BTC Should Not Sprint After Cancelling Season Early
By Sharan Kumar
The Bangalore Turf Club seems to have followed the
ancient strategy of “shoot first, read the rulebook later.” The winter season
was declared officially extinct the moment glanders knocked on the door, even
though the National Plan for Eradication of Glanders 2025 largely said don’t
move horses around, not switch off racing like a power cut. Movement was
banned, fairs were restricted, but racing itself was not outlawed. Common
sense, however, appears to have been placed under precautionary quarantine.
If congregation everywhere were truly forbidden, the
racecourse would have needed social distancing circles painted for horses, one
per furlong.
Having cancelled the season at Formula One speed, the
club then dug up the track in two critical areas to lay pipes. Nothing signals
“we may resume soon” quite like performing open heart surgery on the racing
surface. Pipes were laid, earth refilled, watered, and expected to behave like
a finished cricket pitch. Soil, unfortunately, demands rolling, compaction, and
time. Without sustained heavy rolling, you can’t get the race track in top condition.
Now comes the plot twist. Glanders is stepping aside,
but the track has raised its hand and said not yet. With the track incharge
indicating March itself is ambitious, Bangalore finds itself blocked not by
disease, but by unfinished groundwork.
Ideas are flying. A mini season in March. A start in
April with an extended summer season. April racing in Bangalore heat would test
endurance in ways not listed in any racing manual. Even in normal years, May
starts have been delayed due to uncertain April weather and surface stress. A
dry, loose track without the old tan cushion will deteriorate quickly, and
heavy June and July rains would only add to the damage.
A few days in March, if conditions permit, is
practical. April racing is ill advised. Expert opinion should lead the
decision, not calendar anxiety.
There is also little sense in squeezing the winter
classics into a rushed mini window. They can be staged during the summer season
with proper preparation time for horses. Owners receive their due, sponsors get
a proper event, and the races retain their stature. Aligning them with the
three year old classics would create order instead of scheduling gymnastics.
The Invitation Cup races slated for Mysore could be
shifted to October or aligned with the Mysore Derby weekend, allowing fuller
national participation and better planning.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad offers encouraging signs. Most
samples have returned negative, with only an odd exception pending. A short
block of racing days between February and early March is being discussed.
Beyond that, the heat shuts the door. Trainers have their wards ready should
the window open.
Better planning can still retrieve useful racing days
from the current muddle. Less panic, more procedure. Less haste, more homework.
And a very busy roller.
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