Ace jockey-turned-trainer Pesi Shroff did the incredible at Mahalaxmi racecourse yesterday.
Ace jockey-turned-trainer Pesi Shroff did the incredible at Mahalaxmi racecourse yesterday. He led in six winners on a single card, creating a new record for western India racing circuit. The old record had stood jointly in the name of trainers Imtiaz Sait and Dallas Todywalla who had won five races each on one card.
Shroff's winners were Jacqueline, Petra, Onassis, Astral Flash, Bright Future and Star Alliance, and all of them were ridden by foreign jockeys.
Jockey Paul Mulrennan opened Pesi Shroff's account for the day with Vijay Shirke and KN Dhunjibhoy's Jacqueline, who toyed with her solitary rival, to win the Maharaja Of Morvi Trophy, the feature event of the day. The same jockey steered another Shroff runner, Petra, for a back-to-back victory when he bagged the Mayor's Trophy. Immediately in the next race, Brazilian S A DeSousa thrashed a class IV field by six-and-a-half lengths, astride yet another Shroff ward, Onassis, owned by the same owners in partnership with Farouq Rattonsey.
Shroff's fans went delirious with this hat-trick, but soon discovered they had more to cheer about. The next race saw C D Hayes driving Vijay Mallya's Astral Flash, saddled by none other than Shroff, to win the Mathradas Goculdas Trophy as the shortest priced favourite of the day. This victory also created yet another unique record which may not be broken in a hurry. Shroff became the first owner in history to lead in all the first five horses saddled by him in a fresh season.
Shroff's winning juggernaut was stopped by none other than his own brother-in-law, trainer Nosher Cama, when Pure Elation decisively beat De Nada (S A DeSousa up). But he soon bounced back winning both the upper and lower divisions of the Ancient Warrior Plate with the Jhangiani family's Bright Future (Paul Mulrennan up) and Vijay Mallya's Star Alliance.
"Destiny has a hand in records of such magnitude," Shroff was modest when speaking to MiD DAY after the races. "Such feats can only humble you when you know that you have always worked hard, but luck has chosen this special day for you. I feel especially happy for my staff because their hard work has finally been recognized."
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