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Back to listsRemained At Top And Profitable To Punters
By S C Sharma | 14-Aug-2020His winners tally is very long and he won more classic races than any other jockey of our country. His full name is Prakash Punaji ( Poonaji ) Bhonsale and not many knows that in 1993 he was rejected by RWITC apprentice rider’s school for being just 2kg overweight as apprentice jockeys required to maintain less than 40 kgs weight but later when one of the ten selected apprenticeunfortunately dropped as he started having epilepsy attacks, B Prakash got a second chance and he didn’t miss that second opportunity and with his hard work and riding skills reached to the top. Truly he was great and favourite and profitable to punters also. As a apprentice he was with H Daji and notched up 21 wins to become the champion apprentice. He downed the silks of many top owners of the country including Vijay Shirke, K N Dhunjibhoy and MAM Ramaswamy. He rode for almost two decades before applying a trainers licence at RWITC in 2012.
B Prakash crowned champion jockey at Mumbai with 37 wins in year 2009. His winners tally stands at 2446 wins and no other jockey in our country except Suraj Narredu passed even 2000 wins mark.
Last year when Suraj rode BSV Prasad Raju trained Guiding Force to victory at Hyderabad races that was his 2000th winner but B Prakash’s winning tally is still more than 400 wins ahead of Suraj Narredu’s tally. Once it was thought the tally of Prakash’s winners is unreachable and no one can touch this tally but now there is a ray of hope that Suraj Narredu may overtake this mark as he is riding superbly and confidently and getting many mounts at all racing centres.
B Prakash’s riding talent was first recognised by Dhunjibhoy and he retained him till 1999 when MAM was searching for a light weight jockey and he offered B Prakash , which at that time he could not refuse. He rode for MAM for a decade and won several races for him all over India. Though his wins at Chennai and Ooty including classic races not recognised much by many but at others centres too he won many races including important classics. He become punters friendly jockey and was very popular among punters who use to back his horses confidently. His heavily backed horses strike rate of success is the best. Before picking up his pro jockey crown in 1999 he won couple of jockeys title as an apprentice too. He won the silver whip for the best jockey in the “ Clash of Titans ” contest between Indian and Foreign riders in 2010 at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. He won more than 100 classic races and his 100th classic win was on Southern Empire in the Indian St Leger in 2007. Some of his unforgettable victories were on Ray of light, Pune derby 1999, Snow Dew, Indian 1000 guineas 2001, Starsky in Indian derby 2002, Amazing Strides , the breeders produce stakes in 2003, Royal Affinity, the Hyd cup in 2003, Southern Regent, Invitational race 2005, Southern Regent in Indian derby 2005, Southern Empire group I win 2006, Mystical , derby and Invitational race 2006, Sweeping Success, Invitational race 2008, Xisca , Deccan derby 2010, Maccupucchu, Indian St leger in 2011 and Almamater, Indian 1000 guineas in 2011.
B Prakash dominated the Indian racing and classic races and remained most profitable jockey to follow by punters. It is also a fact that as a trainer he was not very successful. He passed away at a very young age of 40 years in 2018 due to massive heart attack. His father and former jockey P S Bhonsle won a derby at Bangaluru as a apprentice jockey in 1977 on Manitou when sr jockeys were on strike and the race was ridden by all apprentice jockeys. He remained only apprentice of our country to win a derby. Few days back he too passed away. We pray to the almighty may their souls rest in peace.
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