This is the first a series of articles by Epsom Ace to rekindle the good times of the eighties — a period termed by many as the renaissance of Indian racing. Some of the mares like Deep Water Blues, Purita, Rock Haven and Be My Guest held their own on the track or produced champion offspring or both. They were courageous ladies whose legacy remained on Indian soil as their progeny dominated the classics here. They were the unforgettable members of the fairer sex.

We commence our series with Be My Guest — a grey filly under the ownership of the late Mr. L. C. Gupta.

Be My Guest was by Mr Mauritius out of Minniehaha. In the late seventies, she won seven races including The Brindavan Cup.

Between '82 and '84, she produced a trio of highly successful offspring. They were Invitation, Splash and Brave Dancer. Sired by the prolific sire Everyday II (those who followed our Magnificent Seven series of sires will know about his success story), Invitation started her career in whirlwind fashion by claiming the George Williamson Indian Produce Stakes traditionally run on New Years Day, when two-year-olds turn three. Thereafter, she won two more races before her untimely death at three.

Splash was a grey filly, sired by Ballo, who developed late and then notched up eight wins including the prestigious Maharaja's Gold Cup. She fared pretty well in the St. Leger and The Stayers Cup which alerted her connections to the fact that her full brother Brave Dancer, may turn out to be a champion. The powerfully built roan became just that. He won a total of 19 races including the Calcutta Derby and the Mysore Derby. He won the prestigious President of India Gold Cup and the Queen Elizabeth Cup twice. Under the care of experienced trainer Vijay Singh, the property of Ranajit Nobis went from strength to strength. Unfortunately, he was out of sorts during the Invitation Cup in Hyderabad won by Own Beauty. Nevertheless, he turned out to be the pride of Calcutta's turfites. His unsurpassable exploits sparked the imagination of a journalist who authored a book 'Dirty Derby'.

Apart from the colour of his coat, there was one more similarity between this champion colt and his dam Be My Guest. Both enjoyed running in a handy position behind the front-runners before moving in for the kill. Be My Guest will always be remembered for this 'Dancer' from Calcutta who was named after the illustrious Dancing Brave — the winner of the Arc De Triomphe in inimitable style.