They say history repeats itself. We certainly hope it does !
Back in the 60's when the total foal crop was barely over a 100, there were a few top stud farms where one would go to buy classic horses. Yervada Stud, owned by the Wadias was easily the best followed closely by the Scindias' Manjri Stud and Suresh Mahindra's Greenacres Stud. The smartest thing to do was to go to these farms and pick up couple of their best yearlings and you would probably have a great chance at the Classics two years later. That's exactly what Mr. M.D.Mehta did along with his business partner Mrs. Laxmi Lala (nee Tejwaney). This sowed the seeds of the Gainsville Stud as we know it today. This partnership proved very succeessful for in a few years they owned horses like BAKHTAWAR, BEANDAZ, BRIGHT HANOVAR, OUR SELECT and many more. All these Group winners were trained by the legendary trainer S.M.Shah.
BAKHTAWAR was by Flower Dust - Auroden. He was literally the one who established the Our Liz family in India. The family that we commonly know as Aurelie. BAKHTAWAR had the misfortune of coming across a stalwart like Red Rufus through his classic year and finished behind him in all. He was a late maturing type and was gelded in his later years. When he did come into his own, there wasn't much that anyone could do to stop him. People wished that Red Rufus was still around to now challenge their new hero. He won 26 races in all including The Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Trophy Gr.3 (twice), The C.N.Wadia Gold Cup Gr.2 (thrice), The Idar Gold Cup Gr.3 (twice), The Eclipse Stakes of India Gr.2 (twice), The Eve Champion Trophy Gr.3, The Maharaja Sir Harisinghji Trophy Gr.3, etc. He ran second in the Ruia, the Invitation, the St. Leger, the Scindia, the Eclipse, the Idar, the Turf Club Trophy and the Southern Command. Third in the 2000 Guineas, The Derby, the Scindia and the Eve Champion.
BRIGHT HANOVAR was by Prince Pradeep - Brigandine. He was bred at the Yervada Stud by their new stallion, the Indian raced got-abroad Prince Pradeep. Mr. Mehta and Mrs. Laxmi Lala had offered to buy him privately, but Fali Wadia, the owner of Yervada Stud refused to sell as he had already consigned him to the ring. In the ring, he was bought for a sum less than what was offered privately. Bright Hanovar won the Indian 2000 Guineas and it was the first and maybe only time that the result was reversed in the Stewards' room. Second placed Spellbound who won the race, never beat Bright Hanovar again even on favourable terms. Bright Hanovar beat him in the Derby, the St.Leger and the Inviation Cup, run that year in Calcutta. He also won the General Ragendrasinhji Gr.3, the R.R.Ruia Gr.3, the H.H.Sir Harisinghji Gr.3, the Eclipse Stakes Gr.2 and the Governors Cup (twice). He was later sold to stand at Jaggy stud at a then record price paid for an Indian stallion where he died prematurely.
OUR SELECT was by the Yervada stallion Hervine out of Queen of Kandy.He won the Indian Triple Crown and would have won that year's Invitation Cup, had the front running Patron not broken down and fallen in front of him. That race was won by Mother's Boy who Our Select beat in all the Classics. Our Select also won the A.C.Ardeshir Gold Cup Gr.3, the Eve Champion Cup Gr.3, the R.R.Ruia Gr.3 and the Southern Command Trophy, etc.
BEANDAZ was by Star of Gwalior out of the smart filly Neon from the Stella Marina family. Beandaz was one of the smartest juveniles one has ever seen. He was unbeaten in his first season in Bombay winning 6 of his 6 starts. That by itself must be a record of some kind. He then went on to win the General Rajendrasinghji Gr.3. in Pune beating the subsequent Inviation Cup heroine Venus De Milo. However, he wasn't the same horse at 4 and didn't do much in the classics. But, his first juvenile season will be remembered for years to come. He was retired as a stallion and did sire some useful horses.
Other useful horses owned by the partneship were the very promising juvenile Buland Bakth and Inayat, the son of Rock of Gibraltar and Remembrance who broke down little before the Derby. The partnership ended after the passing away of Mr. M.D.Mehta. Mr.& Mrs. Pratap Lala then raced in the Blue, yellow maltese cross and sleeves silks with some useful horses like the smart sprinter Minsky, the useful Centauresse(in partnership with Mr. & Mrs. D.H.Dhunjibhoy), the illfated Uptown Girl, also in the same partnership, a share in the class I Great Ormand, owned with some friends, more recently Classic Talk(the Dhunjibhoy partnership), Silver Glow from the early days of Riyahi. Silver Glow incidentally was the first runner/winner for Mr. Gautam Lala. Then there was Outburst, out of a full sister to Bakhtawar. Useful, but nowhere close to the almighty Bakhtawar. Volatile was the first then to win in Gautam Lala's Black & White checks silks, followed by Achates and Kiss And Tell.
In the summer of 1999, Gainsville Stud & Agricultural farm Pvt. Ltd was incorporated with plans to build a non-commercial stud farm to breed horses for racing. While those plans were shelved, breeding privately and racing under this banner started with its first runner/winner Vandalism.
