‘The price of horse can never determine its ability’
In his journey from playing with a pony to becoming a professional bloodstock trader, Rampal has always banked on his “eye for horses” that can win races.
4 min read
Gaurav Rampal’s business includes buying and selling horses for clients, managing the careers of these horses and being a consultant for stud farms across the country. (Express Photo by Janak Rathod)
“A horse might have a big price tag, but it might not win a race. The price of a horse can never determine its ability,” says Gaurav Rampal, a trader of bloodstock, or thoroughbred horses that run races. In his journey from playing with a pony to becoming a professional bloodstock trader, Rampal has always banked on his “eye for horses” that can win races.
The 39-year-old hails from Jhumri Telaiya, Jharkhand. Though he went to school in Dehradun and Mussoorie, Rampal says his love for horses began with a pony he owned back home. Horse riding was also among the various activities he did at school in Dehradun. Rampal completed his graduation from Delhi University, and later pursued an MBA in marketing and finance from Symbiosis, Pune.
After completing his MBA, Rampal worked for two years at the Poonawalla Stud Farms in Pune, had a stint as a banker and then followed his passion for horses. In 2006, Rampal started his business of trading in horses. His business includes buying and selling horses for clients, managing the careers of these horses and being a consultant for stud farms across the country. Rampal spends most of his time between Mumbai and Pune.
“I have been professionally engaged in horse racing and breeding for over a decade. In my endeavour to reach the pinnacle of ‘horsemanship’ in this global trade, I have worked with and have associations with individuals renowned for their prowess in the business. I travel extensively to attend race meetings and horse auctions all over the world. I work internationally with a diverse clientele, including industrialists, business barons and senior advisers to various royal families,” says Rampal.
His clients approach him to buy a horse with certain expectations, Rampal says, and he ensures that they don’t go back with the wrong horse.
“Everybody wants a champion at good value. I contribute to the team in selecting horses with the hope of finding a champion. The uncertainties of this sport make it exciting and challenging,” says Rampal.
His skills have been honed by spending a lot of time with horses and psychically working with them. Rampal says he visits various stud farms across the country, and sometimes abroad, to select horses. The selection process is not easy, he says. Most of the time, he makes many visits and follows up on the growth of a horse before finally buying it for a client.
According to Rampal, there are about 50 stud farms in India. He visits stud farms and selects horses when they are one year old. The racing career of a horse begins at the age of two and the most horses can run for two-three years, he says, adding that the the strong ones can race for four-six years.
“While breeding horses, I have to think about the best possible match between stallion and mare. We try and match physical and genetic compatibility,” Rampal says. While matching the stallion and mare, he says, their pedigree, size, bones and physical conformation are taken into account.
Talking about his business, Rampal says a lot of it is word of mouth and relationship-based.
He says he attends almost all races held at the Mahalakshmi Racecourse, as well as other important ones across the country and the world. However, he says, he has never bet on any race or given any betting suggestions. “I have no temperament and appetite for betting.”
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