B R Sharan Kumar

  Time And Tide Delivers with Trademark Ease   By Sharan Kumar   Barring those rare occasions when Time And Tide decided to take a nap mid-race, the sprinter has mostly made a habit of embarrassing his rivals in style. On Sunday, he chalked up win number 13 from 20 outings in the 1200-metre Chief Minister’s Cup—a terms race for four-year-olds and over—reminding everyone that versatility means ``winning anywhere you please.”   Sure, there was that pesky Pune season last year when he lost three times.  Otherwise, he’s dominated everyone and everything: heavy weights, light weights, jockeys doing interpretive dance on a sideways saddle—it didn’t matter.   The field on Sunday was full of familiar faces he'd humbled before, so the bookmakers had as much generosity as a tax collector—he was sent out a short-priced favourite. Jockey Sandesh sat chilly behind Magileto before hitting the “turbo” button in the final furlong and waltzing home clear. ...

  Echoes of the Last Gallop: Racing Faces Uncertain Future   By Sharan Kumar   A centuries-old tradition galloped through the heart of Chennai, once giving the city a regal charm that only horse racing could bestow. The Madras Race Course at Guindy wasn’t just a patch of land; it was a living relic of colonial legacy, a social institution that seamlessly blended sport, culture, and community. Today, that legacy stands precariously at the edge of extinction — displaced not with ceremony or closure, but with silence.   Nearly ten months have elapsed since the Tamil Nadu government reclaimed the iconic 160-acre Guindy campus, abruptly terminating the Madras Race Club’s 74-year lease. A glimmer of hope emerged when the government proposed alternative land in Hosur — a gesture that briefly reassured stakeholders that the sport and the livelihoods tethered to it might endure. However, as the months roll on, that hope is fast fading. No formal agreement has been...

  Sovereign King Silences the Whiners, Reigns Supreme   By Sharan Kumar   Adhirajsingh Jodha’s Sovereign King once again galloped into the limelight—not just as a thoroughbred of class, but as a monarch who doesn’t need a PR agency or a WhatsApp tribunal of aggrieved co-owners to cry foul on his behalf. The son of Top Class, bred at Mukteshwar Stud Farm, showed that regal bloodlines trump noisy lamentations, as he captured the Gr 1 Zavaray Poonawalla Colts Championship—the second classic of the Bangalore Summer Season—in a finish fit for streaming drama. Jockey Anthony Raj, unfazed by the turbulence of a 16-horse tangle and a run-in with Stormy Sea (both the horse and the chaos), produced a ride worthy of applause.   Sovereign King ran into all sorts of trouble—rough weather, shuffled positions, traffic jams that would put Silk Board in Bangalore which is a nightmare for those using the area, to shame—but unlike some others, he didn’t file an FIR or write...

  Supernatural Stalls, Ranquelino Steals the Show   By Sharan Kumar   Dual Derby winner Ranquelino , trained by Darius Byramji, did precisely what was expected of a horse that had seemingly read the script—he showed up, lined up, and galloped off with the Gr 2 1800 metres Chief Justice’s Cup, a race that usually promises a thriller but this time proved to be a damp squib.   Enter Supernatural , from the stables of Pesi Shroff, once a crown jewel with a Summer Derby to his name. Having run a decent third in his return outing—despite what experts diplomatically termed a "leisurely start"—many punters, ever the hopeful romantics, believed that with one race under his girth, he'd be ready to exorcise more than a year of winless existence.   But here’s the rub: Supernatural had seen better days and had been sidelined by many niggles. Wind surgery (the equine version of CPAP therapy), and a general allergy to winning. Still, the power of branding is re...

   Fynbos Springs to Life – As the Season Sleepwalks Along   By Sharan Kumar In a season where the thrill of racing seems to be held hostage, Fynbos finally gave fans something to cheer—well, at least momentarily. After a forgettable opening act where she wilted tamely behind Sovereign King , the Pesi Shroff-trained filly decided to remind us why hype can sometimes be justified. In a field large, jockey Trevor Patel gave a textbook ride—one Shroff himself would approve of—navigating the traffic like a pro cabbie in Mumbai, then cruising past her only serious rival, Bishop , in the final furlong.   Yes, in racing, the logic is often upside down: the bigger the field, the clearer the outcome. Fynbos flopped in a cozy field and then aced this crowded mess. Go figure.   Fynbos' win was particularly pleasing not just because she finally lived up to her bloodlines—being a full sister to Zuccaro , who bloomed fashionably late—but because she did it on ...

  BTC Membership Bonanza: From ‘Free-Dom’ to ‘Fee-Doom’   By Sharan Kumar   The Bangalore Turf Club, once the exclusive playground of those who heroically battled for every free cup of tea, complimentary snack, and an entire buffet of privileges, has now taken a dramatic U-turn—straight into the toll lane. The government, clearly in no mood for nostalgia, has trotted in with its stamp of approval, allowing the Club to expand its membership from a snug 350 to a potentially stampeding 1,350 . And with that, comes a plot twist so rich in drama. What was once a haven for freebie warriors now finds itself facing the harsh reality of spreadsheets, GST, and that most dreaded phrase— monthly deductions .   In a dramatic special general body meeting this May—where the mic system sputtered and whispers of conspiracy echoed louder than any official address—the Articles of Association were duly amended, reshaped, and discreetly mumbled about into whisky glasses. The...