Rashid Rustomji Byramji or RRB as he was known to all of us passed away peacefully at home on the morning of January 29, 2022. He leaves a legacy of excellence unparalleled not just in India. No trainer anywhere in the world ever has or ever will dominate racing in a country as he did. He saddled 3115 winners in his career and trained the winners of 228 Classics, 10 Indian Derbies [13 if one were to count the ones he was not allowed to formally saddle], 12 Indian Turf Invitation Cups, 10 Bangalore Summer Derbies that shows the level that he operated at. He set the standard as far as integrity goes, his word was as good as gold.

He was very "old school" in the best way possible. A very kind hearted and humble man, an absolute empath and thorough gentleman if their ever was one. He absolutely doted on his wife Dolly and son Darius, they were one of the most close knit family units that one could ever come across.

If one was to ask his contemporaries I assure you they will all say that to compete against him they had to raise their own game several notches. His fallout with the powers that be at RWITC and his decision to shift base to Bangalore was a tectonic shift in where the power of the sport lay. His arrival came at a time when Bangalore Turf Club was setting up as a full-fledged racing centre, not just a summer base and his presence gave credibility to Bangalore. Many of his Western India based owners moved along with him and that gave Bangalore a fillip. He was the principal trainer for Ranjit Bhat (for whom he won 3 Indian Derbies in a row 1976, 1977 and 1978), The Khataus, JP Goenka and later for Vijay Mallya and Deepak Khaitan. One could say that RRB pretty much trained through the golden era of Indian racing. It was from his Bangalore base that he raided and won classics all over the country.

At a personal level I knew him well from the time I was a little child for just over 40 years. He was great fun to be with and he used to get that gleam in his eye whenever he told one of his many interesting stories. The other thing about him was his love for good food, he had a voracious appetite and I remember during the Bangalore Summer Season his family and all of us were out for a slap up meal every night. I was lucky enough to see him at work at close quarters whether it was from the stand overlooking the Bund School in Bangalore or at his stables post work, where he would take out his string and check out his horses. I doubt anyone else saw their horses as many times as he did and that is one thing that set him apart; dedication, discipline and plain old hard work. On race days after he finished checking the bits and bridles and equipment of every runner followed up by trotting-up each horse, he would then go to his office and say a prayer which was followed by Prasad which was simple roasted channas, sugar and coconut. His greatest gift was the ability to keep learning. If even a chit of a boy [as I was then] would suggest something to him about a horse he would think about it, process it and then if it made sense implement it.

He was a very hard taskmaster too, when he got angry or annoyed the choicest expletives flew, besides milder terms like. 'What do you think we're doing here? Cutting grass' Or the word, 'Hajjaam' was used often but once he got his point across he had this uncanny ability to calm down back to normal in a split second. A very close of my father, they shall forever be connected in Indian racing history for the great feats of Elusive Pimpernel. In his opinion the greatest horse he ever trained. He trained 41 Classic winners for our farm.

He was kind to his not so well off colleagues, would quietly help them when they were in need, a bag of feed, a little monetary help without ever asking for it back besides giving advice and guidance when asked for. Not many would know but he often paid for the last rites of those who were less fortunate. Men who work so hard and live a regimented life for so long find things difficult post retirement, the man lived and breathed, horses and racing. After six decades as a Trainer and over 40-years at the top of his game age caught up, the passing of his beloved wife Dolly a few years ago hit him hard and he started to slow down. Dolly Aunty was his rock and the two of them were inseparable, like peas in a pod. It was always nice to see him in the trainers room on race-days post retirement. He once pulled Arjun Mangalorkar aside and told him. "That boy of yours, Anthony is top class, give him more chances". How right he was.

He had a long career and fruitful life, the universal grief his passing has caused is testament to the esteem that our industry held him in. Personally, I think it would be a great gesture if he was co-credited with the Indian Derbies that were won in the names of his assistants when RWITC did not grant him a license to train there. Its one of those wrongs that were done that need to be righted. The class of the man was that he never looked back with regret at those missed Derbies that should rightfully have been credited to him.

He leaves his son Darius, his daughter-in-law Parvati and a grandson in Kian. He is also survived by his sister Pilloo. Deepest condolences to all of them. Rest in eternal peace Rashid Uncle, you will live in our hearts forever and in the annals of Indian racing history until the end of time!

LEGENDARY FEATS

Started training in 1956 and retired in 2017. His 61 year career is probably the longest on Indian Turf.

•    Saddled 3115 winners during his career, the most by any trainer. (Robert Foley probably has more winners to his credit but most of them came in Tamil Naidu between the years 1997 and 2017 when the racing in that state was insular, uncompetitive and almost farcical. Tamil Nadu statistics for that period are hence ignored.)

•    Won 43 seasonal championships, the highest by any trainer:-

Bangalore Summer – 14 including 11 in consecutive years.
Bangalore Winter – 16 including 11 in consecutive years.
Mumbai Winter – 11 including 9 consecutive years.
Pune -1
Mysore -1

•    In 1975-76, he saddled 48 winners during the Mumbai Winter Season to break trainer S.M. Shah’s record of 42 winners established in 1969-70

1.    His 48 winners came in the season when 247 races were run at a percentage of 19.43

2.    Trainer Imtiaz A Sait equalled his record in 1986-87 when 388 races were run, the percentage being 12.37

3.    In 2009-10 when 355 races were run, Pesi Shroff sent out 61 winners at a percentage of 17.18.

•     His Bangalore Championships tally and consecutive success are  a record.

•     He trained 51 winners during the Bangalore Winter Season of 1981-82 and also 1991-92. The record still stands.

•     He won the Winter Championship at his chosen centre for 20 consecutive years from 1970-71 to 1989-90;9 at Mumbai and 11 at Bangalore.

Classics 

•     His tally of 228 Classics is unsurpassed.

•     He has won a record number of 29 Indian Classics.

•     He has trained

1.    10 Indian Derby winners (including two hat-tricks)
2.    12 Indian Turf Invitation Cup winners (including three hat-tricks)
3.    10 Derby Bangalore winners (including one hat-tricks)

•     He is the only trainer to have saddled winners of all the India Classics in one year. He did that with Reprint and Squanderer in 1975-76.

•     He won eight consecutive Indian Classics starting with Commanche’s Indian Derby and ending with Reflect’s Indian 1000 Guineas. No other trainer has achieved that.

•     He trained five horses (Prince Khartoum, Commanche, Squanderer, Monitou and Track Lightning) to win the Grand Treble of Derby Bangalore-Indian Derby-Indian Turf Invitation Cup. Some other trainers have achieved in once but not five times.

•     He trained two unbeaten Classic winners in Adler and Continual.

Miscellaneous

•     He has trained 15 winners of the President of India Gold Cup which is record.

•     He has also saddled three horses – Commanche, Squanderer and Track Lightning-to win a unique quadruple of Derby Bangalore-Indian Derby-Indian Turf Invitation Cup-President of India Gold Cup.