Horse trainer Vinayak no more

MUMBAI: One of the most successful horse trainers at Mumbai, Vinayak, passed away on Wednesday morning at Pune after an unsuccessful battle with cancer. The 47-year-old was diagnosed with brain tumor late last year which turned out to be cancerous. Vinayak had saddled three Indian Derby winners, Indictment, Noble Eagle and Velvet Rope. He had also won Pune Derby four times. Vinayak had forged a great partnership with jockeyturned-trainer Malesh Narredu, who had steered Indictment in 1997 to victory in the Indian Derby. It was the first for the trainer-jockey duo."It came as a big shock. I can't imagine he is no more," Malesh told TOI on Wednesday. "Last night when I was returning to Pune from Bangalore, I was told that he was not feeling well. So from the Pune airport I went straight to his place. He was sleeping but woke up and held my hand but did not speak much and today morning as I was preparing to go and see him again, I got this news," Malesh said. In the last couple of years, Vinayak had become private trainer for Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan. He won the Pune Derby last year with Hills And Stars, owned by Wadhawan. This year he was aiming to win Indian Derby with Hills And Stars but fate had other plans. Yet the gutsy trainer tried to win it from the hospital bed. Giving his Irish jockey Richard Hughes training instruction to prepare Hills And Stars for the big day. Hills And Stars, however, failed to win it. Veteran trainer Magan Singh Jodha, who used to share the same stand with Vinayak at Pune during the morning track works, says the trainers' fraternity will miss him. "It is hard to believe that he is no more. He was a jovial man. We all will miss him," said Jodha.