MAHINDAR SINGH RATHORE

  WESTERN STAR SHINES BRIGHTER AS LAGAD’S TRAINING MASTERCLASS CONTINUES November 30, 2025 Trainer Narendra Lagad , one of Western India’s mos t seasoned and battle-hardened professionals, showcased once again why his horses command enormous respect on the racing circuit. His rising stable star, Western Star , delivered a sparkling performance to register his fourth consecutive victory , capturing the prestigious Director General of Police Trophy with authority. What makes this achievement stand out is not just the winning streak, but the meticulous conditioning and race placement that has become Lagad’s trademark. Operating from a yard that thrives on hard work rather than flashy pedigrees, Lagad has built his reputation by transforming honest, workmanlike horses into relentless competitors. A Trainer’s Touch Behind Every Stride Western Star’s progression this season is a textbook example of Lagad’s hands-on training philosophy: Sharp, well-spaced runs , ensuring the gel...

  Karnataka Set to Table Bill Allowing Online Betting on Horse Racing Racing fraternity welcomes move as a progressive step towards transparency and modernization The Karnataka State Government has infused fresh optimism into the horse racing community with its decision to introduce a long-awaited bill permitting online betting on horse racing events. The bill—already drafted and vetted—is scheduled to be placed before the legislature during the upcoming winter session beginning on December 8 in Belagavi . Government sources confirmed that the move reflects a conscious effort to align with contemporary trends in the sport, where online wagering has become a standard feature across several premier racing centres in India. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Karnataka Race Course Licensing Act, 1952 (Karnataka Act 7 of 1952) to grant explicit permission for regulated online betting. Modernisation in Line With National Practice The government’s decision was shaped signif...

  GLANDERS DEVOURS HYDERABAD WINTER SEASON 2025–2026 A Deadly Equine Outbreak Forces Complete Cancellation of Racing at Malakpet In a devastating blow to the Indian racing circuit, the Hyderabad Race Club (HRC) has been forced to call off the entire Hyderabad Winter Racing Season 2025–2026 . The culprit is Glanders —one of the most feared infectious diseases in equine history, notorious for its rapid spread, high fatality rate, and grave zoonotic risk. Glanders is a highly contagious and often lethal bacterial disease caused by Burkholderia mallei , a pathogen that primarily affects horses, donkeys, and mules. The disease can surface in multiple forms—nasal, pulmonary, or cutaneous (farcy)—and may present acutely or chronically. Disturbingly, humans are not spared; infection in people can be severe and frequently fatal if not treated urgently. Why Glanders Is So Dangerous Cause Bacterium: Burkholderia mallei , known for its ability to invade and destroy tissues rapidly. ...

  A LEADERSHIP VACUUM AT BANGALORE TURF CLUB Racing Administration Drifts as BTC Fails to Find a Chief Stipendiary Steward** The Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), one of India’s premier racing institutions, finds itself in an extraordinary and worrying administrative vacuum. With the resignation of former Chief Stipendiary Steward Ravi Shanker in the aftermath of the now-infamous jockey slap scandal , the club has been left without a qualified, empowered, and widely accepted head of racing administration — a situation that threatens the integrity and smooth functioning of the sport in Bengaluru. A Crisis Without a Captain The role of the Chief Stipendiary Steward is central to race-day governance: supervising running and riding of races, enforcing discipline, ensuring rule compliance, maintaining fairness and transparency, and commanding authority in the stewards’ room. Today, that chair sits empty. Despite being one of the country’s most resourceful race clubs, BT...

T he Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), one of India’s oldest organised sporting institutions, is currently navigating a sensitive and critical phase in its long history. The State Government has communicated its intent for the Club to vacate its present premises within a stipulated period of two years and has also expressed its expectation that BTC withdraw its ongoing petition before the Supreme Court, where the Club has sought to safeguard its right to continue operations at the existing location. The periodic refusal of racing licences in recent months has further compounded the Club’s operational difficulties. Given these developments, an important question arises: What viable and balanced avenues are available for BTC to address the present situation and ensure continuity of the sport? This issue deserves a measured, fact-based, and solution-oriented view — one that recognises both the government’s concerns and the Club’s longstanding contribution to sport, employment, and the city’s...

  “GUINDY’S SILENT BLEEDING MUST STOP — RACING CAN’T SURVIVE ON COMPROMISE ANYMORE” By Turf Tracker (Mahindar Singh Rathore) Indian racing has seen storms before. It has survived wars, economic collapses, political hostility, social stigma, and the slow choking of legislative restrictions. But what is happening in Chennai today is not a storm. It is not a crisis. It is a silent bleeding — a quiet, continuous, dignity-crushing erosion of the very soul of horse racing in Tamil Nadu. Guindy is not collapsing with noise; it is being smothered with silence . And if this fraternity does not wake up now, we may end up writing an obituary rather than a roadmap of revival. Let us not pretend anymore. Racing in Tamil Nadu is fighting for survival, but the fight is not against competition, or audience decline, or modern entertainment options. The fight is against systemic indifference , regulatory suffocation , and a culture of compromise that has infected the very people who are suppos...