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A horse is worth its weight in gold
Mr. Vijay Mallya's penchant for horses is
well known and the Kunigal Stud Farm
bears testimony to his enduring passion. He is one
of the most successful owners in India, having won
over 500 races, including more than 100 Classic Races.
Over the years, he has judiciously acquired stallions,
fillies, foals and yearlings of the best bloodlines
available. The farm has earned a reputation for breeding
and rearing horses which win at the highest level
of competition. The preference here is for quality
horses with good confirmation and pedigree.
The farm, located 72 kilometres from Bangalore, is
one of the foremost breeding farms in Southern India
and is perhaps the oldest and biggest stud farm in
India. Over the past seven years, it has bred or raised
more than 200 winners. Of these, notable recent winners
include Saddle Up, Sabre Dance, Astro Dance, Stately
Don, Capitulate, Imperial Leader, Tempt Me Not, Symphony
of Fire to name a few. Vijay Mallya's ace jockey
Pesi Shroff has won him numerous victories.
He is still in the circuit and hopes to win a lot
more.
Vijay Mallya, the debonair and dashing business
tycoon and Chairman of The UB Group,
bought the stud farm eight years ago on lease from
the Government of Karnataka and has developed
it into one of the most modern commercial enterprises
in India. His racing colours are white with a black
V and a red cap. Horses sporting these colours have
won all the major races in the country, including
three successive Classic Indian Turf Invitation
Cups. Mallya's favourite horses are Little
Over, Star Fire Girl and Supervite. Adler
was one of the best horses that Mr Mallya owned and
it remained undefeated in all the eight starts in
India. It was also the first Indian thoroughbred to
win a race on American soil.
The Kunigal stud farm has developed state-of-the-art
thoroughbred facilities to ensure the highest level
of equine care and safety. This is the only way to
guarantee their enduring success. The farm has around
75 mares (25 are imported and the rest are Indian
Classic winners or Classic placed or bred in purple),
4 magnificent stallions, and more than 65 foals &
yearlings. Its aim is to raise horses of exceptional
beauty and temperament, thereby enhancing the performance
potential needed to satisfy the highest standards
of both the competitive owner and the leisure race-enthusiast.
The farm is ideally located with abundant water source
and spans an area of about 475 acres. There are 35
rich, green paddocks of 10-12 acres each and multiple
stable blocks. A sprinkler irrigation system keeps
the fertile alluvial soil lush green, which allows
for excellent pastures as well as fodder farming all
year round. It provides the perfect balance of nutritional
requirements for raising thoroughbreds to maximum
potential. All young stock are raised naturally based
on sound principles to withstand rigourous training.
 The
starting point in the horse-racing game is the place
where the thoroughbred is born and nurtured - the
stud farm. Horse breeding is a science, an intricate
and difficult process. In fact, there is probably
no other sport in the world where the endeavour to
produce an athlete begins even before the athlete
is actually conceived, which makes it one of the most
advanced of its kind.
The thoroughbred is one of the most regal
and magnificent creatures in the world with an exclusivity
that makes it truly blue-blooded and a breed apart.
To be labelled a thoroughbred, a horse's ancestry
has to be traced back to one of three founding sires
- The Byerley Turk (Ireland), The Darley
Arabian (England) and The Godolphin Arabian
(England), which lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.
If a horse's bloodlines do not go back to the trio,
it is simply not a thoroughbred.
Horse-racing in India has grown by leaps and bounds.
In 1969, Indian stud farms produced 391 foals, which
would eventually come up for sale two years later
at the annual auction sales. In 1996, a total of 1,807
foals were registered. Moreover, stud farms are importing
a host of stallions and mares each year and this has,
over a period of time, bettered the quality of stock
that comes up for sale. Descendants of some of the
most illustrious equine families in the world of breeding
are now represented here in India. Thus, you find
offsprings of the legendary Northern Dancer,
one of the greatest progenitors in the world, standing
as stallions at farms in India. The Kunigal Stud Farm
has a grandson of Northern Dancer called Burden
of Proof.
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THE FAMOUS FOUR
The success story of the farm revolves around
the farm's four grand stallions - Bold Russian,
Tejana, Burden of Proof and Adler.
These graceful stallions have won many races,
including many important classics run abroad.
 1.
Bold Russian
This outstanding winning athlete has earned the
reputation for being one of the very best in the
Stud Book.
Year of birth: 1987
Origin: Great Britain
Sire: Persian Bold
Dam: Russian Ribbon
Race Record:
The only multiple English group winner at stud
in India.
Won in Beefeater Gin Celebration Mile at Goodwood
(Gr 2).
Won in Federation Brewery L.C.L. Pils Lager Beeswing
Stakes at Newcastle (Gr 3).
Earned: Over US $ 500,000
2. Tejano
 The
chestnut stallion has superior bloodlines.
Year of birth: 1985
Origin: USA
Sire: Caro
Dam: Infantes
Race Record:
Winner of Hollywood Futurity - G1.
Won in Arlington Washington Futurity - G1.
Won in Cowdin: S G1.
Earned: Over US $ 14,28,177
 3.
Burden of Proof
This bay stallion is a magnificent specimen, holding
an impressive record and is the latest arrival
at Kunigal.
Year of birth: 1992
Origin: Ireland
Sire: Fairy King (USA)
Dam: Belle Passe
Race Record:
Top rated older Miler in Ireland in 1998.
Joint top rated older sprinter in Ireland in 1997.
Won 13 races and placed 13 times, including Budweiser
International Stakes Gr 2.
Earned: Over Pound Sterling 218,512
4. Adler
 This
fine-looking animal is the first Indian horse
to have won a race in USA. He has won 8 races
from 8 starts in India.
Year of birth: 1989
Origin: India
Sire: Riyahi
Dam: Schiaparelli
Race Record:
Mc Dowell Indian 2000 Guineas Gr 1.
Classic Indian Turf Invitation Cup Gr 1.
Bagpiper Gold RWITC Invitational Trophy Gr 2.
Earned: Over Rs 32,02, 705/- |
 The
stud farm has its own resident veterinary surgeons
appointed through a careful National Selection process.
The farm's veterinary unit is equipped with the latest
facilities such as an Operation Theatre, X-ray unit,
Ultra-sound Scanner, clinical lab, anaesthetic machine,
bio-scans, endoscopes, etc. The farm is justifiably
proud of its experienced and dedicated staff.
The pedigree is the most important of all, particularly
when you are pitching the horse for a race. "It
is important to know the performance of parents and
to avoid in-breeding. And the horse should have stamina,
strength and speed," says Dr. Dinesh, veterinary
surgeon at the farm.
What's the feed? "Concentrates - oats, bran, soya
and barley.... The weanlings are given milk powder
in addition to the concentrates. And all horses are
given the mineral mix," says Dr. Hemanth,
junior vet.
The horse is a natural athlete, born to run. The
legs are the most important part of a racehorse since
they have to carry an average weight of 450 to 500
kilos. "If there is a defect visible such as puffiness
of the joints or swellings on the tendons, we immediately
rectify it. But we always follow the motto: Prevention
is better than cure."
The coat should tell you whether the horse is a free
sweater or dry-coated. "Sweating is very helpful
in removing body heat." Lastly, the horse must
be light on its feet while walking and not flat-footed.
The stable area of the mares is scientifically designed.
"The unique thing about these stables here, is,
the stallions can see the main yard from their stables.
The stable area has a gradient, and helps water slope
down and flow into the river, thereby avoiding clogging
of water in the stables."
 How
do you feel working with these magnificent creatures?
"I am really proud. They are great athletes. It
requires a lot of patience and attention to details.
Disease control, de-worming and vaccination are also
important. It's indeed a challenge to breed future
athletes," says Dr. Dinesh, with a sense of pride.
Your most memorable experience? "When I performed
a colic surgery on Dynamic Dancer in 1995.
We gave general anaesthesia… It had a displaced intestine
and the operation was successful."
Buying a Racehorse
Horse-racing is all about drama rather than probabilities.
Owning a racehorse is something to feel proud about,
besides the glamour surrounding the sport.
So, how does one go about buying a racehorse? The
first thing an owner looks for is a horse which has
a rich pedigree. If you want to own a racehorse, you
have to be registered as an owner with one of the
five Turf Clubs in India, which are based in
Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calcutta and Chennai.
The first step is to decide on your budget. You can't
own a racehorse unless you have the bucks.
"Owning a racehorse is a great thrill and
seeing it win is even a greater one. As the training
costs of a racehorse are comparatively cheap here
compared to other countries, most owners are likely
to recover the cost of the purchase price of the horse.
Horses in India are bought as 2-year olds during the
annual auction sales held in Pune and Bangalore. After
buying it, you put it in training with a trainer who
will look after your horse and run it once it is ready,"
says Shivendra Singh, General Manager Business
Development of The UB Group.
A racehorse can race, on an average, from the age
of two years until the age of seven or eight. There
have been quite a few who have continued to race at
the highest level until well past the age of eight.
"Prize
money in India continues to rise, and if your horse
is good you could earn a small fortune,"
Mr Singh adds.
Superstition about horses
In India, there is one more factor which comes into
play irrespective of breeding or looks - the markings.
Every horse has a whorl, a circular marking or pattern,
located on its forehead. If the whorl is located below
eye level, it is considered a bad omen in India and
such a horse is called an Asudar." Some
of India's leading owners believe in this superstition
even though some of the best horses that made their
owners a lot of money were Asudars. But superstition
and beliefs are an integral part of racing. It is
the buyer who is affected, but never the owner," says
Dr.Hemanth.
Bloodstock breeding the world over is progressing
at a tremendous pace. The farm is on a mission to
raise its operating standards of horsemanship, administration
and stallion selection, applying the world's best
practice in every department, in order to meet the
latest challenges and opportunities.
The Kunigal Stud Farm with its excellent track record,
modern facilities and professional management is all
geared up to carve a name in the international arena
as well.
Contact persons:
P.K. Daruwalla, Shivendra Singh, N.M. Dinesh,
Tejaskar
Phone: 08132-20241/51/61 Fax: 08132
- 20411
E-mail: urbbksf@vsnl.com
By J Vinay
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