B R Sharan Kumar

Any stud farm which has begun its breeding operations on a massive scale cannot ask for better results than the one obtained by Haryana-based Hazara Stud Farm whose produce has virtually swept every big race in the country in an unprecedented golden run since last year.  . Owned by racing enthusiast Nirmal Singh, the stud farm named after his late father Hazara Singh, has set Indian racing on fire. The stud farm has produced in the last year the winners of Bangalore Derby, Indian Derby, Golconda Derby, Calcutta Derby, and the winner of India’s juvenile race, the Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million in Muroi. With Toroloco standing tall amongst the contenders of this Sunday’s Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Hazara Stud Farm’s resident stallion Rebuttal could add another feather to his distinguished cap.  Last year’s Kolkata sensation Dandified is also making a bid for the coveted cup. Originally operating as a small set up at Ambala, Nirmal Singh expanded the scale of operations by...

After several years of debate and resistance, the Gr 1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup has finally been thrown open to four year olds and over. The Invitation Cup race has always been one of the premier events of Indian racing calendar and enjoyed the pride of place though often it ended up as a repeat running of the Indian Derby. After 50 years, the Turf Authorities of India have finally decided to make it a weight for age without penalties race. We should not judge whether the decision is right or wrong by the running of this year’s ace alone. The race is sure to evolve over the next few years. The turf authorities also could try and promote this event in a bigger way by making the stake money even more attractive so there is temptation to keep the champions of previous year in racing. A top class performing filly is usual retired at the end of the Invitation Cup or campaigned abroad in the hope of greater glory. The other thing that the turf authorities of India could do is to allow...