B R Sharan Kumar

  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...

  Magileto Makes It a One-Horse Parade   By Sharan Kumar   Favoured runners ruled early at Bangalore, with Magileto turning the feature into a one-horse parade, but the day’s script flipped sharply when Refreshment, served generously to bookmakers while punters went hungry, mugged hot favourite Alfonsine in a dramatic upset. From effortless processions to unexpected twists, the afternoon swung wildly between hope and heartbreak, leaving punters alternately thrilled, deflated, and muttering the occasional well-deserved curse.   Aman Altaf Hussain enjoyed what can only be described as a chauffeur-driven outing in the 1200 metres Bangalore Turf Club Trophy, the feature event that promised excitement but delivered something closer to a guided tour. Trevor Patel, riding hot favourite Magileto, kindly informed the rest of the field that he would be leading and, in a touching show of collective courtesy, nobody objected. With an uncontested lead wide enough to h...

  Bangalore Turf Club Caught in a No-Win Race   By Sharan Kumar   The Bangalore Turf Club’s upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting on Saturday, November 29 is being hailed as a turning point in its long and tangled history. On paper, it is an exercise in unity.  In reality, it is a plea for trust in a government that has, for decades, kept the Club suspended between eviction notices, extensions, “final warnings,” and assurances that vanish faster than a short-priced favourite caught flat-footed at the start.   The resolutions also authorise the Chairman to act on behalf of the Club, execute all necessary documents, engage with the government, implement the decisions taken at the meeting, and even withdraw the case currently pending before the Supreme Court regarding the ownership of the existing land. A routine clause at first glance, yet when placed at the end of resolutions that rely entirely on government assurances without a single binding safeg...

      Karnataka’s Online Betting Bill : Reform or Ruin?   By Sharan Kumar   The Karnataka government’s proposal to permit online betting on horse racing has sparked significant debate within the racing community. While the move is presented as a step toward modernisation and digital integration, its implications extend far beyond technology. The central question now confronting stakeholders is whether this shift signals an effort to eventually curtail or even eliminate traditional bookmakers , whose role remains vital to the sport’s financial and operational stability.   Online betting in Indian racing is not a new concept. Race clubs have experimented with it previously, with limited success. The primary challenge has always been taxation. Under the current regime, GST rates approaching 40 percent significantly diminish margins, and Section 194BB imposes income tax on winnings above ₹10,000 without allowing set-off against losses. In a ...

  Hyderabad Season Collapses; Racing Faces Breaking Point   By Sharan Kumar   Hyderabad’s winter racing season has effectively collapsed after glanders was confirmed, exposing once again how racing administrators seem determined to sabotage the sport through incompetence and inertia. With a mandatory three-month shutdown wiping out the entire season, the crisis highlights the archaic thinking and shocking lack of initiative among officials who have long outlived their relevance. As two premier racing centres falter, the sport is limping under the weight of its own mismanagement.   With glanders detected in two stabled horses, the unavoidable three-month quarantine and government denotification process has begun. Even under the best-case scenario, no further positives and a completely clean set of tests, the reopening date remains a full three months away. By then, February will have passed, the winter season will be beyond salvage, and Hyderabad’s scorc...