ARCICAL EVENTS MUST BE AVOIDED AT ANY COST
Pune Mirror | Updated: Feb 23, 2018, 02.30 AM IST
Lesser fancied debutant Madagascar (S Zervan up) en route to victory in a three-horse field for the Gracias Saldhana Memorial Million on Sunday last (PIC: RS GUPTA)
DARK HORSE

Last week I received a message from a seemingly anguished race-horse owner who cited the two-horse field contesting the Eclipse Stakes of India race run earlier that week as also the three-horse field for the Gracias Saldhana Memorial Million and the four horses competing in the Velvet Rope Trophy. The owner signed off by stating, “What a sorry state of affairs!”

The owner’s main grouse against the Royal Western India Turf Club was not so much regarding the unexpected outcome of these races but it was more about the quality of the participation.


These three races were not isolated instances; at least eight events held in the preceding weeks had just three or four runners in the fray. Not only this, a fair number of races this season had five or six runners too.

In races with four or less runners, only three on-money favourite horses – Lord of the Sea, New England and Palatial obliged whereas those who figured in the vanquished list were – Mekong Delta, Big Sur, Albareto, Castlebridge and Riquewihr. Just recently racegoers witnessed the downfall of Temerity, Palatial and to cap it all was the defeat of the much fancied duo – Star Inspiration and Riquewihr.

Tradition dilemma

In all the aforementioned incidents, the events were terms races and contested either by horses from Class I or II over trips beyond a mile or by juveniles for the million events. The Eclipse Stakes, Byculla Club Trophy and the RR Ruia Gold Cup are considered as prestigious races in the RWITC’s racing calendar.

Truth be told, though these events have all but lost relevance in the last few years, the RWITC has been persisting with it probably because it’s loathe to do away anything that has the ‘tradition’ tag attached.

In this era — when horse-racing has already lost its appeal and isn’t compelling enough to keep regulars captivated and attract new spectators to the racecourse for a host of reasons, the idea of having poorly contested races for horses who have reached the highest class is selfdefeating and meaningless.

The regular passage of such events costs the club lakhs of rupees in stake-money, there is no revenue to gain from betting and, more importantly, racegoers gradually start developing a dislike for the sport. For, they consider it a criminal waste of time and money.

Undesired speculation

There’s a popular belief amongst punters that a race contested by a small field is invariably won by a horse available at longer odds. What has strengthened their theory is the victory of Square Moon, Vulcan and their likes. On the flipside, the success of Rochester and Temerity was being viewed with suspicion.

How one wishes that the RWITC authorities would hear what the punters’ speculations about both Castlebridge and Temerity’s defeat. If such undesirable situations are to be avoided, the RWITC must take ample precaution when the racing season’s prospectus is framed.

Finally let’s hope the CN Wadia Gold Cup, to be run exactly a week after the Indian Invitation Cup, does not suffer this fate as the terms of both these events are same.

When the club’s marketing team is working overtime to promote the sport these days, it’s a pity that their efforts get wasted due to farcical events.