A witty, unflinching look at racing’s dark side
By Sharan Kumar
I just finished Murder at the Race Course,
and I must say that the author, Berjis Desai, has done a remarkable job of
peeling back the carefully curated illusion of horse racing to reveal its seedy
underbelly—crooked characters, shadowy dealings, and all. While the author has
politely labelled this a work of fiction, anyone remotely familiar with the
sport will recognize some of the “fictional” faces lurking in these pages. Of
course, a few creative liberties have been taken, but let’s not kid
ourselves—reality often outdoes imagination when it comes to racing’s rogues’
gallery.
Yes, the book paints a rather gory picture of the
sport, but then again, racing has always been a cocktail of brilliance and
decay, somehow managing to limp forward despite the rot within. The present-day
narrative isn’t much better—betting syndicates pull the strings, horses are
bought for absurd sums with no hope of recouping costs, and the sport has
become little more than a high-stakes gambling racket. And what do the
authorities do? Absolutely nothing. They stand idly by, watching the decline
with the same enthusiasm as a bored punter watching an odds-on favourite get
trounced.
The book, Murder At The Racecourse serves as a brutal
but necessary reminder of what happens when those in charge choose compromise
over integrity. The humour woven through the narrative is the perfect
counterpoint—like a wink and a nudge amid the chaos, making this exposé not
just sharp but thoroughly enjoyable. It’s been ages since I devoured a book
from cover to cover, and this one kept me hooked till the last page.
Berjis Desai co-owned the record-breaking wonder filly
Jacqueline, who etched her name in history by winning four Indian Classics
before narrowly missing out on the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. He started his
career as a journalist for a Gujarati daily before rising to become the
Managing Partner of one of India’s top law firms. A passionate racing
enthusiast, he was also a breeder associated with the Capricorn Stud Farm.
With a keen eye for the sport and a front-row seat to
its many twists and turns, Desai masterfully channels his knowledge into Murder
at the Race Course. The book is a razor-sharp, darkly humorous exposé that
pulls back the curtain on racing’s murky dealings—where winners aren’t always
the fastest and the real games are played far from the track. Blurring the
lines between fiction and reality, Desai’s storytelling is in equal parts
gripping and unsettling, making this a must-read for anyone who has ever set
foot on a racecourse—or dared to believe in its illusions.
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