KARACHI: Former champion jockey Claude Fletcher has attributed lack of owners and thoroughbred horses as the key factors behind the declining standard of horse racing in the city.

“Things have drastically changed after shifting of the Karachi Racecourse from the old premises to the existing once,” a dejected Fletcher, who was here on a private visit from the US, told Dawn in an interview the other day.

The 67-year-old Fletcher has fond memories of his almost quarter-of-a-century association — twenty four years to be precise — as a rider with the institution. “I won my first of the three Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cups on Mustabshirah in 1970,” he recalled. He partnered Stride By Stride twice to accomplish the Quaid Gold Cup treble.

Fletcher, who turned trainer in 2005 after migrating to the US, had four Derby wins under his belt which includes four for owner Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara on horses Early Arrival, Yes My Darling, Theek Hai and Millionaires.

“As a youth I used to watch races from outside the KRC since youngsters were not allowed admission inside. I was fascinated by horseracing and decided to take up horse riding,” recalled Fletcher when asked how he got the idea to become a rider. “I joined the KRC in 1967 at the age of 19.”

Fletcher acknowledged that one of the prominent owners of racing horses, Mr. Rusi Dinshaw took him to the riding school and the rest is history.

He said there was a decorum then and only high class gentry including the diplomats were allowed entry in the main enclosure of the old racecourse.

Fletcher termed Aug 17, 1977 as a ‘black day’ when former President Gen Zia-ul-Haq clamped ban on horse racing in the country. “Horse racing virtually died, rendering a number of bread earners jobless for a couple of years before its resumption again,” he maintained.

Fletcher went on to say that horse racing flourished after country’s coming into being and the Karachi Race Club was considered as the hub, even better than India in the region.

He added that there were a number of active thoroughbred horses as owners and trainers used to bring stallions from UK for breeding in their studs. “I was quite upset to see unknown pedigree horses dominating the racing card now,” he remarked.

He said there was enough room for improvement of horse racing and reviving the glorious past which was the hallmark of the KRC in the yesteryear.

Published in Dawn, March 31th, 2016