Anil Mukhi passes away

Anil Mukhi’s passing away will leave a void in Indian horse racing that will not be filled. Two days after thoroughbreds based in the northern hemisphere celebrated their “birthday” and turned a year

Anil Mukhi’s passing away will leave a void in Indian horse racing that will not be filled. Two days after thoroughbreds based in the northern hemisphere celebrated their “birthday” and turned a year older, Anil breathed his last. He succumbed to an illness that he had fought with all the vitality and grit which was so symbolic of the way he lived his life.

He’s gone far too soon and well before his time, but I’m sure that the stalwarts of the industry who had preceded him must have welcomed him into their midst with open arms. Anil is survived by wife Sreedevi and sons Rajiv, Karun and Akshay. The family had migrated to Canada many years ago, where Anil set up and established the very successful Galaxy Bloodstock Services, with clientele across the globe.

He was a bloodstock agent, journalist (columnist for The Hindu also), author, statistician for whom horse racing and breeding was a passion. I was fortunate to have been associated with Anil as far back as the early 1980s, in Mumbai. He ran an organization called Indian Turf Services, with an office on Veer Nariman Road, just next to Flora Fountain. I worked for him and could never have hoped for a better boss or teacher. It was a learning experience that I will always treasure and it cemented a friendship that would last decades.