Legendary trainer Rashid Byramji passed away peacefully in Bangalore on Saturday morning at the ripe age of 88. Byramji was very active till the day of his death. He had also attended the running of the Bangalore Derby held a few days ago at the Bangalore Turf Club.

Byramji had called it quits after being at the helm for six decades in July 2017. Byramji was the most successful trainer in the history of Indian racing having saddled a record number of Indian Derby winners besides being the only trainer to have won about 230 classics and saddling about 3000 winners. He was also an undisputed champion at Mumbai and Bangalore as long as he wished to be one. Byramji receded to the background only to promote his son. Otherwise, his reign at the top would have continued longer than it did. Though his last decade as a trainer was uneventful, Byramji had already created records that were too big for anyone to overhaul.

Byramji achieved the status of a legend by the magnitude of his achievements. To be a legend, it’s a lot of hard work, patience and achievement beyond the scope of ordinary mortals. You can’t become a legend in ten or 20 years. It takes longer. Byramji’s reign at the top lasted for six decades. When Byramji had called it a day, it was with a profound sense of satisfaction and immense pride at what was a celebrated career as a top professional.

Byramji enjoyed the reputation for his fair practices as also for his commanding presence. Byramji was easily the colossus of Indian racing as exemplified by his 10 Indian Derby wins, 12 Invitation Cup successes including three hat-tricks, scores of Bangalore Derby wins and countless classic successes. Interestingly, the only classic that he did not win was Calcutta Derby but then he did not race enough at Kolkata and left it for his son sacrificing personal glory.

When Byramji announced his retirement in July 2014, I had asked him whether he was happy to be quitting after long years as a horse trainer? His answer was an emphatic no. ''You get old faster when you think about retirement. This is the reason why I prolonged my career,’’ he had said. ''I have been passionate about horse racing that I cannot imagine myself without being at the race track every morning. I will be at the racecourse every day without the attendant pressures of training top-class horses,’’ he had said despite his advancing years. He was 83 years when he quit training. True to his word, Byramji was there at the racecourse every day whether there was on course racing or off-course betting and was seen enthusiastically backing small amounts on the tote.

Byramji was a role model for fellow racing professionals besides being the guiding force for many to become successful trainers of the day.

Byramji’s name is associated with some of the legendary horses that have graced the Indian turf like Elusive Pimpernel, Squanderer, Commanche, Adler et al. Byramji had the uncanny knack of spotting champions and training them to perfection. He always targeted his wards for the plums and produced them in impeccable condition. There was a time when the mere presence of a Byramji horse would be enough reason for trainers to scratch their horses because they believed that it was next to impossible to take on his horses in big events.

The reason for Byramji’s tremendous success was his intuition and hard work. He believed that the mantra for success was to pick the right horses if only because you would not be competing against them. During his career, Byramji walked from one milestone to another as if it was a walk in the park.

Rashid Byramji’s death marks the end of an amazing era of Indian racing. The gentle giant of Indian racing can rest in peace content at what he achieved in his illustrious career. Byramji may have gone but his amazing legacy lives on.