MUMBAI: Noted ghazal and playback singer Pankaj Udhas, who passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness, was a keen racing enthusiast too.
A member of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), Udhas owned a few horses and would visit the Mahalaxmi Racecourse as and when he would find time from his busy schedule.
"He would call and ask me if his horse has a chance to win," RWITC based trainer H J Antia told TOI on Monday. Antia used to train his horses. "And when I would tell him yes, he would specially make time to come to the Mahalaxmi racecourse," added Antia.
Late singer would also visit stables at the racecourse to check on the condition of his horses. "He would visit my stable and personally check on the well-being of his horses," informed Antia.
"We lost a very genuine member of the club," said RWITC chairman Surendra Sanas. "It is also a personal loss for me as he was a family friend. He would make it a point to visit the club on Classics race days and almost certainly on Indian Derby Day," recalled Sanas.
Renowned surgeon Dr Mehli Nazir, who jointly-owned a few horses with Udhas, recalled him as a person who loved his horses in action. "We jointly bought our first horse sometime around 2010 called Aliyana. And then we owned a couple of more horses together. When Aliyana won in Pune for the first time, he was too thrilled to lead the winner. It was his first ever win for him," informed Doctor Nazir who is associated with the Breach Candy hospital.
"He found it difficult to devote time to racing after around 2018 because he had a very busy travelling schedule," said trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha, who was perhaps the last to train a horse called Speed Of Sound owned by Udhas in partnership. "He told me I love to enjoy horse racing but was struggling to find time for his passion because of his busy schedule," added Jodha.
