@Sam, 

No one would have any axe to grind against the bookmakers provided they are true to their profession. 

It is well-known that malpractices in the running of the races are ultimately tracked down to bookmakers. Fair running of the races is not possible unless there is ' tote supremacy '.

Of course "degenerate punters " who  like to bet at " half tax ", would go to any extent to defend these culprits.If the tax officials release  the legitimate tax swindled by these people,  it may startle any right thinking individual. 

But the bookmakers will have full support of degenerate punters and some self serving Club Officials. 

@SSPP ,

          After reading your great articles, several middle class punters have °CALLED IT A DAY° saying good bye to this sport realising that it has not been successful to them any more.. Some middle class punters like me are still in a ^ CAT ON THE WALL ° situation unable to take sides.. Only  few hard core punters are still  believing that the sport is a game of skill which give them lot of instant money and immediate returns and banning the sport is just like ° KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS ° and hence defending it stubbornly.

        Despite disagreement and stiff opposition from certain hard core punters,  SSPP stands firm and °STICKING TO HIS GUNS ° unmasking the real face the suspected sport.

         Really you are a °SMART AND NOBLE °  person  I have ever seen.

Sam,

SSPP is forcefully arguing for closure of races in India.  What he talks may be repetitive (& boring also).  

Let 100 SSPPs lecture 1000 hours each about ills of race betting.  That will not stop punters from betting.  SSPP is hoping against hope that there may be some takers for his musings.  I fully agree with him that race betting is a losing proposition.  But, I have not stopped betting.  The Government also desire that punters, particularly middle class & lower middle class people should avoid betting.  They have categorised race betting as 'sin' and have levied heavy penalty in the form of GST.  The punters have to blame themselves if they indulge in betting in spte of such draconian taxation.  

SSPP is a lucky punter.  He stopped betting several years earlier, and is now happy with a decent income & bank balance.  If you feel that his sermons are not worth implementing, you are fully at liberty to ignore his warning and continue with betting. 

But why berate him.  It shall be more meaningful if you refute his warnings by speaking about your selections and the amount you propose to bet.   Let this exercise be done for minimum of two months.   Not only you.  Everyone who is tired of SSPP's letters should be doing this.  99% of such horsetalk members will be under loss only.

All punters are losers only.  But, we can at least stop being too harsh on a small lot of horsetalk members who are not afraid to speak truth!

@ Sam

     Agreed, it's a 'cat and mouse' game but the bookie cats always keep winning and the rotten rats fall by the way side, isn't it? I am not worried about your fortunes but that of the beleaguered class of punters who have bigger responsibilities back home. Let the races resume and we will see what happens on the field. No route to escape for anyone and ruthless 'attack' on hapless punters will carry on. Is there any doubt about it?

Smart-still-poor punter. By posting your frustration In horse talk you can't stop indian horse racing

The book makers are not there for charity .it is a cat and mouse game between punters and book makers   punters need extraordinary skills from published race card  supreme court of india is given judgement stating that horse racing is game of skills 

so be positive and share some usefull information in ht

@ Ravi

     It seems even now you are attending races in your dreams !

     If children get addicted to smart phones or adults turn alcoholic, only that particular individual gets affected but racing ruins an entire family...the future of several generations.

     I am living a cozy life, don't worry. I am well employed with an employed wife and grown-up children. My concern is for those middle-class punters who are unable to come out of the crisis. That's why I keep praying that horse racing should stop forever. If only the Supreme Court entertains a review petition, I will be among the first to file one and ensure that racing is banned for ever in India.

     I am not forcing you to quit, did I? Then why feel like someone is holding a gun on your head. That's guilty feeling. You keep losing in bags and want racing to resume to recover all those losses in one single day. You will never get that day in your life even if by mistake races restart. I am not cursing anyone but trying to be pragmatic. That's all. 

     As long as www.indiarace.com entertains my posts, I will keep coming here, once in every six hours, or even every 6 minutes. I don't think I need some pauper's permission for that. Hope you got it.

Smart still poor punter I am noticing from long time that u want to make indian racing shut down I think you are more addicted than any other else on this forum if u left Racing 6 years back than why u came back after every 6 hours u see the results and than pass the comments

Today's smart phone and technology are also ruining our country many of young child career so should we stop production of mobile phone

Alcohol is responsible for destroying millions of life and also cause of domestic violence, crime, murders should govt stop production of liquor.

Billions of money is poured on Cricket gambling lots people gets destroyed so should govt stop cricket matches

Definitely NOT because its that has to decide how to make balanced approach in your life how to tread carefully in a particular field if borrow money on interest and than gamble on horse racing make more bets than your capacity definitely you will be in trouble and its my advice don't ruin ur upcoming life in posting nonsense if u left Racing than don't look back.

I read an article in "Business Line " , which gives details of turnover and taxes before and after introduction of GST. 

   Total Taxes paid by the three Clubs --BTC  ,  HRC and RCTC to their respective State Governments in 2016-17 ( year before implementation of GST)  were Rs 389 crores on a turnover of Rs 3482 crores. 

Post GST the taxes collected were Rs 134 crores (FY '18 on a turnover of 1732 CR.)  ,  rs 284 CR. (FY '19 on a turnover of rs 1599 CR and Rs 261 CR (FY '20 on a turnover of rs 1193 CR) 

   Now you know why the government is not at all interested in Horse Racing. For this paltry amount of taxes collected by it,  the social costs are too heavy. The government knows that illegal betting thrives in any case ( with or without GST)  and the industry lives on black money. 

I am not amazed that hardcores  like Ayyarnet want only " degenerate punters " to step in to racecourse after due screening!  This is exactly what the ' spin doctors ' of race clubs and their fraternity desire  !!.Some people have to simply bet,  irrespective of the outcome  or the consequences to their family !!!

I agree with ayyernet.

It is not easy to pic a winner

Horse raceing is genuinely game of skill.the best horse in that particular bunch wins. Neither horse owners and buckmakers does not know wich horse is going to win.the trainer trains the horse a d jockey rides the horse to best of their skills. So stop critsizing every one.

That Budhiya Chachi of Basanthi told famously , " Yeh Jua kissi se chuta hai,  bhula " in Sholay. 

The only way  to make Punters stop betting in races , is to close horse racing altogether. 

The reality is that the entire system -- Clubs,  owners,  trainers  , jockies and bookies have collided and made it a very fine system,  with only one aim -- to fleece the hapless punters. 

The rot is so deeply engrained into the system that it is impossible to reform it. 

Just for the sake of some " degenerate punters " the system can not be allowed to continue. 

I have to agree with Ruchi Sir .Let the people responsible for bringing the sufferings to punters,  suffer now! 

     I have been praying earnestly for an early end to horse racing in India, and it looks quite imminent now. I am really happy, not that I will not be able to come back to the sport to which I bid farewell 6 years before but the whole lot of middle-class punters, who form the backbone of punting community, will be saved.

     Mr Raghavan, you are very right in saying that the bookies have been exploiting the situation for very long, of course, hand in glove with a section of the administrators. Once I asked a steward in Chennai : "Sir, in an interview to me (when I was a journalist) you said illegal betting should be abolished come what may" but I find yourself playing with bookies huge amounts almost every race. He did not like that salvo from me and refused to reply. This is what many administrators do in many race-courses across India.

     As Mr Arvind says (for a change though) bookies must now be standing in queue in front of the houses of many punters to collect their balance. However, there is no need for any punter to pay such amounts because they are totally illegal deals. If any bookie tries to use physical force, they can be booked in the nearest police station.

     As another writer has suggested here, let online booking be given a try as that will not attract a huge crowd in a country like ours, and particularly the middle-class will be undisturbed.

     It's true that no government - even where racing is held - is interested in even discussing the issue of resuming races. Imagine how can that happen in a state like Maharashtra where reliable sources say that it will take more than a year for even normal life to be restored? 

     I don't see any possibility for restart of racing in India during this year and also at least up to March 2021. I am least bothered about the 'die-hard' punters who want to visit the race-course at the earliest because for them there is no life without racing...but for many there is no life because of racing. That's the difference. Thank you

Friends:

My humble opinion is either you like or do not like. Sitting over the fence is not good. While reading the Race book telling all Races are ruining the public isvery bad. If you do not like please leave it once for all and get lost and never show your face towards Race Course.

That is why I have expressed my opinion elsewhere here in this forum instead of allowing all Tom, Dick and Harry the club should allow only the Racing enthusiastic people by enlisting as members with proper identity.

In this way the club can filter all unwated elements and the so called saviors or God father of poor people to prevent all in indulging in betting can shut their mouth in criticising about Races.

If te Race viewers are limited then there can be unity among them to pave a way for Leadership and then an association to watch the club activities.

Best Rewgards to all

Ayyarnet

Better racing will be stopped its good ..so many punters struglled..so many persons did suicide also..its a pure gambling only not geniiune game..

Nobody think about Punters situation..if you guys encourgaing this if you are thinking about whoever ground level job doing better go head with Online betting ..anyway this game will not suit for Middlle class,,

Public will slowly become used to it and RACING or NO RACING will not make much difference.

But for passinate people like me too,we will and are Missing racing

BUT one thing that rely makes me very happy is that all the CROOKS ( trainers,riders,big name owners) who fleeced the public and common punter enough must ve now feeling the heat.

One thing I fully agree that writing is in the wall RACING IS A DEAD INDUSTRY NOW,true govt is least bothered and it's just a matter of time ...this INDUSTRY or LOOTING GAME is now DEAD with no chance of revival

Raghavanji your s the top article in this forum recived in last 65 days. Everybody was talking this and that without any meaning. Including me atleaseast I just recollected my earlier days racing coz platform s available. 

You made very realistic and pin point the whole issue.  Everybody is saying punters saved bcoz no race. But how many knows that punters debts to bookies, outsiders gone so high that even racing started they may not be able to come to course to bet. I knew many bookies are searching punters who played on credits.

So let us forget all and enjoy whates happening around us. What's going to be happen it wud happen what's not going to happen it won't.