Aslam Kader passes away: ‘Rarest of rare talent, star jockey, loyal friend'

Jockey Aslam Kader the pintsized dynamo who ruled the Indian turf with his powerhouse riding for over two decades 19792004 passed away on Thursday around 1130 am at his Bangalore home He was 63Kader was diagnosed with lung cancer and was undergoing treatment His health worsened two weeks ago necessitating hospitalisation but the doctors sent him home last week so that he could spend his final days with family at homeIn his career as a jockey Kader won championships at multiple racing centres in India notching up 1717 wins including three Indian Derby titles with Astonish 1992 Astronomic 1993 and Elusive Pimpernel 1995 His record of 77 wins in a Mahalaxmi season 198889 stands unchallenged till datePesi Shroff now champion trainer who was once Kaders fiercest rival as a jockey was shocked beyond words when midday broke the news to him Our rivalry was limited to the racetrack we had healthy respect for each others talent I would often jokingly tell him I would retain him as my exclusive rider if I ever became a trainerldquoRarest of rare talent a star jockey and a loyal friend We were lucky to have seen him riding those beautiful powerhouse finishesrdquo described trainer Narendra Lagad who in the early 1980s assisted his uncle trainer Bal Lagad for whom Kader rode at the timeWe have lost a legend who pulled crowds just to watch him ride and win In his prime his aura was second to none said jockey Suraj Narredu who recently became the first Indian jockey to win a race at Royal Ascot UKAslam bhai ji was not only a great rider but also an excellent instructor As my senior jockey he taught me the art of riding how to judge pace and how to preserve the horses best for the last furlong said jockeyturnedtrainer Malesh Narredu adding ldquoWe have so many top riders in our family but yoursquoll be surprised to know that when my nephew Surajrsquos son Aarush said he wanted to become a jockey we sent him to Aslam bhai ji for trainingrdquoBezan Chenoy trainer of Astonish Kaders first Indian Derby winner said ldquoA gifted rider one of the finest jockeys India has ever seen We worked together successfully for many years I was lucky to know him He will be missedThe racing world has lost one of its jewels Personally I have lost a dear friend trainer MK Jadhav at whose home Kader used to dine during his apprenticeship days in Pune over 40 years ago told midday Jadhavs wife even gave Kader training in etiquettes which helped him mingle with the elite circles in racing later during his championship days for which Kader remained grateful for life My wife too is heartbroken today We shared an emotional bond with himrdquo Jadhav addedTrainer Padmanabhan from Bangalore described Kader as a great jockey and very loyal before adding that he was a victim of circumstances on some occasionsrdquo To support his claim he cited the case of a horse named International on which Kader was suspended for eight months during his prime only for it to later emerge that the horse was already lame before running the raceJust last week this newspaper had broken the news of a biopic being made on Aslam Kaderrsquos life by Mumbaibased filmmaker Sahil Saple ldquoHe was very passionate about this project which I hope will be a perfect tribute to his persona Saple said on Thursday