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Journalism of Courage
As you walk into the Mahalakshmi Race Course, you pass rows of stables with the horse trainers8217; names on them. There are, of course, all the well-known names like Dallas Toddywalla and Bezon Chenoy which stand put among all other male names. But there are also two female trainers among the lot 8212; Irene Patel and Arti Doctor. Arti is the first woman to be granted a license in 1988.
Today, Arti has 40 horses in her stables and many of the tracks old-timers such as Arun Nanda and Vijaypat Singhania keep their prized possessions in her care. But it was not always so easy for the 40-year-old trainer. She started out as an apprentice with Uttam Singh, one of best trainers in the city 8212; in the early 808217;s he used to win one out of every three races his horses ran.
She started with only a handful of horses and had to rely on her family for financial support. But finally Lady Luck smiled on her when she got a horse named Registan 8212; a broken down horse that was given to her on contingency. She trained the horse despite the fact that many had written it off as a useless gelding, and ended up winning four out of the seven races that he ran.
She built up her stable in the last five years and now proudly admits that finally she is financially independent. But one to be content with her success, Arti, like every other trainer, dreams of winning the Derby. Last year she won the Breeder8217;s Produce Steak which carries a cash prize of Rs 9.5 lakh and to date this is her biggest winning. But by her own estimate, it may take over a year for her to train a winner for the Derby. And judging by her luck over the last two weeks, it doesn8217;t look like it is going to be a bad year for her. She has already had two winners and last Thursday had her own filly, Dreams, won a race.
quot;I am in this profession because I am passionate about horses, more than anything else,quot; she says. So she thinks that even if she is unable to fulfill her dream of winning a Derby, it would still be worth the struggle. quot;I have built a reputation for running a clean establishment. People know that I will never gamble, as it does not interest me,quot; she says.
And Arti8217;s love for horses runs in her genes 8212; her parents were avid race-goers and she has been riding since she was a child. She did study Graphic Designing in Ahmedabad and even did a regular job for two years. But her heart was always with horses and finally she packed up her designs.Originally she had planned on a career as a jockey, only to find that she was already too old for the job. quot;I finished college at 23 but a jockey needs to start training at 16,quot; she says.
And although her parents were worried about her future in the world of racing, especially in the initial stages, today they now very proud of her. quot;Without their support I would have never succeeded,quot; she says.
But it has taken more than mere parental support to survive in this strenuous profession as being a trainer is not an easy job. Arti starts her day at 5.30 in the morning, oversees the track work and then takes care of the paperwork. She comes home by 11.30 and is back on the track by 4.00 pm. quot;We do not even have Sunday off as that8217;s a racing day,quot; she says.
The only time she is free is during the month of May, when there are no races in Mumbai or Pune. quot;Then I take a vacation. But I still can8217;t manage enough money to take a trip abroad,quot; she says. And her other hobby is reading. quot;No romance novels though, I have passed that stage in life,quot; she quips.
What she likes best is to spend some time with her friends. She enjoys the Pune racing season in particular as she can meet her friends. Though most of the racing world likes to stick together and enjoy a very active social life, most of Arti8217;s friends are not connected with the races. quot;I wanted friends who were not connected with my work. I don8217;t want to discuss racing morning, noon and night,quot; she says.
