This story is from October 9, 2016

At the race course, eye-catching names lend swagger to studs

The name of any horse is first sent to the Stud Book authority, for verification that it meets the rules and guidelines. Following this the name is permitted for use and registered," he added.
At the race course, eye-catching names lend swagger to studs
(Representative image)
PUNE: 'Franz Ferdinand is a favourite to win the race'.
Franz Ferdinand, the historical figure whose assassination triggered World War I, would have been astounded to hear this sentence, spoken with such ease, at Pune's race course.
A naming pool that far outshines even human names is that of thoroughbred horses. While some are named for luck, others are reflect the horse owner's personality, tastes, or identify with the equine's lineage.
The reasons and origins may vary, but a day at the derby races in the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) in the city will ensure you hear names you may have never heard before.
According Zadmal Singh, president of the horse trainers' association, naming the horses is a matter of individual preference. "Some owners give their horses names beginning with a particular alphabet or after their spouses or children's names. Others name them after stars, constellations, or even a place they visited and liked. It all differs from person to person," he told TOI.
One such example is Mumbai-based businessman Champak Zaveri, who has bred horses for over 50 years. "I have named some of them after places I had visited, including Zanzibar and Papakura (New Zealand). I am also nicknamed 'uncle' by my friends. So I had named some of my horses after that - Uncle's Pet, Uncle's Love," he said.
Zaveri's most famous Horse was Allarakha. "When I had named the horse, my trainer - a Muslim - had warned that it could cause trouble as I am Hindu. But as it turned out, Allarakha was among one of my most popular horses," he recalls.

While there is no science behind the names, Zaveri said that it should be easy to pronounce if one wants the name to become popular. Some other names the RWITC committee member has given his horses include Flying Dragon, and Turf Dancer.
Equines are also named after various popular culture characters such as Shadowfax - a horse from the 'Lord of the Rings' movies, Sansa and Drogo - from TV show 'Game of Thrones', as well as Uncle Scrooge - from the cartoon series 'Duck Tales', to name a few. The horses, though, do not mind. "A horse does not respond to the name it is given but to the tone with which it is called," Singh said.
In addition, races as a whole entail much superstition. "Superstitions can range from wearing a particular tie to a horse's name beginning with a particular alphabet. If the horse is from a particular winning lineage, then the dam and sire's names may be referenced in its name to reflect the parentage," said Singh. Zaveri's horse Lady Sergeant was named so because its mother was a traffic police horse.
However, there are certain rules. "The naming process is based on rules set forth by the Stud Book authority, which maintains a record of all the thoroughbreds in the country. For instance, the name of a popular horse may not be used until it is still racing and at least 10 years after it has died. There are also protected names of some of the winningest horses, which may never be reused," Singh explained.
"The name of any horse is first sent to the Stud Book authority, for verification that it meets the rules and guidelines. Following this the name is permitted for use and registered," he added.
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