The day I backed a winner at 100 to one

I enjoyed reading Vijaya Chandrasoma’s piece on the “Sport of Kings” (Sunday Island Mar. 31) more so because I, as a retired public servant, had great regard for his father, M. Chandrasoma, CCS, widely admired for his efficiency and integrity. He was also a good mixer and related well with the high and low in government service, while retaining his status. I remember his dancing the baila at a party organized by a Welfare Society of public servants.

The article under reference mentioned that Chandrasoma Snr. was a keen turfite like myself in my salad days long ago when I was a proud member of the Ceylon Turf Club (CTC) and still sentimentally retain a collection of badges members wore to gain entrance to the grandstand at the Colombo race course.

My friend, SAC Shums who owned a race horse Belle of Enterprise, got me membership. I loved going to the races and watching the horses run and used to accompany him to the races on Saturdays. He asked me to apply for membership of the CTC which I did and he did the rest. I was issued a membership badge for myself and one for an accompanying lady.

Membership of the CTC then was, if I remember right, limited to a 1,000 at that time and my badge meant I was going up the social ladder. I wanted to ‘show off’ to my mother when I went home to my village near Nawalapitiya but when I boasted of my achievement, what I received was a tongue lashing from which it was hard to recover.

“Umba hithanawada umba loku minihek kiyala? Umbta vadagath. pohosath, paulakin kellek denne naha, umba sudu karayek kiyala,”

(You think you are a big shot? No respectable, well-to-do-family will give you a girl thinking you’re a gambler). That was her rejoinder which floored me. But what she said came true when a few marriage proposals fell through.

The Governor’s Cup race day was a big event in Colombo’s social calendar when the socialites displayed all manner of fashions to get their photos into the newspapers. I remember Yvonne Gulamhussein in a sweeping dress with a turban-like headdress and a cigarette at the end of long holder and Sheila Dodanwela, Sir Oliver’s daughter, among them. I can relate many interesting anecdotes from the races but this one is special.

I once dreamed of a horse called Pantoufle which had never won a single race. My instinct dictated against commonsense much to be amusement of my friends who thought I was backing loser. But I placed a bet on him and he came home the winner at odds of 100 to one! I had quite a time convincing my buddies that I had no ‘inside information’ and they nicknamed me “dreamer.”

Vijaya Chandrasoma who’s a turfite like his father attributes the end of racing in Sri Lanka to our lack of a stud industry and the need to import racehorses costing foreign exchange we lacked. He blames the eventual ban on racing on “sanctimonious politicians’” to whom horse racing was bad but casinos were good. But my mother for one welcomed the ban.

G.A.D.Sirimal,
Boralesgmuwa