Kingdom for a horse : Galstaun

No account of racing in India can be complete without the mention of Galstaun. far less the Turf scene in Calcutta. A man of humble origins, he nevertheless rubbed shoulders with princes and potentates. He made a fabulous fortune from racing. He managed to lose virtually all of it by racing as well. With him in mind, the title suggest itself.

Of the many outstanding characters that have decorated the Indian Turf scene, J.C. Galstaun must be considered the most picturesque. This short, yet pugnacious man set himself up as an arch-enemy of the bookmakers, giving no quarter and asking none, and as a champion of all those who felt that they were getting a raw deal from officials of the Club- members of the racing public, trainers and jockeys.

Galstaun was born of humble stock in Julpha in Iran in 1859 and, when he was some ten years old and was, in his own words, at a school which was conducted as most schools in the east, that is, `very little taught and still less learnt,' his family decided to seek for him a better education in Calcutta.

The young Galstaun was duly enrolled in the Armenian Philanthropic Academy, now known as the Armenian College, and later went to St. Xavier's for higher education.

In 1877 Galstaun finished his education and joined his uncle, Mr. M. G. Galstaun, in whose office he worked from 6 a.m. till 9 p.m During his school-days he had been given a pieblad pony and whenever it was possible he would go down to the Maidan for a ride. In this way he attained a certain proficiency in the saddle and was the beneficiary of advice on the art of riding from officers stationed in Fort William.

Shortly after leaving school, he was offered a ride by an army officer who had be-friended him in the course of his early morning exercises. Galstaun accepted and, in fact, won the first race in which he had ever ridden. But he was told that he whipped the pony from the drop of the flag and was still whipping long after it had passed the winning post!

Foundations for Success

Galstaun realised that if he wished to indulge his favourite passion he would also have to seek success in business circle. He now went off to Singapore to meet certain friends of his uncle who had died just about then; he came back appointed by those friends as their agent in Calcutta. However, all he had left was about Rs. 1000/- in his bank account, so he went off to bank of Bengal to call on Sir William Cruickshank and to ask for a loan of Rs.5000/- to set up his office. The visit was fruitless, but as he was unable to raise the money elsewhere he returned to the bank and wisely choose the hour immediately after the lunch. his arrival coincided with Sir William's who took the initiative and asked Galstaun if he still wanted that loan. On Galstaun replying in the affirmative, he immediately scribbled out a slip to the Chief Accountant and the money was duly credited to JC's account.

In due course, Galstaun proposed in business and began to own horses. Sir Ormonde Winter, a great chronicler of the Calcutta Turf, records that `Galstaun started racing in 1890 and rode his own horse to victory at Barrackpore'.

For himself, JC recalls that the first horse he owned was the Deer, an extremely handsome Arab. The Deer was raced in the 1891 monsoon meeting and this was when JC came into his own for the first time as a betting man.

The bookmaker were laying 8 to 1 against his horse and so Rs.1000/- each way was invested. Ishtar was the rage at 6 to 4 on, but Galstaun on The Deer joined issue with Bertie Bates riding Ishtar, and they passed the post locked together asking each other who had won. The judge gave the race to The Deer. To Galstaun's dismay, as he came out of the weighing room he was told by his connections that they had lost their nerve and had put only Rs.100/- on his mount.

Up Against Officialdom

By 1895 Galstaun had increased his string to four horses but they were not of any great quality. He was still racing in Barrackpore in the monsoon meeting and at extra meetings at Calcutta, interspersed with occasional visits to Lucknow, Ambala and Meerut.

It was now that he had his first brush with officialdom. He had bought a chestnut mare named Queenie and after racing her in the monsoon meeting in 1895, he sent her to Mr. Stephen in Dacca where, in 1896, she won the Cooch Behar Cup, the Nawab Ashanolla's Purse and the merchant's Cup Entry for these races had a condition to thre had a condition to the effect that horses entered should be the bona fide property of residents of Dacca .

Stephen had sent Galstaun a copy of the prospectus in his own handwriting in which this condition was not stated. Stephen died suddenly and so a complaint was lodged against Galstaun for violation of the conditions of the races concerned. Galstaun defended himself by saying that he had not been favoured with a copy of the prospectus and, when asked what had been favoured with, was in all sorts of trouble as he could not find the letter written him by Stephen . Accordingly, the Calcutta Stewards confirmed the decision of the Dacca Steward, disqualifying Queenie for the three races involved and warning `Mr. J.C. Galstaun off the Calcutta course and all other places where the Calcutta Turf Club rules were in force. 'Queenie was disqualified in perpetuity for all races.

Off went Galstaun to the High Court, seeking an injunction to restrain the execution of the Stewards' decision. Thereupon, E.H.Cowie of Sanderson and Company, solicitors to the Club, approached Galstaun and informed him that the whole matter could and would be settled provided he withdrew his suit. Galstaun accordingly withdrew, but it was not until the 28th February 1900 that the following appeared in the Racing Calendar. `The notice in connection with the Queenie case which appeared in the Racing Calendar, No.43 of 10th December, 1896, is now withdrawn.'

Galstaun was now back in racing. In later years he used to recall how, before the ban on doping, it was quite a common occurrence to hear champagne corks pop in the paddock when a likely winner was given a wee sip just before the race. In fact one of his own horses, Matalgia, was extremely fond of port and was given half a bottle every time he ran.

Galstaun Vs. Allen

Galstaun's first year back on the track was a dull one. But it was, as he said, `the dark hour before the dawn for I was to win the Viceroy's Cup for the first time in the following year.'

A few days before the race Galstaun arranged for an American-bred named Vasto to run in a trial with Cretonne, with a sprinter as a pacemaker. The stand was full of people and Cretonne beat Vasto by some twenty lengths. Sir Apcar thereupon sent a message to Galstaun suggesting that he withdraw his horse if he did not wish to be disgraced. Vasto was run in the Trials a week later and finished a poor fourth to Record Reign, Tubal Cain Stand Off. But Hoyt, who had declined to ride King-at-Arms, said to Galstaun, "I will win the Cup for you, Sir," Galstaun rushed off to the bookmakers' ring where Vasto was on offer at 20 to 1. He took ten bets of Rs.20,000/- to 1,000/- and one of Rs.6000/- to Rs.2000/- a place, and told all his friends to have a bet. On the day of the race Vasto went out of sixes, was ridden in exemplary fashion by Hoyt and won comfortably by two lengths from Cretonne, with Acetine third. Sir Apcar then sent JC another message saying that he would never again condemn a horse without a trial.

Galstaun then bought Cretonne and entered him on the next racing day. An agreement was struck with Barney Allen that he would not lay his bets until Galstaun had got his on, but Allen ratted and so Galstaun went to work. As the prices went up and Brittain opened with even money, Allen shouted "Even thousand". Immediately Galstaun shouted "Five thousand to a thousand, even thousand a place ritual" (another runner in the race).

Allen dashed off to the men he had placed in front of other bookies and told them not to back Cretonne as Galstaun was apparently not on the job. Cretonne drifted out to fours, then Galstaun got a friend to take Rs.16000 to 4000 with Saul Green who, incidentally, was in partnership with Allen. A few more bets at threes and twos were laid and Cretonne duly won a short head from Ritual on which Galstaun picked up a further Rs.1000 which he had invested for Ritual to place.

Allen continued to run into bad luck in the shape of Galstaun. He was finally forced to sell all his horses one of which, Hoop Iron, Galstaun picked up for Rs. 7000/-. He sent the horse to Bombay where he won the Byculla Cup.

More Horses at Galstaun Park

In 1900 Galstaun started his association with Jimmy Robinson who was to ride for him for the next twelve years. Of him Galstaun used to say that he did not know whether he was a better jockey than a friend, but that it was his deep knowledge and understanding of horses which made heavy gambling possible for his owner. All Galstaun's big betting coups were arranged and brought off with Robinson's knowledge and co-operation. `Time and Again' Galstaun has written, ` he discovered hidden merits in horses in my stable of which even my trainers knew nothing. He was, too, beyond question, the best judge of pace that I have come across-incidentally, the highest gift a jockey can possess.'

Galstaun's stable was located in Galstaun Park, a property which he had acquired on Lower Circular Road. Here, he later build a most magnificent building furnished in the best possible style and containing many rare Objects D'art. In this beautiful home `the Old Man' as he was affectionately known to his family and circle of close friends, would preside at his dining table which could be extended to take twenty-four people. The appurtenances were of the finest, the cuisine and wines as good as anywhere in the world, and was treated to meals fit for Kings. It was only natural that, subsequently, the property was acquired by the Nizam of Hyderabad, but regrettably it is now a hostel for Central Government staff with ugly high-rise buildings coming up all over the once beautiful park which surrounded the house.

The Nun's Story

One morning when Galstaun's horses were returning from the race course, one of his better ones, Paddy's Darling, broke away and ran into the grounds of the Little Sisters of the Poor Convent which was exactly opposite Galstaun Park. When attempts were made to get the filly out the nuns refused to let her go saying that the horse which they used in their carriage had died so they had prayed in community for a replacement; it was obvious that their prayers had been answered. It was not until Galstaun explained that a race-horse would be of no use to them a suitable animal that Paddy's Darling was recovered.

A Question of Handicapping

In the season of 1908-09 he won twenty-seven races and followed up the next year with twenty-two wins in Calcutta alone. In spite of these successes, JC felt that he was not being fairly treated by the handicapper of that time, Sam Griffiths. Letters to the Secretary went unanswered, so he decided to take law into his own hands. He entered one of his carriage horses christened, Lord Betty, in a race to see what handicap he would be getting and was promptly given top weight.

When Lord Betty appeared in the parade ring a hoot of laughter went up from the crowd. The Stewards asked Galstaun to take him out of the race, but as he left he had a grievance he ran him. Lord Betty finished some two furlongs behind the field. No doubt thankful that, on this occasion, there was no carriage to draw.

Galstaun and Griffiths were summoned to the Stewards' room after the race and asked the reason for entering a carriage horse. Galstaun said that he was not satisfied with the handicapping of his horses and had said so and he wished to test Griffiths' system of handicapping new-comers. The matter thereupon was dropped; Galstaun and Griffiths shook hands and became good friends after that. But Galstaun, in all fairness, records in his autobiography what Sir Ormonde Winter had to say of the handicapper.

"Mr. Griffiths, an Australian, with a long racing experience down under, was appointed handicapper to the C.T.C. and the more owners complained of the handicap the more was it proved by actual running that Mr. Griffiths was right, which, when all is said and done, is a great feather in the cap of the handicapper."

The King Emperor's Cup

Mayfowl had been brought out by the Apcars at about this time and had won the Burdwan Cup. Mayfowl went on to win the Viceroy's Cup for the second time and was established as a firm favourite for the first running of the King Emperor's Cup; the race so named in honour of the visit to India in 1913 of H.M. King George V.

Eighteen runners went to the start for this most prestigious race, one of which was Brogue, a game little mare acquired by Galstaun. Another of Galstaun's jockeys, Whalley, was riding Brogue as Wootton did not make the weight. The mare had a rough passage in the early stages having drawn fourteenth position but came through to win the first running of this event which, since then, has been a regular feature of the Calcutta winter programme.

Galstaun's cup of joy was full when he received the handsome trophy from the hands of his Majesty. There was joy also for the members of the Calcutta Turf Club as, subsequent to his departure, the king was pleased to confer the Royal Charter on the Club, and indicated that he would be happy if the Trial Stakes was henceforward known as the King Emperor's Cup.

With the retirement from the saddle of Jimmy Robinson, Galstaun at last began to cut down on his big string which, at one time, had numbered over fifty horses in training. This was perhaps just as well as, with the onset of the Great War at about this time, interest in horse-racing, as in most other popular and organised pastimes, was on the wane.

Dark Legend

When the Maharaja of Jodhpur died in 1916 his string of horses was put up for sale and Galstaun decided that he would acquire Dark Legend.

Dark Legend duly obliged in the Wellesley Plate, ridden by Huxley from behind, and he gave Rose, who had the mount, an arm-chair ride in the King Emperor's Cup winning in a canter by two lengths. Now came the Viceroy's Cup. Huxley was again to ride Dark Legend who was installed as firm favourite, yet quite a good amount of money was coming for a horse called One who had shown good form. From a good start One ran into a three-length lead along the kidderpore straight, with Dark legend leading the rest of the field. In the back stretch the lead was increased to five lengths and, at the five-furlong mark and to two lengths at the three furlong post, then levelled up as they entered the straight. he then drew away and emerged winner by a clear three lengths. One was the unlucky horse; it was bad luck for his owner, Walen, that the horse had come up against an opponent that had finished third in the English Derby.

Galstaun always believed that Dark Legend was the best horse he ever owned. After he had to be taken out of racing, as his legs had begun to trouble him, he was sent to stud in France. Having won in stakes the price Galstaun had paid for him, and as much again for his owner in bets, he went on to earn at stud just over $ 100,000.

His progeny was impressive : Dark Orient raced with great success in India, while Dark Way had a most successful career on the Continent; Dark Diamond was second in the Grand Prix which he would have won but was badly ridden, Dark Lantern won the French Guineas; and one of two fillies by Dark Legend won the French Oaks and other races. Then there was Easton who raced with success in England while Legend of France won several races in that country and also in England. Finally, at the age of 24, dark Legend produced Galatia who won the English Guineas and Oaks and was the best filly of the year.

His Finest Hour

Galstaun's finest hour came in 1921, when His Royal Highness Edward Prince of Wales visited India and the Prince of Wales Cup was framed as a handicap over six furlongs. JC's Galway Gate was entered even though the connections knew he would be given a welter weight to carry. The Goculdases had a couple of light weights entered, both adsolute fliers. Galway Gate, however, stuck it out - though only just and thus JC achieved his ambition of having won the King's Cup ten years earlier and now capturing the Cup presented by his son. Galstaun handed the stake money to the Prince with the request that it be given away to charities. That was typical of the man.

Time was now running out for Galstaun and his large interests in the shellac industry had come a cropper.

In 1946 the Stewards of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, in their wisdom, at last invited J.C. Galstaun to accept full membership of the club. The hatchet was buried and the hand of friendship extended to a man who had supported the sport so fervently and done so much for racing and racegoers in these parts.

The offer was accepted but J.C. did not live to enjoy for long the privileges attaching to membership. Dogged by ill-health but fighting to the end, he died in 1947 full of honours and looking back on a life he had spent as he wished.