B R Sharan Kumar

  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...

  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...

  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 ...

  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...

  Ashes and Echoes   In mother’s womb, we all arrive— No gold, no gems, no wealth to thrive. Though kings may reign with treasures grand, They leave it all with lifeless hands.   When death arrives, both rich and poor Must pass the same unguarded door. No coin, no note, no trusted friend Can follow where the journey ends.   The body burns, the ashes fall, And silence wraps around it all. What’s left behind, the world will claim— Another’s hands, another name.   It may be spent, it may be lost, The dead can’t question what it cost. But charity, when done with grace, Outlives the man—it holds its place.   A deed well done, a gift well given, Is wealth that walks the path to heaven. For better we share while we are here, Than leave it to those we never held dear.  

  The Quiet Company   I am not alone. Breath walks beside me, an old friend who knows when to hurry, when to slow, when to hush so I may listen to the quiet voice within. My heartbeat keeps me close, a drum in my chest that remembers every fear, every hope, each secret I’ve sworn to bury, each dream I’ve dared to hold. It keeps time for my wandering mind, calls me home when I drift. And even my loneliness stays, a quiet, faithful companion who settles in the corner of the room, never asking much, never leaving. It reminds me I am here, teaches me the art of listening to the hush between words, the vastness behind closed eyes. I am not alone. The wind speaks to me in sighs, The dark wraps me gently, The morning light breaks for me. I am my own witness, my own shelter, and somewhere in the silence I find company enough for this long and human road.