ZAREER DARASHAH REACHES A LANDMARK

It was the fifth race of a mid-week race day at Mysore in early December '06 and as the horses left the paddock, there was a palpable air of tension around one couple, the Darashah's, Linda and Zareer. Zareer had just led in the winners of the previous two races and he had the favourite in this particular event. Victory for Sharp N Smart in the Nagarahole Plate would see Zareer becoming only the third trainer in the history of Indian horse racing to saddle 2000 winners, an achievement that has been thirty nine years in the making. The two others who have reached this mark are the incomparable Rashid Byramji and Robert Foley.

Sharp N Smart duly played his part in this historic moment and for the normally excitable and voluble Zareer his reaction was fairly subdued. A big hug for Linda, who has been by his side for almost every one of those 2000 wins, and a beaming smile as he walked out to lead his horse in was all the emotion he showed. 

It's been a long hard road since Zareer led in You Will on 20th September, 1967 at the now defunct Secunderabad Racecourse. As he remarks, “Having finally reached this figure I can say with certainty that it will be a very tired person who reaches this mark next.”

The past two years were especially tough for Zareer as the quantity of horses in his care reduced thereby affecting the number of races he won. He, as he says “wanted to get this off my back.”

The magnitude of this accomplishment becomes clear when one considers that no jockey in India has reached 2000 winners and the two trainers who have done so managed it with the backing of large strings and big owners. Zareer would have been happy to reach 500 winners when he started his career with just three horses under his charge. He believes it was only his dedication, application and hard work that brought him this far and says that any aspiring trainer must have these qualities if they want to make a successful career. Zareer has never shied away from a challenge and infact has always met them head on. As he himself says “I love the challenge. That's what keeps me going.”

Having now reached the 2000 winner mark Zareer Darashah is in no mood to give up on the game he loves. A year ago he was planning to call it quits at the end of March 2008. However, having received horses from Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy in mid 2006, Zareer plans to continue training in Mysore from March '08 after handing over his Bangalore based horses to his son Neil. He says that “as long as Dr. Ramaswamy keeps horses with me I will be happy to train.”

India's greatest trainer and the man that Zareer looks up to, Rashid Byramji, sums up Zareer's achievement, “For someone like Zareer to reach 2000 winners is a tremendous feat. He has never had the best stock in his stable and he has done a great job with the horses given to him.”