The jinx continues ;first day's races postponed

The Bangalore Turf Club authorities may well have to take the help of astrologers to fix the start of every season. It is a record of sorts that the last decade has seen almost every season, be it winter or summer being affected by strikes by race owners and professionals or adverse weather conditions. Just as things were falling in place for the start of the winter season in these troubled times, came persistent rains over the last one week due to north-east cyclonic conditions, the impact of which was also felt in Bangalore. Though rains have been intermittent in the last two days, the earlier rains had done enough to soak the track. Rains on Thursday put paid to any hopes as underfoot conditions became soggy. The penetrometer reading was about 7 cms which in itself was not bad enough for racing to be held. Friday’s races have been re-scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 9.

The authorities felt that even if they were to start racing, the jockeys would have raised objections, stating that the ground was shifty and hence under the circumstances, it was prudent not to start the season on a ``amavasya’’ day! Saturday’s racing can go through ``with difficulty’’ if there is no further rain during the course of the day. This may also be unlikely as the cyclonic conditions have still not cleared and weather forecast is that there could be some spell of rain. As such, we have to keep our fingers crossed.

So the jinx continues. The winter season is a 34 day programme with racing held mostly on Fridays and Saturdays. The Mysore winter season has been stretched to 17 days, with racing held mostly on Wednesdays. The season will start on November 11. Fresh licenses to new trainers have not been issued and the authorities are unlikely to take up the pending cases at least during this season. The number of horses stabled in BTC premises including two-year olds stands at 990 which are about 25 lesser than last year’s strength. About 280 races are expected to be gone through during the season barring of course any unforeseen. This year, the Bangalore Derby will see a new sponsor in Dr Syed Ainuddin Arif, representing VIF Group of concerns, Hyderabad. The stake money will conform to the one offered during the last winter season barring the increase in the incentives and subsidy offered. Mr. D M Kumaraswamy is the new Chairman of the Club. The mild mannered person that he is, Mr. Kumaraswamy has a difficult job of steering the faction-ridden club, with the Managing Committee expected to pull in different directions.

The good news of course is the fact that the winter season will go through. This is a great relief considering the position that the club was placed vis-à-vis the High Court order mandating the club to vacate its premises by September 22. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court, with status quo being ordered to be maintained. There is optimism that the matter may drag on for a few years. This is a comforting factor but not a final solution to the problem. The club should make earnest effort to get land from the government and move out of the present premises on its own as the existing race course is cramped on all sides, the land having shrunk considerably due to road expansion on the flanks of the race course. The race could have even lost the frontal also but for the adjoining underground water reservoir which has helped the club to remain intact

The club is finally making an attempt to save money for the future. About Rs30 crores may be saved in the course of next one year. This may not mean much in these times of inflation but the good news that BTC has at least made some start. The club has to plan in earnest for a brand new future.