The 70`s was the decade of great horses like Comanche, Squanderer, Manitou, Royal Tern and Own Opinion. They won several classics. They made news. But the horse which caught the imagination of punters was Red Cockade and the ovation he got even in defeat was seen to be believed.

The chestnut colt that the Poonawallas bred caught everyone`s eye at the 1973 Madras auction sale. Bought privately by Sam Hill for Rs.60,000 - a middle-range figure then – the colt went on to race for G.Narasimhan and L.Alagappan, in the former`s dark green, white cap colours. Sam Hill`s son D.M.Hill trained him. G Narasimhan was a joint owner of the famous newspaper The Hindu which was the paper that race goers adored for the coverage it gave to the sport.

Richard Alford, who rode him initially, said, ”He was a machine. You just had to guide him… Over 6 furlongs, it would take a good one to beat him even today.”

The start-to-finish specialist`s rivals in the 1975 Colts` Trial Stakes had impeccable home records. Many of them, like Commanche, Cupid and Jaandar, were to achieve greater success in the future. On that day they had only one goal – to beat Red Cockade.

They recklessly pursued him right from the start, charging down the back stretch at a breakneck speed. Instead of slowing down after the blistering early pace, Red Cockade changed gears at the home turn and accelerated. Recalled Alford, “Shafiq (Jaandar) tried to stay with me for half a mile. Then he just disappeared.” Red Cockade won by a distance.

After this performance, it was to safe to believe that the Summer Derby was his for the asking. One bookmaker even offered G.Narasimhan a hefty sum to withdraw him from the race. Suspecting trouble, Narasimhan reacted by obtaining police protection for him. The hottest favourite in the race`s history till then was stabled at the Bangalore Palace and was escorted to the race course by policeman.

In the Derby Jaandar knocked him out of his stride while negotiating the first turn. He settled down afterwards but could pass Jaandar only with about 800 metres to go. Red Cockade came into the straight first but failed to draw clear though he held the lead till the distance post.

Commanche drew alongside at the distance post. Despite hanging, he went on to give his owners Ranjit V.Bhat and Yogesh M.Shah and jockey Jagdish their first wins in the race.

	P G Belliappa

The public gave the winners of what was the country`s richest race a coldl reception. But it roared when they heard that Alford had lodged an objection against Jagdish, the rider of the winner. Alford alleged that Jagdish had hit him in the final 200 metres. In reality, Alford had struck Commanche twice. He was duly fined for lodging a frivolous objection.

Zavary Poonawalla felt that Red Cockade was a miler whose class enabled him to leave his rivals standing. The way he showed his class was mistaken for a display of speed.

The Satinello*-Dusty colt`s pedigree had several staying elements. Red Cockade`s full sister Potential Champion, for example, won the Indian Oaks in 1981 and his half-brother Gomos, the Arc De Triomphe (winter Derby) in 1982.

At Mysore Red Cockade suffered an injury that kept him away from racing for four months. He stepped out for the Class I Mysore Gold Cup on January 3, 1976 at Bangalore. Heavily bandaged and looking gross, he was set to carry the top weight of 62 kg.

His main rival was No Problem. No Problem had won his previous outing smartly and had nothing more to carry than 49 kgs on his back.

The worthies in the member`s and first enclosures felt that No Problem would, quite literally, have no problem in winning. But the old faithfuls in the second enclosure thought differently. They pinned their hearts and fivers on Red Cockade.

He obliged them. The moment he hit the front, his second enclosure fans roared. The cheering intensified as he made a mockery of his bandages and handicap. He led into the straight with No Problem behind and the emotion over his performance spread to all enclosures.

People who did not back him cheered, swept away by his performance. The standing ovation that they gave him continued even after he was led in.

Red Cockade broke down in his next start, that is in the South India Derby. By the time he retired to stud, he had won nine out of 11 races. And more admirers than his contemporaries.