The winter season of 1959-60 was a triumphant one for the Gwalior stable. H.H. Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia was the leading owner. His private trainer Maj V.M. Lad bagged the Trainers' Title having saddled 26 winners and Pandu Khade, the stable jockey, won his eighth Mahalakshmi Jockeys' Championship. Maharaja Jiwajirao not only lead in Rais-ud-Daula, the winner of Indian St. Leger, Gr.1, but he was also the breeder of Rose de Bahama who won the Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1., Indian Oaks, Gr.1 and Indian Derby, Gr.1 for the Maharaja of Idar. Rose de Bahama and Rais-ud-Daula were bred at the Manjri Stud owned by Maharaja Jiwarjiao. The only Classic that eluded Manjri that year was the Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 which was claimed by Kashmir's Roman Rose. That filly, bred at Jammu Stud, was distinctly lucky to win from the Manjri-bred Nilanjana and Rose de Bahama. Nilanjana was kept too far back in the early stages of the race while Pondicherry interfered so badly with Rose de Bahama that the Idar filly lost all her winning chances. A feature of the Indian Classics that year was that all the winners were owned by the Maharajas, had names starting with 'R' and were born in the month of March.

The Gwalior camp, though, had a worry. It did not have a juvenile winner by the time the season was called off abruptly due to the outbreak of South African Horse Sickness (SAHS). One youngster, carrying the Gwalior colours, who offered a glimmer of hope, was Alijah. He made his debut on 13 March, was not particularly fancied but finished an encouraging third, just a short-head and a neck behind My Dream Girl and Lover's Gift. That run convinced Maharaja Jiwajirao that he had the next year's Derby winner !     

Maj Lad, who trained Alijah, was more cautious. By Hyder Ali (Maj Lad used to call him 'Badshah') out of a Fair Trial mare, Alijah was a latish foal being born on 1st May. He was almost a whole coloured bay except for a small, wispish, crescent-shaped star on the right side of his forehead. He had slightly sloping pasterns and he lacked the physique and 'presence' of Star of Gwalior, the previous Indian Derby winner trained by Maj Lad. As a youngster, he was a bit of a loner, grazing by himself in the paddock away from others. There were two reasons why the Gwalior stable retained him. Firstly, his MacKann half-sister Akka Raje, the first foal his imported  grey dam Padmavati, had placed in the Indian 1000 Guineas as well as Indian Oaks. Secondly, he was a very fluent mover, well balanced and with a long stride. He was an interesting prospect at that stage; nothing more. His owner, though, thought the world of him and that put Maj Lad under pressure.

Maharaja Jiwajirao told Maj Lad to get Alijah ready for the opening day of the Pune season and that he would come down from Gwalior to see him run. The trainer got his ward race fit but on the race day he got the butterflies. He was wary of the Talib runner Sure Shot. Like Alijah, Sure Shot was a three year-old son of Hyder Ali and Talib's prowess with the juveniles was well known. Alijah was the overnight favourite with fair support for Sure Shot. A pensive Maj Lad was sitting by himself in the paddock after the morning work when Talib happened to pass by. He stopped and asked Maj Lad why he looked worried. Maj Lad was candid. He told the Arab trainer that the Maharaja had come down from Gwalior for Alijah's race but Sure Shot gave him cause for concern. "You are worried about my "khekda" (crab) ?, laughed Talib. "Go home, have some breakfast, take a nap and bring the Maharaja to the course to lead in Alijah." The Baroda Plate was over a scurry. Alijah broke well from the tapes, was handy coming to the bend and when Khade gave him his head, he trounced the field  with Sure Shot eight lengths behind in the second spot..
  
An SAHS vaccine had become available just before the Pune season and the entire stock barring the first two days runners had already been vaccinated. Just as well because Alijah reacted badly when he received the 'jab' after his race. He went off his feed completely and lost weight alarmingly. Then, he recovered but it was a painfully slow recovery. It was only towards the end of the Pune season that he was finally cantering. Maharaja Jiwajirao, though, was unperturbed. "There is plenty of time before the Derby", he told Maj Lad. Indeed, there was time. However, the trainer knew that you cannot run in the Blue Riband without at least two lead-up races and his colt was still not in fast work.

Alijah did his first pace work after the horses had moved to Mahalakshmi for the winter season and did it encouragingly. It was then decided that he would run in the Indian 2000 Guineas with a mock race to hone him. Mock races were a rarity in those days and special permission had to be obtained from the Stewards to hold it. In the week before the "2000", Alijah and his two imported stable-mates -- Aureole's Pink Flower half-brother Monkshood and that good stayer Lough Ine -- were chosen as his galloping companions over 1400 m. Kasbekar, who was astride Monkshood was told to set a really fast pace; Khade on Alijah was instructed to ride his mount tenderly while Lough Ine's rider was to maintain a steady gallop throughout. There were many spectators for the mock race and when Monkshood held Alijah and Lough Ine, trainer Dady Adenwalla, a good friend and well wisher of Maj Lad, walked up and said, "If your colt can't beat Monkshood, he has no chance in the Guineas." Maj Lad kept his counsel. Adenwalla did not know that Alijah was giving weight to Monkshood. 

The Indian 2000 Guineas that year was run on Christmas Eve and in the undercard was the Aga Khan's Cup. Gwalior's Lough Ine (Khade up) was narrowly beaten by Tahminah but it was a smiling jockey who returned to the scales. "With a bit of luck, I would have won the race though I was giving weight to the winner. The "2000" is ours", he told Maj Lad. Sure enough, Alijah simply pulverised his 15 rivals, putting seven lengths between him and the second placed Lover's Gift. It was the longest winning margin recorded by a colt in an Indian Classic till then. Handy throughout, Khade had let the colt go only opposite the Second Enclosure and the acceleration that he exhibited was simply stunning. Alijah's previous race had been in Pune so he was running after after a gap of 138 days. No Indian Classic winner had won after such a long gap and that record still stands. Maj Lad was a relieved man. He could now go about preparing Alijah for the Derby.  

Three weeks later came the Sir H.M. Mehta Gold Cup over 2000 m. It was then the accepted lead-up to the Indian Derby and Canny Scot had won it in his year. Alijah was a hot order at 1 to 6 on and he gave no cause for anxiety to his supporters, posting another seven length victory. He was essaying the distance for the first time and Khade had kept him anchored at the rear for a major portion of the race. Given his head early in the straight, he had simply waltzed away.

A storm in the Arabian Sea developed on Saturday, 4 February 1961 and it hit the Mumbai shoreline early in the evening. At first there was more of high winds than rain but at night the heavens really opened up. By dawn, the rain had subsided to an intermittent drizzle but it stopped when the sun came out. Mahalakshmi track is easily affected by rain and the Derby Day's racing seemed uncertain till, just before noon, the Stewards decided to go ahead. The Gwalior camp was worried. His dam being a daughter of Fair Trial, there was a doubt about Alijah's suitability for a mile and a half race. The going added to anxiety for it was certain to be heavy and hence taxing the stamina. Khade usually had a mid-morning nap on race days but that day he was still at the course when the decision to race was announced. He immediately told Maj Lad that he intended walking over the track. It was a shrewd move for when he had finished his walk he had become acquainted with the sections of the track which were most affected.

There were two outstation challengers for the Derby that year. From Guindy came trainer Mohd Lahori with Mr. Al. M. Muthukaruppan Chettiar's State Bank while Calcutta was represented by Fair Babb. No local horse had finished anywhere within the hailing distance of Alijah in his last three starts so he had nothing to fear from them. State Bank was a winner eight races including the South India 2000 Guineas and the South India Derby in which he had scalped the Calcutta Derby winner Glasgow Courser. He demanded some respect and started as the second favourite at 4/1. Fair Babb had finished a distant fourth to Glasgow Courser in the Calcutta Derby. 1 to 3 on was the general price on Alijah though a few 'generous' bookmakers ventured to offer 32/100 !

Khade a got the feel of the track in the very first race of the day since he had a ride on Denier. He was worried. The ground was certain to test Alijah's stamina and blunt his fluent acceleration. However, he kept his dark thoughts to himself. The Starter got the ten colts off (there were no fillies or greys in the race that year) on an even keel and Purtu Singh immediately hustled Maori to the front to make the pace for his bracket-mate Huzoor-e-Aala. Alijah was at the tail-end of the field. Having walked the course earlier, Khade was able to navigate clear of the worst patches but Alijah was still last when Maori emptied his tank around the five-furlong pole and Fair Babb took over. Khade got some fortuitous openings in the inner lanes and he took Alijah through them so that he was just behind Fair Babb and Bold Venture coming into the straight. Hitting the front too early was a charge often laid against Pandu Khade. He would not been guilty of it this time, though. Curbing his natural instinct, Khade let Alijah simmer. Just as they approached the First Enclosure, Khade sent Alijah past Fair Babb and in a trice he had opened a gap of about three lengths. The timing was just perfect and the gap that he had pinched was crucial. State Bank and Huzoor-e-Aala, better stayers on pedigree, finished on well from the rear but never quite got to Alijah. The final verdict was a length, a length and a quarter and three lengths with Fair Babb plodding on finish in the frame. The time of  2:47:4 was the second slowest -- and still is -- in the history of the race. The time clearly depicts the state of the going.

Khade's third Indian Derby win took his tally to three, the most by any jockey till then. It was also the the third Indian Derby win for Maharaja Jiwajirao and second for his trainer Maj V.M. Lad. Alijah had vindicated Maharaja Jiwajirao's long held belief that Alijah would win the Indian Derby. He was now in line for the Indian Triple Crown but the Gwalior camp was not upbeat because of Alijah's stamina limitations and his ability to last  the Indian St. Leger distance. And so it proved for Alijah could finish only a faraway third behind State Bank and Huzoor-e-Aala. The Indian St. Leger was held on the day that Queen Elizabeth II was present at Mahalakshmi. Two races had been framed in honour of The Queen  and they were run on either side of the St. Leger. Gwalior won the first one with Flying Carpet whom Khade sent on past the front runner Oceana soon after negotiating the bend. Flying Carpet won by a handy margin ahead of the three year-old Loyal Manzar who finished on well but encountered many traffic problems in a crowded field of 24 runners.  The presentation ceremony was held after the second race was won by Fair Babb. The Queen had a fairly long conversation with Maj Lad and he was never shy of repeating it in later years and it never differed by even one word:-

"You had the favourite in the St. Leger, Major," The Queen set the ball rolling.

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Maj Lad. "We did not think he would stay the distance. His dam is by Fair Trial".

"Is that so ?," continued The Queen. "But he won the Derby, didn't he ?".

"He did, Your Majesty," said Maj Lad. "I can't tell you how. My jockey rode a perfect race. He is a genius." 

INDIAN DERBY, Gr.1
Sunday, 5 February 1961

For Indian Colts and Fillies, 4 years-old only (foaled in 1957). Colts 9 st.. Fillies 8 st. 9 lbs. One and a half miles.

A Gold Trophy value Rs. 3,000. Sweepstakes of Rs. 800 with Rs. 55,000 added from the Fund. Total stakes Rs. 99,200. Winner the Trophy and Rs. 63,612; second, Rs. 18,848; third, Rs. 11,780; Rs. 4,960 to the breeder of the Winner.

1.  ALIJAH (P. Khade) (100 to 32 on)
     (b c Hyder Ali* - Padmavati* by Fair Trial)
     H.H. The Maharaja of Gwalior

2.  State Bank (J. McGaffin) (4/1)
     (ch c Bellrue* - Old Chimes* by Old Radnor)
     Mr. Al. M. Muthukaruppan Chettiar

3.  Huzoor-e-Aala (N. Shiba) (30/1)
     (b c Premi* - Pomfret* by Mazarin)
     Mr. Badridas Daga

4.  Fair Babb (M. Hayes) (12/1)
     (ch c Babbanio* - Sure Find* by Orthodox)
     Mr. M.B. Medhora

Also ran:  Lover's Gift, Short Flight, Bold Venture. Sure Shot, Maori, Monopole (10 ran).
Winner Trained By:  Maj. V.M. Lad
Verdict: 1,1 1/4, 3  Time:2.47.4  
Tote: Rs. 12 for win and Rs. 10, Rs. 14 and Rs. 73 for places. Forecast Pool: 12.50.

Some Highlights

*  There were no fillies or greys in the field.

*  Alijah won the race on his fifth career start. That makes the least experienced winner of the Indian Derby. 

It was again a splendid year for Maharaja Jiwajirao. Apart from Alijah's two Indian Classics, he almost made a clean sweep of the prestigious terms races for older horses. Mukhtar-ul-Mulk won the Jammu Stud Gold Cup, Gul Mohar bagged the Rajpipla Gold Cup, Lough Ine and Gul Mohar were 1-2 in the Eclipse Stakes of India and Lough Ine was  also victorious in the C.N. Wadia Cup. Lough Ine ran  second to Tahminah in The Aga Khan's Cup and to Star Witness in The Aga Khan's Spring Cup while Daybreak was the runner-up in The Byculla Club Cup to Polish. This was the zenith of his racing but physically he was in a bad way.  A diabetic since a young age, his chain smoking did not help matters. Queen Elizabeth II sent her personal doctor to have a look at him but, as he said, it was much too late. The Maharaja, "George" to his friends, passed away on 16 July 1961 at Mumbai. He was only 45 years old. His widow, Maharani Vijaya Raje, decided to maintain the family's racing tradition but as a mark of respect for the departed Maharaja, the Gwaliot stable fielded no runners during the Pune season of 1961

With Kashmir and Baroda, Gwalior was at the forefront of royal patronage that was badly needed to sustain the sport in immediate post-Independence period. Unlike the other two, Maharaja Jiwajirao was actively involved in the administration of his state and was an able ruler. The Gwalior 'Gharana' is the oldest school of Indian Classical music and its exponents have always found the support from the royal court. Gwalior is also considered the "Home of Sarod" and Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, father of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, was a musician in the court  at Gwalior. 

When the Gwalior colours returned to the track at Mahalakshmi, it was obvious that the long absence had rusted Alijah. He was on the board in his first two starts but missed it in his next. Those runs brought him back to form and he reeled off a hat-trick  in the Sir Rahimtoola Chinoy Memorial Cup, Rajpipla Gold Cup and Eve Champion Cup. Then came the newly instituted H.H. Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Gold Cup which the Gwalior camp desperately wanted to win and for which Alijah was the favourite. However, he was beaten a head by Rushikesh who was getting more than a stone from Alijah. The four runners -- Rushikesh, Alijah, Ali Baba and Mukhtar-ul-Mulk -- in the frame, however, paid a rich tribute to the departed Maharaja Jiwajirao. The first three were sons of Manjri Stud's Hyder Ali while the 'got-abroad' Mukhtar-ul-Mulk was carrying Gwalior’s second colours. The Idar Gold Cup late in March was Alijah's swan song. He finished second to Ali Baba who had cut across sharply to the rails a hundred yards from the winning post and put him out of stride. Khade's objection against M.J. Rajoo was duly upheld and Alijah ended his career on a winning note.

From 14 starts, Alijah had notched eight wins and placed five times for stakes of a shade over Rs. 2 lakhs. He was retired to Manjri Stud as a stallion but he had an undistinguished second innings. Hyperion's son Hyder Ali proved himself a formidable stallion at Manjri. His colts were decidedly superior to his fillies and through his first Indian Derby winner Star of Gwalior, he established the only Indian male-line  (Hyder Ali- Star of Gwalior - Jaandaar -- Aztec) of any note.  Alijah's dam Padmavati had died before Alijah did his first canter. A few months after Alijah won the Indian Derby, Hakusho, a son of  Graceful Ivy, Padmavati's half-sister, won the Tokyo Yushun, Gr.1. Though two of Alijah's half-sisters, Madhu Malti and Dilruba, were at Manjri, that nursery was keen to replenish the strain especially as Madhu Malti was proving a difficult breeder. It did not have to look very far for the Gwalior scouts found that Sans Peur, a daughter of his dam's full-sister Golden Flower, was racing down South. She was owned by Mr. S. Rangarajan and Manjri Stud made haste to buy her. Sans Peur produced Buck Passer (by Star of Gwalior) who won the Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 while her daughter got Time-Keeper (by Thundering), a winner of Golconda 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. However, this branch of family, tracing to Tristan's dam Thrift, soon became extinct in India. Another stirp of this family has flourished at Usha Stud from where Self Reliance and her descendants like Arabian Rose, Arabian Prince, Macchupicchu and others have gone on to win 26 Classics all over India.

ALIJAH  (Fifth Foal), b c 1 May 1957. (Died 29 October 1969)
Bred by:  H.H. The Maharaja of Gwalior
Bred at:  Manjri

Maj V.M. Lad retired from training in mid-1980s. At the time of his retirement, he had not led in a Classic winner for well over a decade. Still, his tally of Indian Classic wins was exceeded by only A.L.J. Talib. In about 35 years since his retirement, only his good friend Rashid Byramji, Imtiaz Sait and Pesi Shroff have improved on his tally of 16 Indian Classic wins. Maj Lad trained only for the Gwalior family over a period of over four decades and sent out a winner of every Indian Classic for his royal patrons including winners of three Indian Derbies. After Maharaja Jiwajirao, there was a period when the young Madhavrao Scindia was keenly interested in racing. As his interest and aspirations in the political field grew, his racing ardour waned. Those were the limitations under which Maj. Lad functioned. His record speaks for itself.

The final four years of Maharaja Jiwajirao's life were his most successful on the Turf. That was when Pandu Khade rode in the terracotta light blue silks. Khade and Maj. Lad had a tremendous mutual respect for each other but temperamentally they were not suited to be friends. It is also a fact that Khade's career began to dip after he gave up the Gwalior retainer.

PAST THE POST

Gwalior's Manjri Stud was also in the forefront that year. Apart from Alijah, it had Winged Beauty who won the Indian Oaks. In the Indian 1000 Guineas and Indian St. Leger, a Manjri-born had finished on the board. The following year, Manjri Stud went one better with the Indian Triple Crown winner Loyal Manzar to become the first nursery to produce three consecutive Indian Derby winners.