HYDERABAD: Hyderabad and its love for horses and race courses are known for ages, thanks to the Nizams and Paigahs. CE flips through a few interesting aspects revolving around the city’s beloved race courses and more.
The air is electric at the Malakpet race course in Hyderabad. A race is on and the stands are full of excited supporters swearing, shouting and sweating, even in the gentle winter sun. The 1,200 m race is currently in full swing, and supporters are shouting the names of horses (ranging from Top Secret to Super Angel) as if it is a talisman that will ensure that they will win the race. Adil Mirza, 62, a keen racing enthusiast, entrepreneur and horse owner says that the racecourse transforms itself on race days, “I started racing as a 19-year-old and each time there is a race, the entire atmosphere transforms overnight. It is something that can only be felt and not be described.”
The racing season in India starts in the middle of July and goes on till the end of February. Former polo player and horse aficionado, 69-year-old Siraj Attari who has been a part of Hyderabad’s equestrian history ever since he was a child outlines the history of sport, “In India, racing was a royal sport and all the erstwhile princely states have a rich legacy from Kashmir to Gwalior and Baroda.
Hyderabad was no exception, as the sixth Nizam Mir Mehbub Ali Khan was a passionate racing and horse enthusiast.”Infact, the racecourse at Malakpet is the only one in the world, which was a part of the premises of a palace, the Mehboob Mansion. The Nizam used to shift to the Mansion during the racing season and the center of the axis of the city shifted to Malakpet whenever he was here.
A ringside into history
At one point, there were seven racecourses in Hyderabad, and the Malakpet racecourse (the only one which survived) was started in 1869, thanks to the interest in racing due to its nobility (the Nizams and the Paigahs). As a result, the city had the best infrastructure for equestrian events in India.
The racecourse did not function from the 1940s to 1968 but it was resuscitated, and it has been the epicenter of racing in the city ever since. Set over 100 acres, it is both a sporting enthusiasts delight and a lung space for the city with its green and gleaming grounds. A long list of racing greats from Vasant Shinde, Aslam Kader, Lester Piggott and Richard Hughes have also raced at the course. Attari adds, “Today, it has around 800 stables and champion jockeys like the Scottish great Wille Carson and the Italian legend Frankie Dettori rode him just a decade or so ago.”
The racecourse has also received a long line of patronage from the erstwhile royalty to former Presidents (VV Giri and Fakruddin Ali) and the state’s Chief Ministers from Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, NT Rama Rao and Chandra Babu Naidu who used to be present on special days to hand over trophies.
Cantering through its journey
The race itself is a high octane and energetic affair. Typically, the races are held only on weekends, and each day can have 6-8 races. Shiva Prasad Bhaskar, 49, has been the commentator since 2002 and says that there is never a dull moment on the racecourse. “While the races themselves are less than a minute or two, they are charged with adrenalin. Being in the commentator’s box, there is only a split second for you to identify the horse and access its placement. All of it needs to be processed quickly and accurately.” Racing is as much a science as an art. Those who bet take it very seriously, from the lineage of the horse to the farm it originates from and the weight of the jockey. On Derby days, the stands are at full capacity (around 15,000) and some days (be it Dhanteras or Diwali) are considered to be auspicious for betting. Some events (like the Oaks trophy) are ones in which only the female horses can take part.
Bhaskar reels off the names of stalwarts of the racecourse. “Trainers such as Leo D’Silva (with more than 1,600 winners) and LVR Deshmukh (with a little over 1,000 winners) have coursed through the races here while popular horses like Coral Gables, Tintinnabulation, Lady In Lace and Amorous White have won a number of races over the years cementing their status in the heart of race goers.”
Adil Mirza, 62, a keen racing enthusiast and horse owner recalls a time when the racecourse used to be surrounded with palm trees which used to sway in the evenings! “I have been going to the race course for over forty years now and the reason for its success is the tension, the anticipation, the ifs and buts on the race course. It takes one fifth of a second for fortunes to change!”
He recalls a time when the Chief Minister used to land on a helicopter and has famously spent his own wedding day at the courses as his horse, Rasputin was taking part (it won the race on that day making his absence worthwhile!) The entrepreneur is full of stories of the space, “Betting is a culmination of many things: it is important that one knows the horse and the field. It takes months to prepare a horse and there is a lot of skill which goes into the management.”
The race course also houses the only racing museum in the country which has a treasure trove from the Sixth Nizam’s riding boots to antique stirrups and berets worn by famous players as well as heritage badges and helmets.
There is something for everything at this verdant and grassy oasis in the city. Little wonder that from the former Nizam to the migratory birds to the racing enthusiasts, everyone finds it a haven.