Three jockeys dislodged in a race. Punters on a rampage. One horse euthanized. Racing conducted on a treacherous track. It was big news. Many reporters from the television news channels and the print media rushed to the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) to report the unfortunate horrific incidents, But to their surprise the journalists were not allowed inside the gates of the BTC. The security staff at the gates told the media persons that the managing committee had instructed them not to allow any media person inside, be it a reporter or a photographer. BTC Assistant secretary Nagesh Babu too confirmed the orders issued to the security staff adding that the stewards and stipes were taking stock of the situation in a meeting and hence cannot be reached.

The corridors of power at the Vidhana Soudha don't close gates on the news media but the audacity of new committee to prevent media from discharging their duties on a day when all went wrong was baffling. Much later this correspondent after a heated debate with the security staff and advocating that this tough stand against the media by the committee will snowball into a much bigger issue convinced Nagesh Babu to let the angry pressmen in.before a couple of committee members and later the chairman Vinod Sivappa walked up to address the media. It is just not done in any sports club or a sports association. But the BTC mandarins, it appears want to conduct the sport in all secrecy. Will it happen? No is the answer considering the fact that all what happens in a close door board meeting at BTC is out in the social media even before the confidential meeting is terminated. Screen shots of confidential letters, allotments, management decisions, legal findings are freely circulated on social media.So when the insiders are playing havoc day in and day out what is the fear with the media reporting the mayhem. Well it is lopsided thinking to keep media out in an effort to guard against the many skeletons tumbling out of the cupboards, but the fact is that all the secrets of BTC are in public domain even before the watchman closes the board room door after any meeting.

Now back to what went wrong on the first day, first show of the winter season which dented the image of the sport which is still considered a mug's game. Blame games started even before the injured jockey Srinath was brought back in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The leading pro suffered a hip and a ankle injury while mercifully Suraj Narredu and Kiran Rai escaped unhurt. A couple of committee members maintained that the track was in ship-shape condition and that Will To Win was an unsound horse.

Committee member Mahesh Medappa told the media that the horse was 18 kilos overweight and that the medical history of the horse reveals that Will To Win was treated for lameness from Sept 3-5 and an intra-articular injection was administered to the horse on Sept 8 & 17. Well if the committee member was pointing out that the horse was unsound and he knew about it why then did the managing committee and stipes allow the horse to race. It is clear understanding in the rules of racing that unsound horses should not be permitted to run. What was senior stipe Mahendar and chief veterinary officer Sridhar doing. It is clear that the decision makers had got it all wrong and it only will get worse if things are not sorted out in an acceptable and amicable mannner. Mistakes do happen One must stop claiming he is a saint and the other is a sinner.

The Clerk of the course B N Shivprakash who maintained that the track was in ship-shape condition even after the horrific incident apparently has climbed down from the high horse. He along with the chairman of track maintenance sub-committee Kiran Basappa, stipes and stewards have agreed to rectify some of the portions of the track which pose danger after the jockeys and trainers pointed out in an inspection of the track conducted on Saturday morning. The jockeys made it clear to the authorities that they will not ride unless the track is certified fit by the pros after a couple of mock races. From this it is clear that it will be the pros who will call the shots and decide when racing will resume at this centre and not the decision makers of the club who needlessly resorted to the blame game after the big track blunder.

Back home nursing a sour back, Suraj Narredu in a tweet declared that it was the worst track he has ridden in so many years in Bangalore. The authorities didn't like it. But the fact is that the committee didn't pay attention to a letter from the JAI president, Pradeep Chouhan warning the officials that the track was just not conducive to racing. The letter was out of the window sooner than it was posted. The committee trusted their track generals, Shivprakash and Kiran Basappa and paid a big price. The jockeys not willing to ride unless the track is certified fit by the pros. The estimated Rs 50 lakh property gutted. The owners at this centre losing confidence in the administrative ability of the managing committee and more importantly the media painting the club back after the mandarins chose to keep the fourth estate out.

Lady trainer Parvati Byramji sent out a message in social media asking everyone concerned to take the track issue seriously. Parvati said: " To all those out there, my horse Will To Win died today. She died when she was all set to win. Her broken leg looked like a saw had gone through it. The stewards are blaming me for running an "unsound" horse . This is what we have come to. My horse who died is blamed but not the track The least we can do is to learn a lesson from the death of the horse."

BTC is a place where only the classes are conducted and lessons not learnt. It is time to turn a new leaf in the interest of the sport. Much was expected from the new committee headed by Vinod Sivappa but unfortunately they got caught unable to bat straight on a bad track. But then all is not lost and Vinod and his men can still recover from the hiccup and play a good innings in the year ahead.