| Vasant
Shinde is arguably the greatest Indian jockey. It is not statistics alone
that places him above all other Indian jockeys, but his legendary deeds
in the saddle that has become stuff for lore. In a career spanning 26
years, Shinde thrilled the race-goers all over the country with his saddle
artistry and in the process accumulated over 1600 winners including over
100 classics.He quit the scene about seven years ago rather prematurely.
It is not without reason that Shinde was respected for his skill. Rashid
Byramji, India's legendary trainer, regards Shinde as "the finest
Indian jockey ever''. |
| When
he rode Classic Story to a brilliant win in the Bangalore St Leger, in
a departure from tradition, he was asked to receive the cup in recognition
of his outstanding feat which was instrumental in the filly's win against
odds. In fact, Shinde's victory on Tiberio in Mumbai way back in the 70s
is still talked in awe by old-timers. During the 1800 metres race, the
saddle slipped but undeterred, Shinde rode his mount to victory with great
ingenuity and guts, holding the saddle in one hand and reins in the other.
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Shinde
was a natural and was most graceful when in full flight. "He was
poetry in motion'', says trainer Padmanabhan. "There is none greater
than him,'' says champion jockey Pesi Shroff. "He should have never
quit'', he adds.
When he
rode Classic Story to a brilliant win in the Bangalore St Leger, in
a departure from tradition, he was asked to receive the cup in recognition
of his outstanding feat which was instrumental in the filly's win against
odds.
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In fact, Shinde's victory on Tiberio in Mumbai way back in the 70's is
still talked in awe by old-timers. During the 1800 metres race, the saddle
slipped but undeterred, Shinde rode his mount to victory with great ingenuity
and guts, holding the saddle in one hand and reins in the other. Shinde's
ability to get the best out of his horses have earned him respect from
all and sundry. He had the distinction of being the first Indian jockey
to ride winners outside India. As India's representative at the Asian
Racing Conference at Hong Kong, he steered both his mounts to victory.
Perhaps the finest compliment for Shinde came from the legendary Lestor
Piggot who said the jockey who impressed him most during his stint in
India was Shinde. |
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"Shinde
is a lovely rider to watch,'' he had exclaimed. Former English jockey
J Wilson was even more eloquent when he had declared as early 70s that
India may not see another Shinde for another century. M Kinane who rode
in India regularly during the winter months in the last decade, had
said: "Shinde could match any lightweight jockey in the world.''
Shinde was "god's own jockey''. If a pedigree is to be drawn, Vasant
would aptly be God's Gift out of Saddler's Delight, said a noted racing
chronicler. Such praises were dime-a-dozen for this saddle artist.
Shinde,
born in the hill station at Matheran, Maharashtra, into a horse loving
family, rode bareback on ponies through the ridges and slopes which
gave him the best "seat'' that a jockey can have which in turn
gave him absolute control in the saddle.
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Though he lacked formal education, he was blessed with intuition and judgement
that were the hallmark of his riding. After notching his first victory
in a gymkhana race at Pune in 1961, Shinde received his apprentice jockey
license at Mumbai in 1971 and tasted success with his mount, Royal Touch,
after which he named his house. Crippling injuries did not deter him.
He showed courage in adversity. And he quit when he was till sought after
as his hunger had died. Today, he sits at home, looking back nostalgically
on the days he spent in the saddle. He misses all the adulation, attention
that goes with a jockey who is in the limelight. "These days the
phone hardly rings and when it does, it is not for me,'' he says. During
his riding days, the phones never stopped ringing. But what will not stop
irrespective of his being in limelight or not is the respect and regard
that he gets from the race-goers for whom he was a delight in the saddle. |