B R Sharan Kumar

The disastrous effects of equine influenza which almost ruined the entire winter season all over the country last year is still fresh in ones memory but even as racing action is set to resume, some turf clubs went on the over drive banning not only the movement of horses from Northern India (most notably from UP) but also visits of professionals to these areas following the letter circulated to the clubs about the outbreak of a dreaded equine fever in army establishments. However, a clarification form the President of National Horse Breeding Society of India Dr F F Wadia on Friday that the clubs had overreacted to the report of a few deaths of horses in army establishments has come as a great relief to all concerned. Managing Director of Usha Stud Farm, Ameeta Mehra took up the issue with NHBSI President about the letter sent by Shivlal Daga who is the Secretary of the organization to the clubs about the suspected outbreak of an equine fever. The turf clubs of Hyderabad and Bangalore w...

The Mysore Race Club has decided to increase stake money by 12 ½ per cent for the ensuing winter season which starts on November 4. The stake money for the classics for next year’s main season has also been substantially enhanced. The Guineas will now offer guaranteed stake money of Rs 20 lakhs. The stake money also been hiked for Maharaja’s Cup, the Sprint Championship and most importantly for the Poonawalla Derby. . Chairman of Mysore Race Club Kanthraj Urs said that the club was planning to build about 750 permanent stables. Already two new blocks are operational. The ventilation, the quality of construction has come in for all round praise. The professionals too have expressed happiness about the new facilities especially since the horses which arrived from Bangalore for the classics were accommodated in these newly built blocks. With the traffic on the road adjoining the race course increasing manifold, it would have been impossible for movement of horses even if Mysore Race Club ...

Veteran trainer Bezan Chenoy shot into limelight by saddling the winners of the Indian Turf Invitation Cup and Poonawalla Stud Farms and Breeders` Stayers Cup for owner Jaydev Mody in front of a packed gathering at Malakpet on Sunday. The driving finish of arguably India`s best jockey of the moment Srinath and his fine temperament played a key role in Autonomy[ profile ] necking out favourie Antonios[ profile ] virtually in the closing stride of the race. What was remarkable was the fact that Srinath did not lose his cool despite his right leg coming out of the strirrup as he retained his balance and composure to get a thrilling verdict at the expense of Indian Derby winner Antonios who did well to come through the shortest way and showed enough resolution but faltered narrwly. The slow pace of the race probably suited Autonomy whose sprinting prowess tilted the scales in favour of the produce from Usha Stud Farm. India`s best stallion ever, Razeen had a Group 1 double as his daughter...

Dancing Dynamite[ profile ] finally got it all right as he raced to victory in the Gr 1 Maj P K Mehra Memorial Super Mile, one of the star events of the Invitation Cup day races held on Sunday. While the victory of Dancing Dynamite was cause for celebration for locally based owner V N Babu and his brother V Krishna Mohan, it also gave immense satisfaction to trainer Padmanabhan who won this coveted event for the first time. He had won the other three Grade I races which form part of the Invitation Cup weekend package and this race was one he coveted most as the race is run in memory of Maj P K Mehra who was his close friend and mentor. Padmanabhan who had a runner in seven of the eight races held on the day, saddled four winners, with Palazzio`s Sun placing second in Sprinters Cup and Icebreaker finishing third in the Invitation Cup. He had reason to be excited at the success achieved by his three year olds. Becket won the Sohna Stud Million, over a mile, in the manner of a top horse ...

The Manjri Stud Farm bred Oasis Star proved that she has no peers in India when she outclassed the opposition in the Gr 1 Nanoli Stud and Breeders` Sprinters Cup which was one of the four Grade I races held on the Invitation Cup day on Sunday. Oasis Star had won the event at the same venue last year in March albeit on the winter track. In the intervening period she had proved that there existed a vast gulf between her and the rest of the sprinters in the country by simply slamming the opposition in whichever race she was entered. It is a pity that she could not go abroad and race due to equine influenza. Though the Sprinters Cup has often proved to be a graveyard for favourites, there was no looking beyond Oasis Star even given the unpredictability of racing. The Cooji Katrak trained and Shapoor Mistry owned and bred wonder filly Oasis Star went into the post as the shortest priced horse in the history of this race. Palazzio`s Sun who had reeled off a hat-trick of wins at Bangalore, ...

The Indian Turf Invitation day races will be held on Sunday at Hyderabad thanks to the efforts of race horse breeders of India who have collectively pooled in Rs 75 lakhs in order to ensure that the four Graded 1 races are held without any break. Originally, the Invitation Cup races were to be held at Mumbai in the month of March but due to equine influenza which resulted in the winter programme being adversely affected, RWITC was unable to conduct the same. This year`s programme was in danger of being called off but thanks to the efforts of the breeders and the sporting gesture of Hyderabad Race Club, there will be no break in continuity of the event. While the principal contributors have been the Poonawallas, Khushroo Dhunjhiboy and Ameeta Mehra who have put in Rs 15 lakhs each, the shortfall of Rs 35 lakhs has been made up, with 10 other breeders contributing Rs 3 lakh each. Thus race goers can get the pleasure of seeing top quality action, all packed in one day. This year all the f...

Chief Minister Yeddyurappa met members of the Managing Committee of the Bangalore Turf Club on Thursday and told them to sign the lease for the land at Chikkajala as a condition for any concessions from the government to the club. The BTC Managing Committee also presented a Cheque for Rs 1 crore towards CM’s Flood Relief Fund. In the light of the fact that the turf club had not got any appointment with the Chief Minister post the public interest litigation at Supreme Court, Thursday’s meeting was widely expected to solve the impending crisis facing racing in Bangalore following repeated notices by the government to abide by the lease agreement which mandates BTC to vacate its premises on December 31, 2009. In the meanwhile, BTC filed a writ petition in the High Court against the move to shift them out from the existing premises without an alternative facility in place. The Supreme Court had recently directed the petitioner who had filed his objection against allotment of tank bed land ...