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Salman Khan emerges victorious
The actor beat professional jockeys to win a 600 metres exhibition race

It was almost a Bollywood-like photo-finish at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse on Sunday afternoon as Salman Khan, riding the stallion Wild Rose, fought off a stiff challenge from professional jockeys Mallesh Nareddu, YS Srinath and B Prakash and two amateurs, to win a 600 metres exhibition race at the Hello! Million.

It was a promotion event for his Friday release Veer (produced by Vijay Gallani for Eros International Media Ltd), in which the Bollywood hunk plays a swashbuckling, horse-riding warrior, but Salman threw himself into preparation days before the race.

He is a trained rider, in case you don’t know, and among his close buddies are several professional jockeys.

With the entire Khan-daan sitting in the Members’ Enclosure of the Turf Club and cheering him lustily, Salman took the finish like a pro, glancing over his shoulder triumphantly at the field a short head behind. He was riding with broken stirrups. But that kind of victory in the face of daunting circumstances, you could have expected from the action hero.

Salman said, “I was nervous, but I won because of God’s grace, and I’m happy about that. There was a slight moment of panic when my stirrups broke… but then; ultimately, it was all good.” The competing jockeys thought he was fantastic in the saddle, the Turf Club members mobbed the actor, and the Mahalaxmi Racecourse enjoyed its day in the sun.