Horse racing as a sport has never managed to grab plenty of eyeballs in India. But, it has tremendous history with plenty of prestigious tournaments that make many people stand up and take notice. Recently, an Indian jockey managed to secure a win in the prestigious Shergar Cup at Ascot, United Kingdom. The race is named in honour of Shergar, the horse that won the 1981 Derby and was killed in an IRA kidnap, and was originally sponsored by Shergar’s owner, Aga Khan, and has been held regularly since 1999.

The Indian jockey in question is Suraj Narredu. His victory in Ascot gave an insight as to how ingrained horse racing is in the country. His father, uncle and brothers have all done well in horse racing, and it was obvious that Suraj would continue the tradition. The remarkable thing is, he has raced in all prestigious races in the world and has secured over 2,400 wins. Yet the sad part is, the recognition is minimal. However, in an interaction with India Today, Suraj spoke about the win in Ascot and how every Indian can aspire to become one of the best in horse racing.

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Excerpts from Suraj Narredu interview

India Today: There is a lot of stories associated with the Shergar Cup, Ascot, when you look at it, 16 years ago, I read this story that 16 years ago you had gone to Ascot not as a jockey but as a cheerleader for your uncle, who was also participating there. Now when you led Team Asia to that victory over Europe, I mean those first few moments of achieving something huge, from cheering now to a winner, how do you sum up that moment?

Suraj: It’s actually very hard to put it up in words because you can only feel it but and everything was happening during that particular day and during the race and when I won the race, everything was like a blur to me. The entire whole focus was on winning a race at Ascot and it has been a steady progress for a few months before that. Everything that we were working up to was because keeping Ascot and the Shergar Cup was in mind. So many sort of dreams that I’ve had over the years about racing there and winning there or whatever it was, it all came into one sort of place. It’s like a volcano erupted, you know, that one victory like it just happened and then like boom. I was like didn’t know how to actually celebrate, react it and then even after that the next few days also, I still didn’t understand what has happened and what happened. I knew we won and all those things are happening but deep down inside it took a few days to kind of sink in and then sit at one place and think yes we did it. So, very special moment not just for me, for the entire Indian Racing Fraternity. All of us had felt or dreamt that one of our boys would go here and ride or there would be an Indian representative and that race because even if it was in an equine form. If a horse had to go and race there, any of our trainers had to come and be a part of Ascot or any of our jockeys would do that. So, for all of us, I was kind of representing them and for us to come out and be successful was a very special moment.

India Today: You got family also involved in it. Everybody was there. It was such a special moment indeed but Suraj, how difficult is it to live up to that family lineage? I mean, I read through your history from your grandfather right from the Mahalakshmi Racecourse all the way till now. You’re like, as you mentioned in one of the interviews, you are like the O’Brien family. The O’Brien family in Ireland also has got a huge pedigree when it comes to horse racing. How tough is it to live up to generations of such talent? I mean, uncle was also an ace jockey when you look at it. How tough is it to maintain that pedigree?

Suraj: My grandfather was never involved in racing, but my father was a jockey and then my uncle, he became a jockey. Both of them trained trainers because they were very successful in their jockey career and then now they’re very successful in their training career as well. It is, you know, I feel very satisfied that like now our generation, that is my brother, myself, my cousins, we all have carved our own niche into the sport and we have not only, I think, lived up to the family name, we, in a very humble but a very proud way, I would say that we have tried and carried our family’s legacy maybe a step ahead of what we have done and that is what a family loves to do. You know, you always want to build up, you need to grow, you need to expand and I’m glad that we all have done in our own way and hopefully, we will continue to grow, we will continue to give Indian racing as much as we can and I don’t know, maybe after us, our children, if they get into the sport and hopefully, they would carry the legacy forward.

India Today: Suraj, when you look at it, I had mentioned about 2400 plus wins, raced in all the major centers. You trained in Melbourne also, Malaysia, Macau, you’ve raced everywhere but yet, why do you think the sport hasn’t gotten the popularity that it deserves, especially when you look at it? Is it the financial aspect? Is it the lack of knowledge about this whole thing or is it because it’s not been transformed? The message has not been transmitted to the masses, like yes, even you can also do it. What do you think is the obstacle that why India still hasn’t got on despite your monumental achievements?

Suraj: Racing in UK, they have a newspaper which is this thing called Racing Post, it is only about racing. We get a small column which is say a size of a matchbox or a remote control, so small, you know. And in that, how much can a person write as well? So, you’re not giving enough what do you say, knowledge to the normal non-racing people. If when they start reading things only, they will know. But if you’re not, we are not providing any information, how would they know? Then, obviously, today it is much more easier to market and let people know through social media. The clubs have just now started to use social media, but I think it is way, way bigger here outside of India when you go to look at it and the way they promote their sport, they always getting, what do you say, a lot of information from the jockeys, trainers and owners and putting out in public, you know, which is not done in India. In India, you have two or three, three or four racing journalists who write their opinion about racing. It’s never been asked to the professionals. So, it is their opinion and that is what people read. That is one thing that needs to change in India. And our administration, I would say, has not done enough in the previous years to promote the sport as much as normal any other sport people would be doing. It’s just one day of the derby that has been promoted, but I think we should get together and, you know, make it a seasonal affair. How do you get the new? Now, there are only professionals and their family who know about racing and they will be the next people who will enter the sport. Well, you need to open it. And when you need to open it, you need to call the kids, you know, call the younger generation inside.

India Today: For a race jockey, what are the physical requirements and what are the other logistical requirements when I’m talking about monetary wise? For an ordinary family, what is your advice as to physical training and the financial aspect of it? What all does a normal family needs to do?

Suraj: For anyone to become a jockey, the obvious priorities or requirements are that they have to be light in weight so they don’t have problems in future. Because as you grow, you’re going to put on weight, but you need to be at a weight where you can manage to ride horses. So, I would say when you’re starting off, if you’re anywhere between, say, 48 to 52 kilos, when you start off, that’s when you get your apprentice license. If you’re around that weight, you’re at a pretty decent weight and not allow it to go, you know, maybe 53, 54 after your first few years. That would be an ideal way to ride. So, those are the main criteria to have your weight low.

Have basic educational qualification, that’s at least your 10th standard exams. Higher than that, well and good. In racing, like any other sport, a lot of people start very young. Once you get your apprentice jockey’s license, that would be around, now in India, about between 17 years or a little heavier, 16 as well. What happens is, at the age of 25, you lose something called your allowance, your claim. So, for an apprentice, you get some weight allowance, you can carry 5 kgs lesser, and then depending on the number of winners you’re riding, your allowance claim becomes lower. So, if you start late, you’re not going to have that enough time to finish your claim

You have a very small lifespan in racing as a jockey. Enroll yourself into a riding school at any of the race clubs, and then they’ll guide you to how do you get your license. In different centers, in Bangalore, the process is different. But they have apprentice jockey schools in Hyderabad, and in Calcutta, and in Bombay. So, if they’re selected, so every, I think, once in three years, they select about 10 to 12 boys, and then they mold them and they have this apprentice jockey school where they give them the training, they all the boys stay together. And that’s how you get into the game, they make you a jockey. And monetary-wise, well, to start off riding, there’s not much required.

It’s very basic. The basic is you pay for your own racing equipment, your attire, that’s your racing boots, breeches, helmet, and your body protectors, which is the vest. So, those are the basic requirements. And whatever the riding school fee charges are, I think they’re quite nominal, not very expensive. And once you start riding horses, you’ve done your basic bit of training, you can always go and start riding for a trainer when you’re ready to ride racehorses. Okay, so for people who will be watching this, take this advice from one of India’s best.

India Today: You had said that once you win Shergar, you would now then want to go to Japan. Now, what is the Japan connection when it comes to horse racing? And is that the prime if you have to look at it when it comes to horse racing? Because you said, I moved to Japan, sell everything here and move to Japan. What is the Japan connection in horse racing?

Suraj: The two toughest racing jurisdictions in the world to get in are Hong Kong and Japan. Very, very difficult. And it happens is that you only get invited to ride there at their race clubs as a club jockey, what they call. So far, I think there was only one jockey who had been invited to ride at this Invitational Jockey Challenges, one of India’s legendary jockeys called Vasant Shinde in Hong Kong. And he had won two races there. And after he won the two races, he got an offer to stay there and you know, for a longer time, which he didn’t. And for which, you know, we think that had he stayed, it would have opened doors for India. He had a great association with another legendary trainer called Mr. Rashid Bairamji. And they were dominating the Indian racing scenario. So, for him, and obviously, I think also the language, you know, in Hong Kong is Chinese and stuff like that, I’m guessing so. But he was very comfortable being in his own space and he didn’t want to move there.

But in hindsight, well, it was a decision he had to make at that point of time he made it. But today we understand how difficult it is to get in there, in Hong Kong and Japan. And in fact, my uncle is another jockey who rode in Japan.

Probably the only Indian jockey, I guess, I’m not too sure about it, to ride in Japan. Again, that was way back, I think early 2000s, when he went and rode there, no other Indian jockey has gone there. So, for me, it is like casket, you know, it is a dream come true to get a chance to ride in these race courses. And if a little, small little door opens to go in there, I’ll just jump at it, you know, I won’t think twice. Short term, long term, any, or maybe even for a day or however they give me an opportunity, I’d love to be there. You know, the best of the best horses race there.And the world’s best jockeys are there. So, nothing like competing with the best.

India Today: What is the message you would want to give to all Indians? Because many people are aware of what you did at Shergar Cup, but a fair majority aren’t. So, what is the message that you want to give to all our Indian public and all to the fans of horse racing in this country?

Suraj: I’d like to thank everybody, all the people who have supported me over the years, as I’m not only one in the Shergar Cup and who were really cheering for me on that day. I got a few messages and a call from a lot of people saying how special this was for all of them and how they were all alive. So, thank you very much for always supporting me and please continue doing so. And I will keep trying my best to see that we get more laurels to the country.

– Ends