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Did trainers have worthwhile reason for the strike?

  July 28 , 2015
   

The Karnataka Trainers Association which was backed by Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association and by Jockeys Association of India disrupted last week`s racing by not putting entries. The result was a loss of Rs 1 crores as stake money to owners besides commission to trainers and jockeys. The question that is being asked is whether the trainers had strong reasons to go on strike? Were they justified in disrupting races to their own detriment?

The answer is an emphatic no going by the list of demands given to Bangalore Turf Club for immediate redress by the three bodies concerned. The demands are abstract and they are something that cannot be implemented overnight. They are points that need to be negotiated over a long period of time as it involves other turf clubs in India and also Turf Authorities of India which does not have the power to enforce its writ on all turf clubs. Each turf club follows its own rules of racing which are more or less common but its implementation had differed from club to club. The strike as such was not a solution to address the problems that have been listed.

The first demand itself is self-explanatory. The associations have demanded that the club undertake a comprehensive exercise in a time bound manner to reframe the Rules of Racing and update the Calendar Notification so as to ensure that the entire procedure relating to preliminary enquiry, Stewards enquiry and enquiries before the Board of Appeal meet the Principles of natural justice. If even if one were to find the present rules inadequate, disrupting two days of racing was not going to bring the solution in a few days since the whole process as has been said by the associations is time bound!

The second demand pertains the exclusive discretion to declare a jockey vests with the concerned owner and trainer and the said discretion should not be attempted to be disturbed by the racing officials. This right has always been there and it has not been interfered. Trainers have been punished when they have said that the jockeys that they have declared are incompetent and their ability is restricted. The trainers have a responsibility for the performance of a horse and are held accountable even if the jockey messes up the race. If the complicity of the trainer is established in the poor performance of a trainer due to an incompetent jockey, then the professional concerned also gets pulled up. The responsibility is not just that of the jockey but also that of the trainer under whose instructions the jockey rides. Disregarding the instructions of a trainer by the jockey has been held against the latter. The jockeys ride are per the instruction of the trainer whose commands the jockey is expected to execute. As such the responsibility is joint and cannot be isolated unless of course the jockey has totally disregarded the accepted practices.

The punishment for any particular offence should be uniform under all circumstances, the associations have said. Nobody has any dispute about this. However, the associations have not pointed out the instances where such things have happened and hence their demand is vague.

The associations have demanded reframing of Rules of Racing should be completed in 60 days so that racing in winter season is conducted under revised rules of racing with the updated Calendar Notification as amended. The Bangalore Turf Club has been trying to implement norms for professionals but at the time of execution it has been stopped and the associations themselves have asked for its postponement. Changing Rules of Racing which have stood the test of time and amending them is a lengthy process and that possibly could not be cited as the reason for the strike which disrupted racing.

The associations have also demanded that professionals who are disqualified should be automatically re-licensed at the end of the suspension period. Since the clubs themselves quantify the suspension period, implementing this should not be a problem. In the case of Gregory Sandhu who was suspended for three years, the turf club did not renew his license for seven years but strangely nobody took up his case. The associations have been selective in taking up the cause of aggrieved professionals. Only those who are only loyal to the powers that be are taken care of.

Going by the list of demands it is clear that these are problems cannot be addressed overnight. As the associations themselves have pointed out, it should be done in time bound manner. As such one fails to understand why racing was disrupted.

In the meanwhile, trainer Dominic is reported to have authored a letter to Bangalore Turf Club seeking action against me for being critical of them in my articles and for calling the club a toothless tiger. There can be nothing more hilarious than this. Perhaps Dominic and his supporters cannot be credited with any degree of intelligence. Being the Secretary of Karnataka Trainers Association and responsible for the disruption of racing and bringing a bad name to the sport, the Stewards are well within their powers to take stringent action on him. Yes, BTC has always proved to be toothless tiger but this time, the club has shown strong resolution to put an end to these wild cat strikes. They can be called real tigers when the club takes strong action on professionals licensed by them bringing disrepute to the game.

There was an item in indiarace.com that President of Karnataka Trainers Association Puttanna abused and threatened me. And there was a further clarification that Puttanna has denied that he had abused me. It was a totally irresponsible news which could have had wider ramifications if it had come in main stream media as I have part of it for well over three decades.

 
 
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Total Comments : 10
Posted by John D`Souza on ( July 28 , 2015 )
Who is Dominic to ask for action against a journalist? If there is something wrong, then the BTC will automatically react. Everyone knows Dominic came from Ooty where he won races only when and if MAM permitted him to do so. BTC itself has not reacted to the comments but the KTA secretary has. The article has hit out at the KTA also. So why the KTA is not taking any action against Sharan Kumar, the author? They are scared that they will be exposed as well.
We have been reading him write about racing issues since a long time and much before Dominic ever became a trainer, of any repute. But for his writings in the early 1990s, the state government would have taken over racing by appointing a racing commission. And Dominic would have remained in Ooty hiding behind the golden brown colours. That Dominic is the secretary of the KTA shows the KTA itself in very poor light.
Whether or not there was a altercation or confrontation between Sharan and Puttanna, it was for them to settle. www.indiarace.com jutting in without provocation was totally unethical and unprofessional. What you do shows how professional you are and the website showed that it was very poor in that respect.
 
Posted by Jitesh on ( July 28 , 2015 )
I think Dominic has to be told in clear terms to mind his business properly instead of going around talking ill of others. If he was honest why did Mr. Rajan Agarwal pull out all his horses from him. He is well known to the racing public to be a trainers whose horses cannot be trusted when they are favourites. As for as Puttanna is concerned i think he would not have uttered a word in the open as I know his ways from the past 25 years. He never openly abuses anyone under any circumstances. Words seem to have been put into his mount by some unscrupulous elements who are upto playing mischief. These elements should think twice before abusing and threatening others as these cowards use somebody else as shields fro their misdeeds. I for one advise Mr. Puttanna not to fall prey to these elements or else he might up in trouble for no fault of his. With media being what it is in the current scenario one should be very careful before trying unnecessary and uncalled for antics.
 
Posted by Rajeah N on ( July 31 , 2015 )
The points which the KTA have raised are valid and important and should be discussed in a serious manner, but the KTA is not putting their case forward in the right way. They need to reassess their mistakes so that the valid reasons are not confused or diluted by wrong actions.
 
Posted by abhay on ( July 28 , 2015 )
Namastae
FUTILE EXERCISE BY NOT SO PROFESSIONAL SS KNOWN AS TRAINER AND JOCKEYS ASSOCIATION.
RESULT ZERO !!!!!!!
?ABLE HOW COME OWNERS support.
ONE THE WHOLE GHAR KAE BUDDHU GHAR KO AAYE HINDI MUHAVRA HAI

JAI HO

 
Posted by Mahesh on ( July 28 , 2015 )
The trainers association letter head states:

Training the Winning Habit. I think the time has to come change it as Training to strike
 
Posted by Sameer on ( July 28 , 2015 )
I am totally annoyed by the inaction of the BTC against bad elements who disrupted the smooth going of races. More annoying was the fact that these trainers are resorting to any means. What the hell is BTC doing. Do they want censorship or what? It is now upto the journalists association to get in and take on BTC for inaction against their trainers for having been abusive of journalists.
 
Posted by Raj Chengappa on ( July 28 , 2015 )
Mr Sameer,
If you know the entire truth of journalists organisations, you will laugh your guts out. Better not even suggest even in good faith. Sharan knows it too well as they are all self-serving people who have no concern for their own colleagues because of jealousy.
 
Posted by Sanjay on ( July 29 , 2015 )
All said and done, Raj, jealousy not withstanding, when it comes to defending their own fellow colleagues when it comes to outsiders, media organisations show tremendous unity. Media is always united if anyone takes them for granted and there are media organisations which will make things difficult. The main stream journalists have powerful organisations which will fight for the cause of their fellow journalists.
 
Posted by T.S.Suresh on ( July 29 , 2015 )
Pray how can the BTC take action against a journalist?. Criticism should be taken in the right spirit. Everyone knows that Sharan has been evenhanded and many times written critically about the BTC also. I think there is much to be said for both sides. It`s high time the BTC took a re look at the rules of racing and appoint a committee to go into the rules particularly pertaining to punishments and procedure and make its implementation fair. Justice must not only be done but also seen to be done. This is important from the point of view of the racing public, the sport and the professional concerned. Strikes should be resorted to as a very last resort to only sensitise and when absolutely necessary. Representations and Dialogue should be preferred. As Sharan rightly said these things do take time and can`t be done overnight but it`s high time the BTC did something instead of letting things drift as is its wont.
 
Posted by Sam on ( July 29 , 2015 )
Barring Ikram Khan and Ranvir Bose at Kolkata, indiarace does not have any main stream journalist. That is why the site was so unprofessional in putting up the news without confirming from any one. I would like to know what they would have put if the punters expressed their displeasure at a favourite of URBB losing? Will they say that Zeyn Mirza, Managing Director of URBB, was abused by the crowd for allegedly pulling the favourite?
 
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