THE EVE CHAMPION TROPHY (GR.III)

The Eve Champion Trophy commemorates Sir Victor Sassoon who was the one of the most distinguished personalities of the Turf in the 20th Century.

Evelyn Victor Sassoon was born into the Baghdadi Jewish Sassoon family, well known for their extensive business interest and Philanthropy in India. Educated in England, he served in World War I before being wounded. His passion for racing and the thoroughbred found its expression over the next sixty years in both India and England. In this country he raced as “Mr. Eve” and had a training establishment in his Pune property Eve Estate – later given to the nation for the Army School of Physical Training. His major impact on Western India racing came in 1945, when as Senior Steward of the RWITC he took stringent action against the new phenomenon of doping, with the banning of a then leading and powerful trainer. His most significant contribution, however, was to the infant breeding industry with the Eve Bloodstock Scheme. In England, he was known as an enthusiastic buyer of yearlings from the 1920s onwards but enjoyed only limited success in the early days. His luck changed dramatically with the Epsom Derby victory of “PINZA” in 1953. From then on he enjoyed great success in both racing and breeding, winning the Epsom Derby on three more occasions with “HARD RIDDEN”, “CREPELLO” and “ST. PADDY” – the latter two being of his own breeding.
 

The Eve Champion Trophy was first run on 15th February 1941, which was won by “GAY SPANIARD” owned by Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda, trained by M. C. Patel and ridden by Jockey E. Britt. The winner’s purse was Rs.16,173/-. This race always attracts the top 4 year olds in the country.