MAHINDAR SINGH RATHORE

  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...