One only has to look at the crowds today compared to the 60s and 70s to know that people have no faith in the custodians of Racing.

Take Sandesh's riding of Noble Heir recently. 1st favourite but from jump out had no interest in taking a winning position. Deliberately got a couple of checks (a new favourite of Trevor and Sandesh) so he can claim he was interfered by other horses. Enquiry has been called but nothing will be done except a small punishment for the Stewards to "keep face". Sandesh and Trevor are darlings of the Authorities. 

The public knows what is going on but the custodians take us for fools ... and as a fool and his money are easily parted, the RWITC is in its death throes. 

@jimmy 

My post was not why we fail to catch flukes and loose our money ...I agree that long shots often put holes in pockets of punters but what I was actually recalling was gone are the days when big owners used to enter multiple horses by multiple trainers on a race day ...so punters had plenty of choices what to play .

When big owners like  Rakesh wadhavan Harresh N Mehta ,Mallya and now even shirkes and dhunjibhoys have drastically reduced the number of horses to race.

What now we have is a list of pre fixed events that are being labelled as 'races' to drag punters to race courses ...in fact I would advise punters to try Andar bahar instead of taking pain to go races ...you can even see the jockeys like Sandesh and Trevor Patel they are winning here and there just for sake of win.Even many top jockeys seem to have lost interest in racing.

I think demonetisation is the main reason that hit big owners and players to stay away from racing partially ...don't know when we will get back those  Ache din!

Your article amuses me. You think trainers like antia or even lagad bring charm to horse racing. You think these trainers who don't know their own horses and when they ll Win are a blessing to racing? Trainers like those named by you have a string of class 5 or 4 horses who they run almost every weekend and one race a season they spring a surprise and win? Is that racing for you? Antias horses used to look like pregnant mares over overfed colts in the paddock most of the times  horses belonging to these trainers almost never win as favourites and can be safely eaten at odds on or 12 /10 odds. Unless they are ready horses in class 5 or 4 who get backed down from 3 to 1 to even money with donkey jockeys  on top and win once in a while.

Please meet me sometime at the Bombay course would like to shake your hand for writing such a post 

Cheers 

Jimmy 

Racing is such a hard nut to crack!  For me it became an obsession to break the code. Having tried and failed in it,  I decided it takes too much of your life and time,  not to speak of many. 

In the olden days at least there was a incentive for breaking the code as dividends were good. With the advent of GST,  now there is nothing in it. Investment in shares is better .

Tote is poor man's paradise  28% GST  on Tote dividends is cruel act  i dont know why turf authority s of India are not able to convince GST official s 

Friends

I am in Racing since 1975 when late Dr MAM acquired Half a crown. There were ups and downs but still I contined as a Hobby Never went beyond my capacity and beyond my quota for Racing from my earnings. Changed betting habits so many times followed Jockeys Traniner even owner etc still I used to come to starting point always by loss. Then I found there are tricks of the trade and followed a particular jockey only whether loss or win no problem since favorite jockey used to win frequently. Recovered my loss slowly and steadily.

What I find there exists a unforce at the Race Course once fell into its net finished very very difficult to get out of it. I have seen a person of 60 years unable to walk properly. He used to come to Chennai Race course all the way from Perambur to Guindy by Auto paying Rs 500 as charges for just coming and returning he will have to pay 500.  Another fellow used to come to Chennai Race Course all the way from Trichirapalli  with overnight journey just to play at the Races at Guindy

These findings confirm the presence of evil Forces at the Race course which we can not see. For example we can not see the wind but we can observe its action. Just watch at the Race course when the Announcer says - The Horses are getting in  and sounds of the beacle announcing the start of the Race just at Ring how people are begging the Bookmakers to accept their money and see at the Tote counter how people are Swarming at the counter.  

We do not have any leadership and neither UNITY among us. Race club thrives only from the income from Punters. Still they are untouchable for them The always ignore their hardships  even does not supply good food at reasonale rate coffee or Tea and worst is Toilet also not maintained properly.

In India we go to Race course only when there are Races. But in in other countries especially europe people go almost every day. They get good food reasonable rate the sit and gossip who pulled the horse or pushed the horse etc. They never sob or brood about their loss.

Here majority of the punters who can not afford started getting addicted with Races. who will educate them. How many of them see internet postings.

Too many Races almost everyday we have Races. 99 percent of punters are at loss only. Playing all Races and all centers also responsible for the downfall of punters.

If we can decare one dy as RACE BUNDH  still people can not keep their temptation. If one day no punter is at the Course then only club will take a lesson. Even today Chennai Race club can not conduct Races alone. They are always depending on other centers for the crowd. 

People have lost their faith with Races but continue unconsciously due to addiction. What surprises me is people who have left also still comng to Racing topic.That means something drags them here.

Best Regards to all

ayyarnet

I was once a familiar face at the race-course for over 25 years and finally quit betting on horses as i realized it was akin to membership of a "5 -star Hotel' where money was only to be spent , a luxury for the mega wealthy..Since 2017 have been attending only the "Indian Derby " race day and should say that the absence of Vijay.Mallya has created a great dent in the glamour of the Indian Derby since he fled the Country and Mahalaxmi racecourse in 2016.This year in 2020 it seems to be the year with the lowest "Indian Derby" day crowd turnout and only hope that horse racing in India doesn't follow the business pattern of the textile mills of Mumbai . While Mumbai's population is increasing annually it is the reverse with race course attendances at Mahalaxmi racecourse with the crowds decreasing and 2020 was the lowest in crowd attendance on a Indian Derby day.Statistics would prove me right as 25 years in the racing Industry as a common punter is a "Stayin Alive" financial balancing.

The racing today is all about adjustment and run on longer odds ,fav bite the dust

The trainers know that ,lot of people do handicapping and speed dating ,so they never run ,when it is in everybody minds,but they win after two runs ,when it goes out of handicapping

The punters are losing in these way and are losing interest ,also stewards are not strict in every centre ,no proper enquiry ,no punishment ,etc 

Racing will just hobble along on3 legs. 

28%GST  dealt a severe blow and clubs had  no clue how to adjust.

The clubs are run by moth balled men well past retirement age not wiling to change one bit

the  receny attendence on derby day in MUM  showed  how deep is the decline.

Regarding  A Caddy can never show his facec in    the race course .He owes money to many,  including 2 Delhi brokers .  An abject lesson thati n horse racing nothing is certain.

Some of us are still there as long health permits. Future  is grim

I agree with u...

Waste Racing centre of all the world.

Not only Racing,  see Cricket....In NZ , we win T20 series clean sweep .....lose One day series clean sweep....Test series will be a Tie  1-1.....

Until this Prefixed agreements change ( that will never happen in Country like India where we punters and audiences are like  useless, helpless scapegoats),  the sports won't become interesting...

Hi,

     Thank you for coming up with an interesting and useful topic. 

     Even as you correctly point out that racing has lost its charm, my question in the first place is "when has racing really been charming to punters?" The days when Antias and Amit Caddys used to throw a surprise, how many of them do you think accepted it happily?

     According to me, there are three clear sections of punters : 1) Those who feel excited when favourites win 2) Those who scream when second or third favourites emerge successful and 3) Those who always want a 10/1 shot to come first. The top secret here is bookies always remain in plus whichever horse wins, be it a favourite or a rank outsider, because they do something called the "balancing act" which, unfortunately, punters don't.

     I would like to say (not because that I quit racing in 2014 after unable to keep going) that horse racing is a curse on any human being who tries to learn the art because this mystifying art can never be learnt.

Racing in India now become horrible. Many punter everyday quite racing or just go for only one race in a day. Iam talking myself iam also playing a race in a day or nothing or wait for the superior horse to run and ply them. Now a day trainer only do gambling can't understand what's going on their mind see last meeting of Mumbai trainer Imtiaz A Sait all favorite win. I'm suggesting only one thing to punter if you want to be stay  in racing long time please ply only one select race in a day.  The amazing thing that iam share is to ply every center first race favorite win / place. 90% time come on board. 

Thanks .