Former ace Jockey B Prakash passes away after heart attack at age 40

B Prakash

Former ace jockey B Prakash passed away after suffering a heart attack in the wee hours of Wednesday at Mumbai. He was only 40, and is survived by wife and two daughters. Prakash was champion jockey at multiple Indian racetracks and had dominated the Indian Classics scene after joining the powerful stable of the late Dr MAM Ramaswamy.

He won more than 2000 races, including more than 100 Classics in the famed golden and brown silks. His two Indian Derby victories were astride Starsky (2002) and Southern Regent (2005). He had taken up taken up the trainer's licence at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) after hanging up boots in 2012, but didn't do as well in the new role.

Richard Hughes, three-time champion English jockey and now trainer, who rode alongside B Prakash when visiting India, expressed his shock and grief by tweeting: "What a loss to Indian racing and all his followers...what a jockey!"

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