The decision of the Appeal Board of Mysore to stay the suspension of jockey Kiran Rai and remand the matter back to the Stewards for fresh consideration after the evidence of the horse having a history of being unsound should be an eye-opener. The  Stewards were of the conviction that the horse broke down because the jockey strangled the horse and because of this act, the horse broke down.

While Kiran Rai has not covered himself with glory by his various acts, the fact remained that the jockey deserved the benefit of the doubt as the horse suffered from impairment and the horse stopped galloping 300 metres from home and subsequently euthanized. I am of the firm belief that if a horse suffers from any form of impairment during a race, the benefit of the doubt should go the professional. We should not view every act of the jockeys with suspicion.

I am intrigued by the fact that the senior-most racing official in the country Mr. T. Raman did not consider all these matters but appears to have strictly gone by his prejudice. Raman has done a wonderful job of a Stipendiary Steward and without doubt, he is one of the best at his job. Unfortunately, he gets carried away in his zeal to be strict as evidenced by this present instance. When the horse breaks down during the race and does not complete the race, you cannot accuse the jockey of stopping the horse whatever his intention may be.  The Jockeys Association of India perhaps were right to be agitated by the decision of the Stewards of MRC and the Appeal Board not giving any relief.

I have always believed that any resolution cannot happen under force. It is in this context I said that the apprentice jockeys who were used to bail out of the situation arising out of the boycott of members of the Jockeys Association of India did a fair job and not meant to be a slur on the established jockeys. The talent pool in India is restricted and many of the jockeys have distinguished themselves by their achievements. Strike or boycott would only vitiate the atmosphere and the best way to resolve any issue is by coming with a reasoned argument. The jockeys also could help their cause by being cautious in their acceptance of mounts which have serious physical infirmities.

I also fail to understand how the veterinarians are so lenient with horses which are a potential danger not only to the jockeys but also to the others by breaking down during the race and causing a pile-up. There is a need for a comprehensive re-look on the fitness of a horse eligible to race. Horses breaking down during a race is not a good advertisement for the sport and this would create a bad image of the sport. Surely some food for thought for the authorities.