RWITC Keeps Tradition Alive with Media Day at Pune By Sharan Kumar It was “Media Day” at Pune—yes, you read that right, the Royal Western India Turf Club actually remembered the media exists. A rare sight, considering most turf clubs treat reporters warmly only until someone dares to ask a question tougher than “How’s the buffet?” Newspaper coverage remains thinner than a jockey on a crash diet, but at least a couple of websites keep punters armed with the essentials: which horse is actually running and which favourite is about to scamper off with their money. In a sport where favourites rule the board, spotting the fake ones is the difference between walking away with a smile. The 1000 metres Racingpulse.in Trophy was about as shocking as a politician swearing innocence. Bezan Chenoy’s Etoile, who had come close last time, ticked every box and this time let Anthony Raj coast him home with minimal drama. Adonis tried to stir things up but ran out...
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Punters Bled Dry While Turf Clubs Play Government By Sharan Kumar Indian turf clubs are perfecting the art of self-destruction. Instead of defending their sport, they’ve copied the government’s worst instinct—tax punters into oblivion—while ignoring illegal betting’s rapid rise. Entry fees soar, facilities crumble, and broadcast rights slip away. Tote revenues that once touched dizzying heights now limp along, while administrators chase champagne brunches over real reform. The result? Punters bled dry, clubs broke, and racing left gasping for breath. The latest gem: GST on racing hiked to 40 per cent. The turf clubs’ response? A collective shrug. No protest, no attempt to explain how this move would strangle legal betting and fatten the black market. Silence—because why disturb their own comfort zones? These are the same administrators who specialise in knee-jerk decisions, except when their perks are on the line. At the Royal Western I...
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Why We Worship the Whip in Horse Racing? By Sharan Kumar In Indian racing, the whip is treated with more reverence than a temple bell. To punters, it is the magic wand that guarantees victory. To stewards, it is the measuring stick of effort. To many jockeys, it is their passport to safety—because heaven forbid you lose a close finish without brandishing it like a cavalry sword. The irony? The whip is not a miracle device. Once a horse is blowing hard and running on fumes, no amount of flailing can make it sprout an extra gear. As seasoned riders admit: “If he’s spent, he’s spent. No whip in the world can make him sprout wings.” Yet our officials cling to their contradictions. In one infamous case at a premier jurisdiction, a jockey was actually pulled up for failing to use the whip—in a race where whips weren’t even allowed! The Stipes, it seemed, simply wanted to score a point against a trainer whose pattern of running horses always c...
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Time And Tide Staggers, Still Scrapes Through By Sharan Kumar Niraj Karanjawalla-trained Time And Tide finally managed to win the 1200 metres Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy, a terms race for four-year-olds and over , the feature at Sunday’s Pune races — but not with his usual swagger. The favourite with 14 wins from 21 starts was expected to jog home like clockwork, but Pune has always been his Bermuda Triangle. Two defeats on this very track had already made him look mortal, and this time, though he “broke the jinx,” he did it more like someone sneaking past security rather than storming the gates. Sandesh, in form but sweating bullets, had to throw the kitchen sink in the last stride to scrape past the gallant Magileto. Weight-conceding is something Time And Tide has turned into a hobby over the years, but this time he looked as though he had lost his usual spark. Magileto lost nothing in defeat, Credence who set the pace was reminded he doesn’t belo...
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Positano Finds His Mojo in Idar Trophy By Sharan Kumar Sulaiman Attaollahi-trained Positano has finally cultivated the winning habit. A horse who once specialised in running second to just about everyone has now stitched together a hat-trick, the latest being a stylish triumph in the 2400 metres Idar Gold Trophy, a terms race for four-year-olds and over , at Pune on Sunday. Of course, it helps when all those who used to beat you are either enjoying long vacations in the paddock or limping around elsewhere. But in racing as in life, you only beat who turns up — and Positano’s new favourite hobby is to benefit from the situation. The betting market had the gall to put Duke of Tuscany on a pedestal, conveniently ignoring Positano’s higher rating and the weight advantage, all because the Attaollahi ward had a reputation for being allergic to the winning post. For a while, it looked like the old story was about to repeat itself, but Sandesh — playing...
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Online Gaming Bill will impact horse racing By Sharan Kumar The Lok Sabha’s passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 has been hailed by the government as a strike against addiction, crime, and financial ruin. But for horse racing, already a sport on life support, the move could well be the coup de grâce. The bill takes the easy route of imposing a blanket ban on all real-money games , drawing no distinction between a game of skill like horse racing and pure games of chance. In one stroke, racing has been tossed into the same basket as fantasy leagues, poker dens, and online lotteries. The much-needed window of growth— online betting platforms that were beginning to steady turf clubs—has now been slammed shut. Clubs like Hyderabad Race Club and Royal Calcutta Turf Club had begun reaping the benefits of online wagering, while others such as RWITC and Madras Race Club were finally taking baby steps in that ...
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Suraj wins at Ascot; creates history By Sharan Kumar In a feat never before achieved by an Indian rider, Suraj Narredu etched his name into racing history by guiding Fireblade to victory in the Shergar Cup Stayers (Handicap) at the world-famous Ascot Racecourse on Saturday. Not only was he making his debut in the prestigious Shergar Cup, he did so as captain of Team Asia —and led them to an unforgettable team championship win by the narrowest of margins. For Suraj, who boasts over 2,400 career wins and more than 100 Indian Classics, this was the crowning jewel of a career that has conquered every major race on home soil. His victory at Ascot was named the “Ride of the Day,” earning him an additional trophy and the admiration of racing fans across continents. It was fitting that the boy who once idolised Frankie Dettori—vowing to emulate the legendary jockey’s trademark flying dismount—found himself soaring in celebration on the very tu...