MAHINDAR SINGH RATHORE

  LOGIC TAKES A BEATING AS SUNSHINE’S FORM COLLAPSE DEFIES ALL RACING SENSE Indian racing has always thrived on uncertainty. Upsets are part of the sport, and that unpredictability is what keeps punters returning to the windows. But there are occasions when the formbook is not merely turned upside down — it is torn to shreds. What unfolded involving SUNSHINE and EFFICACY falls squarely into that disturbing category. Let us revisit the facts. During the Bangalore Summer Season of 2025, on 31st May, SUNSHINE, while receiving 1.5 kilos, defeated EFFICACY by an authoritative margin of three lengths. There was no ambiguity in that result. SUNSHINE proved clearly superior on the day. Fast forward to 10th May 2026. EFFICACY contested and won a competitive 60-85 event while racing off a rating of 70. Following that victory, the horse has now surged to a rating of 84, placing it firmly among the better performed horses in training. Now comes the baffling part. On the very same day, S...

PUNTERS LEFT REELING AS SHOCK RESULTS ROCK SECOND WEEK OF BANGALORE SUMMER SEASON 2026 The second weekend of the Bangalore Summer Season turned into a graveyard for punters, with fancied runners falling like nine pins and confidence in the ring taking a severe beating. Out of the 12 races conducted over the weekend, only four favourites managed to justify support and even amongst those, merely Siege Storm and Efficacy returned at respectable betting odds, while Final Call and Refined Aggression were sent off at prohibitive prices, offering little consolation to the battered racing fraternity. However, beyond the statistics and the upset results lies a far more disturbing narrative — the questionable and suspicious performances of certain heavily supported runners whose efforts simply do not pass the eye test. The runs of Alamgir, Sunshine and Valiant Stream scream for immediate scrutiny and demand a serious explanation from the authorities. Alamgir, who had shaped attractively and was ...

  Bangalore Summer Season Set to Ignite on May Day The much-awaited Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) Summer Season 2026 is all set to spring to life on May Day , with Chairman Shivashankar confirming that preparations are in full swing despite earlier concerns. The professionals at the Bengaluru centre are leaving no stone unturned, working overtime to ensure their wards are race-fit for the curtain-raiser. While the track is currently a trifle on the harder side, BTC officials are confident it will be in perfect racing condition before the starter dispatches the field for the opening event on Friday, May 1 , expected to be run under testing conditions. “After conducting a dozen mock races — six each on Friday and Saturday — the feedback from trainers and jockeys has been encouraging,” revealed Shivashankar. “Yes, the track is on the harder side, but a couple of good showers will bring it to optimum condition.” In a proactive move, the club has deployed 10–15 water tankers daily t...

BANGALORE TURF CLUB ON THE BRINK: ARREARS, ADMINISTRATIVE FAILURES & A LICENSING CRISIS THREATEN MAY START The countdown to the much-anticipated Bangalore Summer Season has begun—but behind the polished façade of published fixtures and prepared stables lies a storm that threatens to derail the entire show. The Bangalore Turf Club today stands entangled in a serious crisis, burdened by substantial pending government arrears—dues that have become the single biggest stumbling block in securing the all-important racing licence. Without this clearance, the sport simply cannot commence, regardless of how ready the industry may appear. What makes the situation more alarming is that this is not a sudden setback. It is the culmination of years of administrative complacency and mismanagement. Successive regimes at the helm of the club, driven more by self-interest than stewardship, have left behind a legacy of financial liabilities and strained relations with the state government. The go...

  HORSE RACING IN INDIA: TIME TO RECLAIM ITS RIGHTFUL STATUS AS A SPORT For far too long, horse racing in India has been pushed into a corner—misunderstood, misrepresented, and worse, mismanaged in perception. It is time the Turf Authorities of India stop playing defensive and start asserting what horse racing truly is: a sport of skill, science, strategy, and supreme athleticism. If Indian racing has to survive—and more importantly, thrive —the authorities must take bold, concrete, and immediate steps. 1. UNIFIED NATIONAL BODY – END THE FRAGMENTATION Indian racing suffers from a lack of a strong केंद्रीय governing authority. Turf clubs operate in silos, each protecting its turf rather than the sport. Establish a National Horse Racing Authority of India Create uniform rules, handicapping systems, penalties, and licensing Present a single, powerful voice to the Government of India Without unity, there is no recognition. Without recognition, there is no future. 2. LE...

  THE SILENT EXTINCTION OF A SPORT OF KINGS There was a time when the thunder of hooves echoed across the heart of India’s great cities… when racecourses were not just patches of green, but living, breathing institutions—symbols of heritage, employment, and sporting excellence. Today, that sound is fading. Not because the sport has lost its soul… but because it is being slowly strangled. Across India, one racecourse after another is either being shut down, relocated, or threatened under the weight of “development,” taxation, and political indifference. The writing is on the wall—and it is written in silence. The historic Royal Calcutta Turf Club , once the epicentre of Indian racing since 1847, now stands as a reminder of what we were . The iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse , spread across prime land in Mumbai, is constantly under pressure—its very existence debated between heritage and real estate ambition. And then comes the heartbreaking reality… The Ooty Racecourse , a jewel ...