BENGALURU: An illustrious era in Indian horse racing came to an end on Saturday with the passing of former champion trainer Rashid Byramji here. The 88-year-old, who attended the Winter Derby on Wednesday, died peacefully at home.
A genial man, whose passion for horses is among Indian racing’s folklore, Rashid grew up amongst horses with his grandfather Byramji Rustomji and father Rustomji Byramji both being trainers. A man of many firsts, Byramji earned his trainer's licence in 1955 at the age of 21. In January the following year, the Mumbai-raised youngster won his maiden race, training SA Poonawalla-owned Lingmala to victory. He moved to Bengaluru in 1965.
Longevity could well have been his middle name, as he spent 62 years training his wards who went on to win an awe-inspiring number of races with the triumphs crossing 3,200 which included a record 230 classics. Byramji has the unique distinction of having won a record 11 Indian Derbies including two hat-tricks (1976-78 & 1993-95) apart from a dozen Turf Invitation Cups.
A man known as much for his ability to spot and nurture champions as for his hard work, Byramji rang down the curtains on his glittering career in 2017. He did so with a deep sense of satisfaction of having saddled champions across the country.
Retirement did not mean Byramji stayed away from horses, it meant he spent more time in the stables. Until his last days he was a regular at the Bangalore Turf Club, be it on race days or just to watch the track work.
Paying tribute to the stalwart, champion jockey Suraj Narredu said, "The world has lost a gem. To me he was the greatest that will ever be. I have learnt a lot from him. No one will ever be able to match a legend like him. Not only a brilliant trainer but a thorough gentleman in every sense."
Byramji’s son Darius and daughter-in-law Parvati are both trainers.
