B R Sharan Kumar

Satish Narredu trained Sprint Star proved that he is invincible on his home turf when beating a seasoned lot of horses en route to a splendid win in the Gr 3 Karnataka Cup, a terms race for four year olds and over, the highlight of Sunday’s races. Though Sprint Star had performed below par in the Gr 1 Super Mile at Mumbai, he showed the form that had fetched him success in the classics over this distance in Bangalore. Sprint Star showed tremendous acceleration to get the better of Icebreaker inside the final furlong to win capably. Onassis came through a difficult passage in the straight to finish third. The Stewards cancelled the last race of the day due to dangerous underfoot conditions and poor visibility following a thunderstorm just before the horses were to be flagged off for the ninth race. A competitive field had lined up for the Karnataka Cup. Icebreaker was the favourite but at least three horses were reckoned to have a big chance. The Sohna Stud Farm bred Sprint Star was sur...

Pesi Shroff trained Astral Flash who was overshadowed by stablemate Jacqueline on three occasions at Mumbai, came into her own when she trounced the opposition in the Dhamaprakasha L S Venkaji Rao Memorial Cup (Div I), the feature event of Saturday’s races. The Usha Stud Farm bred got-abroad filly had the opposition stranded inside the final furlong when checking in well clear of the late rallying Atlantus in a smart time of one minute 25.58 seconds. Seven year old Jersey Pride showed zest when making the most of a weak opposition to win the lower division of the race in a convincing manner. Jersey Pride’s win came against the run of expectations as he returned a dividend of over 100 to 1 on the tote. There was no doubting Astral Flash’s class. However, she had run below par in the Indian Derby after three runner-up efforts behind the wonder filly Jacqueline. That put a question mark as to whether she has had gone sour. She had the benefit of an easy mock race but she showed to be a d...

Racing in Bangalore is facing an uncertain future following the High Court’s mandate to Bangalore Turf Club to vacate its premises on September 22 with no alternative venue in sight. The government of Karnataka had been keen on shifting the race course from its present venue but the turf club had somehow resisted the move for well over two decades. This time out, the BJP government, led by Yeddyyurappa, backed by the lease agreement signed by BTC, went all out. The turf club sought to resist the move by going to court but unfortunately the club lost the battle in High Court. The Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court which the club will be filing shortly is the only hope to save racing in Bangalore. Contrast this scenario with the one prevailing in New York. Racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course were under imminent threat of closure due to financial problems as a result of the recession induced lull in betting and a default by a betting franchisee. The New York State has...

The Gr 2 Juvenile Million has always been a pointer to the summer classics as the best horses of the centre take part in this highly competitive race for three-year olds. This year’s edition was no exception as the best of the local centre were in the fray along with Mumbai’s Sunset Boulevard who enjoyed tremendous hype. The race did not run the way most expected as reputations went for a toss and new ones were made at the end of a gripping one minutes 25.52 seconds action as Sun Kingdom recorded a smashing win. Foreign Exchange who was widely considered as the best three year old at Bangalore, ran way below par as he finished down the field while Sunset Boulevard who was backed to the exclusion of her rivals, ran out of steam after leading all the way into the final stages of the race. Awarding who was conceding weight to all her adversaries, did her reputation no harm while finishing a game second ahead of a well beaten Sunset Boulevard. Reputations in racing are as fragile as glass...

Jockey Rupesh drove out Spark of Gold to a thrilling win over late rallying favourite Timeless Treasure in the 1600 metres Karnataka Police Cup, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of opening day’s races of Bangalore Summer Races on Saturday. Horses which had been subjected to solid preparation enjoyed maximum support in the ring and their fitness showed in the decisive manner in which they won. Timeless Treasure was the only horse which had won in his last outing while the rest in fray in the modest field that contested the Karnataka Police Cup, hadn’t won for a long time. Timeless Treasure ended up as the firm favourite with Gloriosa next in demand while top weighted Spark of Gold had his share of supporters. Spark of Gold who made a swift move at the top of the straight and took over the running in the final furlong caught the favourite napping and established a winning lead. By the time Timeless Treasure warmed up and came up with a big run, the winning post had...

Racing is set to resume on Saturday after an acrimonious week of bitter wrangling which did not do anybody any good. What was bargained out of BTC by way of additional stake money could have been achieved without the loss of first week’s racing which in itself cost the owners’ stakes in excess of Rs 70 lakhs. Strikes are passé. Dialogue and negotiation are better ways to achieve any objective. But in these troubled times when reasoning takes a back seat, such turbulence as the one witnessed, has to be endured. But the good news is that racing is going to take centre stage and all the action will be riveted on the summer classics which have a bearing on all India classics. The summer season is universally perceived as the last racing season at the Bangalore Turf Club premises. The High Court of Karnataka has fixed September 22 as the deadline for the race course to shift and unless the club manages to get either government’s mercy or favorable response to its Special Leave Petition in S...

Galloping Acres which once enjoyed pride of place in Indian breeding through its stalwart stallions Everyday II and Road To Glory has been making earnest efforts to reestablish the farm. Twist And Turn ( Groom Dancer) shaped well by producing horses which made an immediate impact but his reign was short-lived as he covered just a few seasons before he died. The stud farm’s latest acquisition is C P West ((Came Home ex Queen’s Legend (Dynaformer) who comes from the highly successful Gone West family which has set standards in breeding all over the world. CP West arrived in India in time for the2010 covering operations and has already been active and his first crop is expected to be on ground early next year. Another stallion who is currently active at the stud farm is Danehill Star, the speedy son of Danehill having been procured form Australia. Danehill Star already has two crops on ground. Brothers Donny and Dickie Singh, who run the stud farm, say that they picked C P West because o...

Despite critical financial position, Bangalore Turf Club has offered an additional amount of Rs. 1.25 crores as stakes, incentives and other expenses in addition to the stakes already published in the prospectus with a view to augment additional resources for race horse owners.. The BTC has also decided to extend BTF (Basic Training Fee) credit as before for owners of horses racing in Bangalore and Mysore. Racing is held at Mysore under BTC Rules of Racing. The BTC has asked for setting off the contingency fund lying with the club against any default by race horse owners. The KROA is more or less reconciled to providing the letter meeting this condition of BTC. However the hitch may be with regard to horses based in Mysore. KTA President B Puttanna said that while it is alright to set off the fund against any default of Bangalore based owners, the same should not be applied to horses owned and raced at Mysore. BTC is asking for Rs 2 crores as the money to cover the risk and this money ...

Let us close racing, is the refrain one is hearing these days at the Bangalore Race Course. These sounds are coming from none other than those who are making a living out of racing. Their grouse is that authorities are not bowing to their dictate. The KROA has been at the forefront of disrupting races every season for one reason or the other. The Karnataka Trainers Association have also time and again shown their lack of commitment to their profession by treating their license to train as if it were a napkin paper by surrendering it on every other day in support of their demands. Racing is already under threat of closure and contributing to the acrimony is these people who don`t seem to mind losing racing. Otherwise how can they afford to let go of precious race days? The cancellation of first two-days of racing of the Bangalore Summer Season is a clear example of ego getting the better of their senses. With little bit of tact, the problem could have been solved but the race horse owne...

Close on the heels of Bangalore Turf Club losing the case in High Court and mandated to vacate its premises by September 22 with nowhere to go, the prestigious race club of India, the RWITC also finds itself in troubled waters following the termination notice slapped by Bombay Municipal Corporation asking the club to vacate its premises in 30 days for breach of lease agreement. The RWITC has lease agreement up to 2013 but the latest development is a result of the internecine quarrel that prevails at RWITC. Some of the committee members had raised a hue and cry about the Gallop Restaurant issue and attracted the attention of Bombay Municipal Corporation which took cognizance of the happenings. Now the corporation has hit back with a vengeance asking the club to vacate its premises at a short notice. The quarrels as the one we are witnessing in race clubs in India are certainly not good for the sport as they spell the death knell of this ancient sport. There is trouble brewing in Bangalo...

The trainers based in Bangalore surrendered their license on Friday in support of their demands causing a piquant situation. With technically there being no trainers, who will pay the salaries of syces which falls due in the first week of May? The Bangalore Turf Club obviously cannot release BTF to any one else. Syces have to be paid by trainers because it is they who have employed them. The first entries for May 15th races falls next Monday and if there are no entries, then the first two days racing also has to be cancelled because currently there are no trainers under BTC Rules of Racing. Can the trainers act so callously by handing out the piece of paper which gives them identity? Can the professionals themselves hurt the image of the sport by frequent squabbling when the existence of the sport itself is in question? What sort of a message are they trying to convey? Can they hope to get their demands met by pressuring the authorities when they very well know that the Chairman is out...