Was just reading about Richard Hughes and the success he has had in the Classics over in India. Is there much racing out there? What sort of money are they racing for in the Derby and their other classics? Has anyone a link to a site with this information?
Racing In India
- Thread starter del boy
- Start date
The answers are yes, very good, and yertiz: http://www.rwitc.com
There's also a thriving homegrown breeding industry to back up the racing, initially drawn from old European pedigrees, and now reinforced with both national and international sires. The build of the horse Hughesy is riding is typical of the Indian strain: light, wiry, and agile. No good having heavy types or even heavy-actioned types for their much firmer ground, and heat and humidity levels. I've only been to the course at Mumbai once, and that was in (gasp!) 1981, but it's a beautiful setting and well worth the visit if you're ever in India. (Which is well worth an extensive visit, anyway.) Check out the fade picture showing the size of the crowd, too: Indians love all sports, and the competition of gambling. There's been a very upwardly mobile middle-class for a couple of decades now, so it's no longer just for Indian royalty and upper classes - there's massive wealth, thanks especially to overseas construction contracts (think Dubai), IT, and call centres, and the migration to wealthier Western countries by native sons, who've amassed loads of money, then brought it back home to spend on luxury lifestyles.
There's also a thriving homegrown breeding industry to back up the racing, initially drawn from old European pedigrees, and now reinforced with both national and international sires. The build of the horse Hughesy is riding is typical of the Indian strain: light, wiry, and agile. No good having heavy types or even heavy-actioned types for their much firmer ground, and heat and humidity levels. I've only been to the course at Mumbai once, and that was in (gasp!) 1981, but it's a beautiful setting and well worth the visit if you're ever in India. (Which is well worth an extensive visit, anyway.) Check out the fade picture showing the size of the crowd, too: Indians love all sports, and the competition of gambling. There's been a very upwardly mobile middle-class for a couple of decades now, so it's no longer just for Indian royalty and upper classes - there's massive wealth, thanks especially to overseas construction contracts (think Dubai), IT, and call centres, and the migration to wealthier Western countries by native sons, who've amassed loads of money, then brought it back home to spend on luxury lifestyles.
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Spoons
At the Start
My boyfriend was out riding in Bangalore last year.Racing is only two days a week and the money is not great.Up until November they were not allowed to import any foreign horses to race in India,only stallions to cover mares, but that has been changed now.Quite alot of jockeys go out there during winter when racing is better, Niall McCullagh,Colm O'Donoghue,Wayne Smith and Chris Hayes are all regulars out there while Christophe Lemaire and Richard Hughes have also spent time there.They do race during summer in different places while trying to avoid the monsoons.Website to check out is www.indiarace.com
Very interesting for him, too, Spoons. I don't think Bangalore's covered by the Royal Western, though - that seems to be just Mumbai (Bombay), Pune (Poona of colonial days) and Delhi, so perhaps the money's not great at the smaller tracks, just as it is here. Did you not fancy going out for a trip, too? Bangalore's nice - or at least it was when I visited it - very wide, tree-lined avenues, and a sense of being back in time to some degree. Unfortunately, saw the deliberately-maimed child (Slumdog Millionaire has that bit right) and leper beggars for the first time out there, so the divide between the rich and the desperate is enormous. Critics can bash the UK all they want, but sometimes they ought to get out - a lot further, and a lot more - to see how millions live elsewhere.
Soba
At the Start
Very impressed with the filly Jacqueline, imagine a filly having a record like that here? Great for Indian racing too I'd imagine to have a superstar. 
Spoons
At the Start
I went out there for two weeks Krizon.Weather wasn't great in July so didn't help but I wasn't a big fan of Bangalore.Not much to see or do.Did go further out to jungles near Hydrabad which was lovely.Agree about the beggars,being in an open taxi with them trying to stroke your face was not pleasant experience.
He went on to ride in Pune for few months which he prefered as a place to live.Had an offer of contract in Calcutta which has a lot less prize money again.
He went on to ride in Pune for few months which he prefered as a place to live.Had an offer of contract in Calcutta which has a lot less prize money again.
J Alfred Prufrock
At the Start
I very much enjoyed racing in Bangalore in 2004, even though the standard of facilities and probably the standard of the racing was not great, and even though I backed 8 losers out of 8. :thumbsdown:The meeting seemed to be professionally run.
Bangalore itself was not a holiday highlight, but some places not so far away - such as Ootacamund (aka Snooty Ooty), Mysore and Cochin (the first two have their own race tracks) - were well worth a visit. India itself is utterly fascinating, if hard work.
Bangalore itself was not a holiday highlight, but some places not so far away - such as Ootacamund (aka Snooty Ooty), Mysore and Cochin (the first two have their own race tracks) - were well worth a visit. India itself is utterly fascinating, if hard work.
Spoons
At the Start
Some photos from Bangalore;
First two are of parade ring during racing,grills are there to stop public throwing things at jockeys!My boyfriend won but was involved in enquiry and on way back in was spat on repeatedly by public and had bottle thrown at him.
Third photo is of the yards on the track at Bangalore,not great facilities but each lad looks after only one horse for salary of €16 a month so the place is immaculate.A lot better than the smell coming from the lads quarters.
Fourth photo is of stands at Bangalore when there was no racing taking place,all those people were there to bet on racing from another track.
And last of all,how many horses can you fit in a swimming pool at one time!
First two are of parade ring during racing,grills are there to stop public throwing things at jockeys!My boyfriend won but was involved in enquiry and on way back in was spat on repeatedly by public and had bottle thrown at him.
Third photo is of the yards on the track at Bangalore,not great facilities but each lad looks after only one horse for salary of €16 a month so the place is immaculate.A lot better than the smell coming from the lads quarters.
Fourth photo is of stands at Bangalore when there was no racing taking place,all those people were there to bet on racing from another track.
And last of all,how many horses can you fit in a swimming pool at one time!
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Super pix, Spoons! The place looks very well-kept to me - and I like those stuffed winning enclosures - at least not much chance of the horse kicking anyone. The horses' quarters look a bit rough, but I daresay they're clean. Do the old bits of sacking over the stalls get hosed? I know that in some very hot climates, wet sacking's used as a sort of air cooling system!
Dylan Thomas
At the Start
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http://sidfernando.wordpress.com/
This is a very good site if you want to find out anything about her
This is a very good site if you want to find out anything about her
J Alfred Prufrock
At the Start
Thanks for the photos, Spoons. They remind me very much of my visit there. Only difference being it was >100 degrees F with a searing sun when I went there!