai,but across all racing centres in the country.Nothing has changed about the little guide over the years from the front page design,to the fonts that display the facts and figures barring the price,which has increased from one aana (4 paise) in 1920 to Rs 15 today!
UNCHANGED: The front page design of Cole racebook has remained the same since 1920.The only time it changed was when Queen Elizabeth II visited India in 1961,and Cole published a special commemorative issue in her honour
Its a book without which the race-goers are helpless.It contains every bit of information related to a race the number of horses,their lineage,weight,owners,trainers,jockeys,previous record and current morning workout forms besides the betting tips.
I cannot imagine going to the races without the Cole racebook.In fact,I cant understand other rival books that are available in the market, says 91-year-old Laxminarayan Jadhav,a resident of Lower Parel who has been coming to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse since 1945.
Indeed,91-year-old Cole has outlasted all the other rivals that have cropped up over the years.Among those were Red Jacket,Sports Bulletine,Pednekar,Faizee (between 1912 to 1926),Kaka Race Card,Daily Samachar Card,Sporting Times Racing Card,Diamond Race Card,Bombay Season Record Race Card,Nita and Beandaz (all between 1025 to 1980),and the more recent ones like Money Spinner,Lucky Spinner and BOL Race Card.
It is the affection of race-goers that kept us going, says Hemin Adwalia,the fourth-generation owner of Turf Printing Works,which prints Cole racebooks.A staff of 30 people which includes editors,proof readers,machine operators and those who stitch the books are involved in keeping alive this legacy of pre-Independence India in its office at Tribhuvandas Road,Grant Road (East).The current proprietor of Cole is Vijay Adwalia.
The printing of racebooks started in Mumbai in 1912 when one Ali Mohammed Abdullah Munshi began publishing Lakhpati with partner Mancharam Motee.In 1916,Motee separated from Munshi to start his own book called Motee.Later,Mancharam Motees eldest son Ranchoddas started Cole in 1920.The rest,as they say,is history.
NUMBER GAME
6 Number of racing centres in the country that is catered to by Cole racebook.It includes Pune,Bangalore,Mysore Hyderabad and Kolkata,besides Mumbai
