B R Sharan Kumar

  Glanders Blow Pushes Indian Racing to the Brink   By Sharan Kumar   Disaster has struck Indian racing yet again, this time in Bangalore, where five horses have tested positive for the dreaded glanders, forcing a government-mandated three-month shutdown. As if nature’s blow wasn’t enough, human negligence and administrative chaos have eagerly joined the party, pushing the sport deeper into despair. With Hyderabad already crippled and Chennai buried, Indian racing now battles on multiple fronts, disease, incompetence, and a tax regime determined to finish the job.   Glanders, caused by the nasty Burkholderia mallei , is not your routine stable sniffle. It is a highly contagious, often fatal, Category A zoonotic disease that can threaten horses, mules, donkeys, and, if fate is feeling particularly cruel, even humans working around them. The moment it surfaces, the rulebook is brutally clear: lock down the centre, quarantine everything that whinnies, and su...

  BTC’s Bold Resolutions on a Legless Stool   By Sharan Kumar   The Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) has passed a series of resolutions at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on Saturday, each laden with ambitions of relocation, continued occupation, financial concessions, and administrative authorisations. On paper, it looks like a club attempting to take charge of its destiny. But scratch beneath the surface, and the exercise begins to resemble a grand illusion of authority, one that the Government of Karnataka is unlikely to entertain.   For decades, BTC has functioned under the belief that its heritage, influence, and contribution to the city’s social life give it a certain bargaining power. That belief may have felt true in a different era. But in 2025, with no lease on the land it occupies, no legal claim over the 60+ acres on Race Course Road, and a complete dependency on the government for its license, utilities, and operational permissions, the club ...

    Madras Race Club’s Hopes Sealed in Landmark Ruling   By Sharan Kumar   In a landmark ruling that could shake the foundations of horse racing across India, the Madras High Court has authorised the Tamil Nadu Government to proceed unhindered with flood-mitigation and eco-restoration works on the 160-acre Guindy racecourse land, effectively extinguishing any remaining hope of racing ever resuming in Chennai. The race track itself has already been dug up, with saplings planted across vast stretches of the property, signalling the decisive end of a 246-year-old racing tradition in the city.   A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and Mohammed Shaffiq set aside the earlier status quo order that had protected the Madras Race Club’s occupation of the land. Holding that environmental protection, climate resilience and public interest far outweigh private leasehold claims, the court cleared the route for the State to continue developing ponds, sp...

  Can ₹200 Decide a Cricket Presidency?   By Sharan Kumar   In the grand theatre of Karnataka cricket, where power struggles are rarely subtle and where elections often resemble Test matches played on crumbling fifth-day pitches, a new absurdity has emerged. The nomination of K.N. Shantha Kumar for the post of President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) was rejected because the sports body he represented had an outstanding subscription arrear of ₹200. Not a large unpaid bill, not a financial scandal, not even a technical violation of significant consequence, just ₹200 spread across four years, an amount that would barely buy two cups of filter coffee on M.G. Road.   Yet, in the scrutiny room of KSCA’s election machinery, this tiny figure proved fatal.   The question now naturally arises: can such a trivial arrear legitimately topple a nomination for one of the most important administrative seats in Karnataka cricket? The answer, a...

  Ice of Fire Scorches Field with Electrifying Finish   By Sharan Kumar   Ice of Fire, who had earlier strutted around like a budding equine superstar with two top quality wins, was off colour on the tricky Pune track. The run was so disappointing that even the stewards might have checked the racecard twice to confirm it was the same horse.  But back on familiar terrain, the Ice thawed and then promptly set the track ablaze. Coming from last with a big turn of foot, she swept past the field in the final furlong as though the rest were politely making way to win the Gr 2 1600 metres Zavaray S Poonawalla Bangalore 1000 Guineas, the first classic of the season on Friday. Elysium, arriving late to the party, mugged Sunshine for second.   Favourite Mountain Jewel, the proud Deccan Derby winner, travelled wide and moved as if something was not right with her. She returned distressed, Suraj Narredu sensibly putting the brakes on in the last furlong. The mar...

  Mumbai Season Saddles Up; Lean, Late, and Loaded   By Sharan Kumar   While most racing centres across the country are busy wrestling with one crisis or another, some predictable, some invented for sport, the long, winding Mumbai racing season is finally ready to roll out the red carpet on Thursday. Yes, it’s been trimmed from the grand 50-day marathons of yesteryear to a sleek 26-day sprint, but one mustn’t complain: even the monsoon tried to sabotage the party with unseasonal rains but it could only delay the season by a few days.   But Mumbai has its own aura, some call it charm, others call it stubborn glamour but the racing remains fiercely competitive, even if the winners’ enclosure often feels like Pesi Shroff’s private office. Pesi, as ever, holds not just the whip but the entire orchestra, baton included.   Veteran Imtiaz Sait continues to age like the priciest single malt; steady, smooth, and still capable of flooring you. His enthusia...