Prospects for Indian horses abroad

``EXPORT OR perish'' is a slogan that well applies to New Zealand's bloodstock industry. As a small country with a minuscule population - by Indian standards - the ``land of the long white cloud'' cannot possibly absorb its annual thoroughbred foal crop. Accordingly, it exports several thousand yearlings annually to overseas markets, chiefly Australia, but also to burgeoning Far Eastern racing centres. For this purpose, it has a well-structured marketing organisation.

India is a latecomer to the world of thoroughbred exports. It has not exploited its natural advantages due to a combination of factors, such as severe and crippling restrictions on imports, hitherto lucrative domestic markets, poor infrastructure for transport, etc. Had it been left to Government to gradually discover the rich vein of gold dust that has lain concealed all these years, it might be 2010 before something positive developed! In fact, it has been the crusading zeal of a few private individuals that has brought about significant action on this front of late. These individuals have formed an export cell of the National Horse Breeding Society of India and it is this body that has given the impetus to recent developments.

Before detailing the gradual opening up of this sector, a few words are in order regarding India's potential. We live in a global community right now. The thoroughbred horse of the right credentials is seen by international investors as practically like a currency, it is a stock or a bond, it constitutes goods of a certain value. If a horse has a particularly fashionable pedigree, its appeal is widespread. But it cannot fetch its true value if there are restrictions on its movement.

Unfortunately, despite its relatively disease-free status, India has been perceived as a place from which horses are not welcome. Until recently, only the U.S.A. allowed the entry of Indian horses. However, as a result of the activities of the export cell, Sri Lanka and Mauritius were soon added to the list, and a few weeks ago Malaysia has agreed in principle to accept Indian horses. This is a notable achievement, one that has required a huge amount of effort of dedicated persons acting behind the scenes. Idle critics, of which the Turf has a surfeit, should take note!

Meanwhile, it has taken a crisis of unparalleled magnitude in the Indian breeding industry for people to discover that some Indian horses are worth abroad than here! While our producing and training costs are far lower than elsewhere, our parent stock and rearing practices leave something to be desired. Still, there is always some level at which one can compete, and if India cannot aspire to breeding an Epsom Derby winner just yet, it can certainly produce (and has done so) a Class 1 winner in Hong Kong.

Anyway, that is often how international trade in a commodity begins - as a response to a domestic crisis. Trade is what has made many nations wealthy. It is not for nothing that Britain has been described as ``a nation of shopkeepers''. It is because the international thoroughbred ``currency'' can be moved between nations that value can be added for the supplying country.

Just what kind of horses could India provide to the world? Obviously, the chief candidates would be competitive horses for competitions abroad, whether for racing or show-jumping or polo. Proven racehorses would have the edge here, as yearlings in India have a higher local value than overseas, on account of their being that much further away from realising their earning potential.

Next in importance, because their number is smaller, would be relatives of horses which have done well abroad. There are cases of mares having come to India like Three Jewels, whose half- sister's son won the Epsom Derby. Immediately after High Rise scored, all the bloodstock agencies in the world were searching for this half-sister, because she was considered to be commercially viable to buy wherever in the world she might have been.

The third category would be native Indian horses, the indigenous breeds, some of those are extremely beautiful animals and they have a wide international appeal. At this time their export is regulated by licence, but it is reported that there are people willing to pay $50,000 for a top class Kathiawari horse. That is good money in any language!

The Thoroughbred in India has been growing in its population at an average compounded rate of 8% per annum over some 40 years until it peaked at approximately 1,900 foals in 1997. Severe corrective measures - some may say excessive - and loss of confidence have resulted in a fall by some 25 to 30% over three years. To the extent that unviable and poor- quality horses have been removed from the Thoroughbred cycle, this is welcome. However, now even decent broodmare prospects have no takers within the country, which is a worrying trend.

Added to the 1,300 horses that will first see the light of day in 2000 are about 1,500 yearlings, 4,000 racehorses in training and an almost equal number of broodmares plus stallions at stud. It is from the ranks of the horses in training that the largest number of horses will be exported.

According to this writers' records, since Astonish stepped on Lufthansa flight LH-757 on April 8, 1993, as many as 74 horses have been officially sent out of the country i.e. with papers, of which 68 have made the journey in the past 18 months. Apart from these, another 30-odd are believed to have been shipped without papers.

Unfortunately, in typical Indian fashion, bureaucracy has conspired to transform a simple commercial exercise into a nightmare jungle of paperwork and technicalities. As it is, because of the perishable nature of the cargo, military precision is required to co-ordinate all the factors and agencies involved. A streamlining of procedures is vital, otherwise although the horse itself may be viable, the cost of its shipping may become outrageous.

There are some spin-offs also through obtaining clearances of horses from India to be shipped freely abroad. If Indian horses perform reasonably well, foreign markets might also be interested in our services. For example, the Dubai-based owner of a racemare might like to have it mated with a stallion in India, with the progeny being reared and trained initially here. This would be specially important for racing countries where the local climate does not support quality bloodstock breeding.

Another example could be top Indian stallions shuttling to the Southern hemisphere for a season. Yet another would be the Indian horse going to compete in Singapore or Istanbul for a specific race, and returning, or a horse from Dubai coming to Bombay and running in, say, the Eclipse Stakes of India, and then going back.

The holding of the Asian Racing Conference in Singapore and Malaysia earlier this year (TheHindu, March 4, 2000) was the catalyst for the shipment overseas of three top Indian-breds a few days ago. On May 19, flight AI-306 departed for Bangkok with none other than Smart Chieftan, Polar Falcon, and Inglenook on board, destined for Los Angeles, California. The trio, which reached tired but safe, is reported to be in the capable hands of Richard Mulhall, who is looking after them for Singapore's champion trainer, Malcolm Thwaites. It is to this latter's barn at Kranji racecourse, Singapore, that the three are scheduled to go after a two month stint in the U.S.A.

During this time, they will be schooled to gallop counter- clockwise, the sole direction in which all Singapore (and U.S.) races are run. As the climate in Singapore is virtually identical to that prevalent in coastal Indian cities, the Indian top- notchers should certainly feel ``at home'' there.

The superior feed they are now munching - and will see in their feed-bins in Singapore as well - should contribute to improving their physical prowess. Using Astonish as a yardstick, there is little doubt that at peak form all would have been capable of winning in Hong Kong, and so by implication in Singapore as well.

What is most interesting, though is that Smart Chieftan has gone in search of new pastures while at his best. He provides a sharp contrast to India's experiences with Own Opinion and Astonish (past their primes), Adler (always fragile) and Super Brave (career ended by injury before he could race). He will provide the yardstick by which we can measure our racehorses, India having been deprived for decades of seeing more than a handful of foreign-bred runners on its tracks. One looks forward to his international debut with eagerness.

DARK LEGEND

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