Let's face it. A small card of six-events framed on the opening day of the much-awaited summer season is certainly not what the doctored ordered for a good start, considering the fact that 800 horses including 200 outstation horses are down here at this premier racing campus. A couple of senior trainers disclosed that it will get better in the weeks ahead, while the management committee of the club made it clear that the onus is on the trainers to enter and race their wards in the effort to provide the competitive edge and make it a summer to remember.

The opening plum of the season, the BTC Charitable Trust Trophy has attracted a creditable field of eight runners and 11 good type of youngsters including a couple from Mumbai will come under the starter's flag next day for the War Hammer Million to be run over a distance of seven furlongs.

"The track is in ship-shape condition and the feed-back from the pros is good," said BTC chairman Manjunath Ramesh adding that the management committee tactfully scaled the many hurdles, while ensuring that the summer season started on the scheduled and appointed date, Saturday, May 17.

"The 15 percent proposed hike in the stall fees of the bookmakers was initially rejected by the bookmakers before we negotiated and closed the deal at eight percent. Following the re-tender, all the 27 bookies, who operated during the winter have submitted the application forms and the club is delighted to start the season on a complete note," said Ramesh.

When asked why the managing committee always chooses to address the paucity of entries issue from trainers with kid gloves, BTC Steward Mahesh Medappa revealed that unfortunately one race on Saturday and another on Sunday went void following four horses opting out on veterinary grounds before the acceptance stage. "The number of races will go up from the second week and taking into account that the best three-year-olds are down here, the classics will generate maximum interest," said Mahesh confident that the summer season will produce stellar performances from quality horses under the care of the leading trainers including the Western India champion Pesi Shroff who registered a Derby hat-trick last year through Santissimo following the success of Super Natural (2022) and Jamari (2023).

In addition Mahesh disclosed that four races this season will be run over new 1300-1500 metres distance. "This will be conducted on an experimental basis and after ascertaining the interest among the trainers we will decide on the next course," said Mahesh.

A snap strike by the syces union caught the managing committee napping, the syces choosing not to work the horses in the morning on Thursday. The syces informed that the Club had not paid the leave pay and bonus and the uniform allowance due to them. The mandarins of the club realising that this may snow-ball into a big issue quickly impressed upon on the syces that the club will clear all their dues in two instalments following which the syces returned to work in the evening. "We promised to disperse the dues in two instalments, the first at the end of the month and the final settlement early next month," said Manjunath Ramesh.

The Board Of Appeal has been reconstituted. Former BTC chairman Shivkumar Kheny will head the board. S Chokalingam, B Dayananda (IPS), SK Raghunandan, Ritesh Kumar Singh (IAS) and Zeyn Mirza are the five other members in the Board Of Appeal. 

Well all said and done the stage is set and the thunder of hooves will provide a lyrical ring provided the Rain Gods choose not to play spoilsport on the double dhamaka on Saturday, opening day's summer races at BTC and the mouth-watering IPL clash featuring the home side RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders in the evening at the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium.