MAHINDAR SINGH RATHORE

  ENTHRALLING PUNE RACING SEASON 2026 SET TO CAPTIVATE RACING ENTHUSIASTS The stage is set for another exciting chapter in Indian horse racing as the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) prepares to host the Pune Racing Season 2026 , commencing on 17th July and concluding on 15th November 2026 . Spread over 21 race days across four months, the season promises a compelling blend of top-class competition, prestigious classics, and lucrative prize money, reaffirming Pune's reputation as one of India's premier racing centres. The official prospectus reveals that the season will offer stakes exceeding ₹14 crore , providing owners, trainers, jockeys, and breeders with an attractive incentive while ensuring racegoers witness high-quality contests week after week. With a carefully structured racing programme and strong professional participation, expectations are high for an outstanding season. The Crown Jewel – Villoo C. Poonawalla Pune Derby The undisputed highlight of the season...

  RACE CARDS SLACKEN IN BANGALORE TURF CLUB A Turf Tracker Perspective The Bangalore Summer Meeting 2026 has thrown up a worrying trend that deserves serious attention from everyone connected with the sport. Despite having a sizeable horse population, race cards have consistently been restricted to just six races on most racing days. For a racing centre of Bangalore's stature, this is certainly not an encouraging development. This season, Bangalore has approximately 650 local horses in training, supplemented by around 50 outstation horses . Compare this with earlier seasons, when the club regularly housed over 700 local horses along with nearly 100 outstation horses , and the decline in the number of runners becomes even more noticeable. With over 650 horses in training, one would normally expect race cards comprising seven, eight or even nine races on several occasions. Instead, framing even a six-race programme has become a weekly challenge. Of course, no experienced racing pro...

  HORSE RACING TRACKS CANNOT BE RELOCATED – GOVERNMENTS MUST STOP TREATING RACE COURSES AS REAL ESTATE By Mahindar Singh Rathore (TURF TRACKER) Every few years, the same debate resurfaces. Governments speak about expired leases, redevelopment plans, commercial projects, and relocating race courses as if a horse racing venue were nothing more than an old office building that can be shifted from one address to another. Nothing could be further from reality. A race course is not just a piece of land. It is a living sporting ecosystem built over generations. Those who casually suggest that a race course can simply be relocated have little understanding of what they are talking about. A world-class race course is the result of decades of planning, investment, experience and continuous maintenance. It consists of a scientifically designed racing track, multiple training tracks, hundreds of stables, veterinary hospitals, equine swimming pools, walking rings, saddling enclosures, paddock a...

  MYSORE RACE CLUB'S CONTROVERSIAL APPOINTMENT:  The recent appointment of S. Ravi Shanker as Stipendiary Steward by the Mysore Race Club has already sparked intense debate within racing circles. At a time when Indian horse racing is desperately trying to rebuild public confidence, the Mysore Race Club's decision to appoint an official whose tenure has frequently attracted criticism from sections of the racing fraternity raises serious questions. For years, racegoers, owners, punters and industry stakeholders have voiced concerns about inconsistent stewarding, questionable inquiries, lack of transparency and the apparent inability of racing authorities to convincingly address controversial rides and running patterns. Whether justified or not, these perceptions have contributed significantly to the growing distrust that surrounds the sport today. The question therefore is simple: Can an official associated in the minds of many racegoers with a period of declining confiden...

  BANGALORE'S DISTURBING TREND: 60.75% FAVOURITES DEFEATED – WHO WILL STOP THIS ROT? The Bangalore Summer Meeting 2026 has thrown up a statistic that should send alarm bells ringing across the racing fraternity. Out of the 79 races conducted so far, including today's races, only 31 favourites have justified public confidence. A staggering 48 favourites have been beaten. That translates to a shocking 60.75% failure rate for favourites. While horse racing is inherently uncertain and favourites are not expected to win every race, when nearly two-thirds of market leaders consistently fail, serious questions need to be asked. The first casualty of such a trend is public confidence. The average racegoer studies form, follows track reports, analyses speed ratings, observes betting trends and eventually places faith in a horse that the market collectively identifies as the most likely winner. When favourites repeatedly fail at such an alarming rate, punters begin to feel that the game ...

  THE “CURSE” OF THE BANGALORE RACECOURSE! For decades, the sprawling expanse of the Bangalore Racecourse has been more than just turf, thunder and tradition. It has been Karnataka’s sporting heartbeat, a historic institution woven into the cultural and economic fabric of Bengaluru. Yet, every time a political establishment has attempted to target the Bangalore Turf Club or lay hands on the prized racecourse land, history appears to have scripted a dramatic political downfall. Now comes the latest political storm. Reports emerging from power corridors suggest that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has informed his cabinet colleagues of his intention to step down, triggering a fresh wave of speculation across Karnataka politics. Coincidence? Perhaps. But racing circles are whispering something else: “The curse of the Bangalore Racecourse continues.” The pattern is too chilling to ignore. Every Chief Minister who aggressively pursued plans against the Bangalore Turf Club, questioned ...