PUNE: There may be no rocket science behind nurturing race horses but the amount of time, tenacity, patience and off course money that goes behind making a horse ready for race is no less a mission.
There isn’t a school or college that prepares trainers or jockeys for the future—it is the close proximity with stables, race course and horses that churn out winners and Narredu family is no different.
From being a jockey to trainer is natural progression, but what makes the Narredu clan special is that the new generation have chosen different vocation and still achieved success in their field.
It all started with Malesh Narredu, who first earned himself name as jockey before becoming a champion trainer, but his two sons—Deepesh and Yash chose different avenues in the same profession and are happy about their choices.
Being the elder of the two, the 25-year-old Deepesh was expected to first get into racing as jockey, but by the time his father had become trainer and he found assisting his father as more to his liking than riding horses.
“When my dad got his trainer’s license in the year 2010 I began to accompany him to the stables and my knowledge for horses and the interest in them automatically developed,” Deepesh told Sakal Times in an interview.
Given the circumstances he was in Deepesh made sure he completed his studies even as he spent most of his time with father in the stables. After assisting his father for about five years Deepesh got his assistant trainer’s license in 2015 even as he completed 3-year BBA course from Symbiosis.
“I was always inclined towards racing, but never got into riding horses,” said Deepesh sitting in his office fronting the stables with frames hanging all around the wall of his famous winners and that of his father.
Deepesh, who has 18 winners since becoming the youngest trainer when he made a dream debut as a professional horse trainer with a debutant horse Awesome One to Scarlet Emperor Plate win.
On Saturday this very Awesome One will vie for the Pune City Gold Cup and Deepesh will have his fingers crossed for his 19th major win.
If it comes along then it will be second of the season for Awesome and Deepesh, the first being the Turf Club Trophy—his only graded win.
The young trainer currently works with 15 horses after starting with 18. Of his 18 wins so far, 11 have come in Mumbai and rest in Pune. On the Poonawalla Million Day he had two horses—King Khalil and Star Silver running. While Star Silver finished runner-up in The Great Secret Plate with Yash on the saddle, King Khalil came third in The Inglenook Plate.
Deepesh believes in patience and he wouldn’t want to rush in for big races so soon. “Hopefully next year I would be able to field a horse in a Derby race,” Deepesh said adding usually “my brother rides with me as we have good understanding between us”.
Yash had been in the saddle for most of the wins Deepesh’s horses scored.
“It is important to know the horse one is riding and I make sure I am there when horses go for track work,” chipped in Yash, who rode Quasar to Invitation Plate win, the second most important race in the season after Derby.
Among the young jockeys, Yash is one who is sought after and races around the country. He has 184 wins racing at all centres, the biggest being President of India Gold Cup.
FORCE BEHIND DEEPESH AND YASH
- Behind the success of both Deepesh and Yash no doubt Malesh had a greater hand as a father who never stopped them from pursuing their passion.
- That is obvious given that Malesh has a long CV that is sprinkled with stars all around.
- With 1700 wins as a Jockey including 7 Pune Derbies and 1 Indian Derby, Malesh had been champion jockey 13 times. He won the Indian triple crown—Indian 2000 Guineas, Indian Derby and Indian St Leger—with Indictment in 1997.
- Having represented India in the Shergar Cup at Ascot and in the Jockeys Challenge in South Africa, Malesh has ridden ridden in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Qatar before becoming trainer.
- As a trainer Malesh has 296 wins from 2010 till date, which includes 25 Classics with 2014-2015 being the best years with five Derbies--Pune Derby, Indian Derby, Bangalore Derby, Hyderabad Derby, Kolkata Derby.
- He won the Invitation Cup the same year followed by the 3 St Legers at Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad as well as the President of India Gold Cup in Hyderabad.
- “That was a dream year that will never come back again,” Deepesh quoted his father and hoped to get those successes for himself too.
