Glanders Exposes Racing’s Weak Links

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

Racing is navigating one of its roughest patches in decades, and this crisis demands transparency, not half-truths. One positive at Mysore and five positives in Bangalore have triggered the alarm, with final confirmation from NRCE now awaited. Yet turf clubs must go beyond waiting for reports, they must openly trace the root cause of the outbreak and stop burying uncomfortable facts. Chennai is already shut due to government hostility, while Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mysore have frozen racing because of glanders. If NRCE confirms the findings, winter racing could collapse everywhere except Mumbai and Kolkata, where the clock is ticking ominously. Only full cooperation can contain the crisis, and to eliminate every shred of doubt, India should seek reconfirmation from a reputable lab in England before charting the sport’s next steps.

 

According to information available, the trouble trail points to a batch of two-year-olds from a Coimbatore stud farm, with most of the affected horses tracing back to this source. Hyderabad, meanwhile, made matters worse by allowing non-thoroughbreds into the stables for match races,  a reckless dilution of biosecurity that backfired with fatal consequences. Two mares retired to the same Coimbatore farm from Hyderabad, one dying and the other allegedly triggering wider contamination. All clubs have since isolated horses from this farm; RWITC has moved its Coimbatore-bred two-year-olds to Pune, and Bangalore has similarly segregated them.

 

The next crucial moment arrives Wednesday, when NRCE reports back. A positive ruling will trigger the strict national protocol: three months of lockdown, repeated testing of every horse on the premises, and zero positives at the end of the cycle. Even one positive resets the entire clock, an unforgiving but essential process, especially since there is no effective vaccine and treatment is discouraged worldwide due to relapse risks and public health concerns.

 

What makes the situation worse in India is not just the disease; it is the culture of not reporting until disaster is already dancing on the roof. Had Hyderabad disclosed the glanders threat before abruptly cancelling its final day of the monsoon season, the response could have been far more controlled and less chaotic. Honesty is not a luxury in a crisis; it is the only way to stop the bleeding.

 

The other clubs too failed to react immediately. The presence of glanders was not announced upfront, and the delay in disclosing the root of the problem prevented the rest of the centres from taking swift, protective measures. By the time Hyderabad finally admitted that glanders had affected its stables, the damage was already in motion, other clubs had dropped their guard and ignored serious biosecurity protocols. The result is the complete shutdown of racing across southern India.

 

History has already taught us these lessons. EIA brought racing to a halt across multiple centres a decade ago because everyone assumed someone else would act. In the late 80s, an infected Argentine mare triggered an outbreak that spread from Bangalore to Kolkata, accelerated by the vet who treated the imported horse, reusing syringes, standard practice then. Horses, including five owned by Dr Vijay Mallya, had to be destroyed. And many more at Bangalore and Kolkata. Yet the crisis was contained only because samples were sent abroad, the cause confirmed without ambiguity, and the source identified.

 

The same clarity is needed now. Indian racing must seek Government approval to send samples to England once again for independent reconfirmation. Eliminating ambiguity is not weakness; it is wisdom. And alongside this, every effort must be made to trace the root cause of the outbreak without fear, favour or secrecy. Only when the full chain of transmission is openly identified can the sport build a defence strong enough to prevent a repeat disaster.

 

Glanders is unforgiving: even horses that recover remain lifelong carriers and can never again be considered safe. The only defence Indian racing has is transparency, cooperation among all turf clubs, and a willingness to confront the problem rather than bury it. Only then does the sport stand a chance of surviving this storm.

 


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