Horse trainer SS Shah called it a day on Sunday at 87, shutting the stable door on a career that kicked off in 1969 and racked up nearly 1,000 winners, including three Indian Derbys—first with Mansoor in 1973, and then, after a gap of 35 years, a dazzling back-to-back double in 2008 (Hotstepper) and 2009 (Antonios). His final bow? A 15/1 stunner on Sunday at Mahalaxmi with Golden Rule, a mare who galloped into the winner’s circle just as her master stepped out of the game.

The irony was the six-year-old mare was actually set to retire before her master, destined to join the stables at the Amateur Riders’ Club last week. But after a gritty run in her previous start, Shah and his assistant Ms Roxanne requested the club for a week’s grace. They rolled the dice on the Sunday card, hoping the veteran could bow out a winner. And she obliged. At 15/1, Golden Rule stunned the pundits, proving once again that Shah’s instinct for a horse’s heart was sharper than any formbook.