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Journalism of Courage
When the going gets turf, the tough gets superstitious. Horse racing 8212; where millions are made and millions lost. Even if that is debatable, there is little doubt the Race Course does make or break many. With the success or failure depending on a whole lot of things like hardwork, foresight, quality of horses. And most importantly, luck8230; You may have everything going for you but if the tide is not in your favour that particular day, everything can just as easily go wrong, is a popular belief at the Race Course. And so, like in every field where the ultimate success depends on this ineluctable thing called fate films, cricket, even examination, it8217;s hardly surprising to note that on the tracks too, superstitions and good luck charms often govern the day.
8220;We are about 450 jockeys in the field thus have about 450 ways of being superstitious,8221; smiles Sherry Kapur of Mumbai who has been on the horseback for some 30 years now. 8220;The most common belief is to start the day right and as auspiciously as possible. A bad beginning to a racing day is supposed to be a bad omen. The way you mount your horse is also supposed to bring good or bad luck. Then if you win an important race there is a tendency to use the whip you had that particular day for all your other races. The whip attains the status having all the power to win it!8221;
Another interesting observation comes from jockey Bajrang Singh who reveals that the Turf Club simply does not have a window numbered 13 on its precincts! 8220;Many people believe for some as-yet-untraceable reason that in the sixth race, a horse numbered one will never win,8221; he says, adding he just prays before each race.
Superstitions, however, are not limited to just the jockeys and the punters. It extends even to the owners who tend to bring all kinds of beliefs into play while buying a horse. 8220;A whirl below the eye of a horse is considered ashubh and such a horse for some reason is just not fancied by buyers, whatever its pedigree,8221; reveals Dr. S.R. Gandhe, nutritionist at the Poonawalla Stud Farms.
A perfect example of this being Dr MAM Ramaswamy who never touches such a horse and is well-known for his little piece of string that he carries with him to measure the whirl if it8217;s there on a horse he fancies. 8220;If it extends below the eye you can give me Rs 10 crores and the horse free and I will not take it,8221; he avers. The reason being that the last horse Dr Ramaswamy8217;s brother had touched before he died a sudden death was one with such a whirl. 8220;However, if there is another one above the eye, it is supposed to nullify the effect of the one below. Then all is well,8221; adds Gandhe. 8220;Also a mark on the trachea is a very good omen.8221; Apparently, horse-owners even consult the pundits for an auspicious muhurat or time and it8217;s only then that the horse bought is brought into their own stables.
So what is it that makes all those involved in horse-racing so superstitious? Is it because of the high stakes? Or the indisputable part played by luck on the tracks? 8220;A bit of both perhaps,8221; replies Kharadi, who has seen it all in his 10 years on the course. 8220;The unpredictability of the sport makes you superstitious, even if a few people are willing to admit it. You may get a great performance from your horse on a day you least expect it and this makes you think that there were other factors responsible 8212; like the whip, the coat or even the person you last talked to! It8217;s just like in films or cricket or any other sport where performance has to be aided with a certain amount of luck.8221; And then, of course, even for those who do not believe in all these, there8217;s always that good old horse shoe to lend a hand!
