So the coming weekends are reserved for BTC Summer meetings, and the 1st and 2nd day of Racing will be held on 13th and 14th May and all racing enthusiasts eagerly waiting for this will be happy to know this year Owners, Trainers, Syces, Jockeys or the Nature are not testing your patience. A prompt start is a certainty this year.

Normally races are held in India Next Day after declarations are out. However, the BTC has this week decided to declare the jockeys on 11th May for the Week End races to be held on 13th and 14th May, i.e. two to three days earlier. Contrary to the usual practice, what prompted them to do this hasty declaration is not known. For handicapping students it may be a welcome move as they will get sufficient time to study the card.

But I doubt despite having more than enough time, if any one will be able to spot the winner accurately in most of the races. Reasons being, in between these two three days gap anything can happen with the horses. A quick drop in “form or health” or “sudden improvement of form of a not so impressive horse in its previous runs” may tear down your calculations. There is a chance the betting mafia may influence the connections. Chances are many for publishing manipulating odds by the bookies during these period periodically to confuse punters.

Lastly, it is not necessary the track works printed or the selections given in the Race Card in your hand are upto date. Not giving adequate time to Publishers of the Race Card to gather latest news, incidents, tracks etc. or furnishing all the possible updates to the race goers is equal to the Club attempting to suppress the latest information from the punters. Horse Talkers views and opinions on this may be different, but I think the Club should forbid from early jockey declaration like this. Declarations should be made available only on the penultimate day of actual racing and I hope BTC listen the voices of the public.