Bangalore Derby

Bangalore Derby, Kingfisher Derby, Maharaja’s cup were greatly fancied events among race goers in 1970s. Punters came in hordes to Bangalore as did the owners of horses, trainers and jockeys. Hotel rooms were booked in full. Boys with high vocal chords hawked palm sized race books in streets. All roads lead to Bangalore Turf Club in the afternoons.

Rajendran, KK Murthy, Shastry, and Chandru (all names changed)had formed a syndicate to bet on the horses in The Bangalore Derby. They bought Race Books, read the racing columns in the papers, looked into the pedigree of the horses--their sires and dams--their wins and losses, trainers, jockeys, stables, and whatnot. They calculated weights and handicaps. They consulted astrologers, prayed to their favorite deities and took vows to offer their hair or a share of the winnings to the gods. The great day came -- an unfancied horse Drummer Boy--won the race giving a handsome dividend to a lone better. Asked to name his “system”, Suleman, the winner, said he just fancied the name Drummer Boy, because he was in the business of buying empty tar drums, flattening them and selling them to scrap dealers.

So much for the “System”!!