In an unfortunate incident, more than two horses fell during the first race of the winter season. This accident triggered off a chain of events leading to violence and vandalism in the age-old Bangalore Turf Club.
Speaking to TNM, High Grounds Inspector told TNM, “Today was the first day of the winter season. Due to an injury, one horse fell during the race, this led to two other horses falling. The jockeys also suffered minor injuries.”
The injured jockeys include Srinath, Suraj Narredu and Kiran. According to many, Suraj was the favourite to win the race.
The police have registered a case of vandalism against unidentified persons and are collecting CCTV footage of the vandalism incident.
An eyewitness of the incident said, “The horse which fell down had a lead of approximately 200 m but when it reached the centre of the track, it kind of wobbled and fell. That led to the other horses falling down.”
He added, “Moreover, the club authority did not declare the race null and void so a less known horse won the race which meant a lot of punters lost their money which made them angry.”
The inspector said this decision apparently triggered the spectators on the ground to vandalise and break things.
The eyewitness said the jockeys unanimously agreed that the turf was too soft for the race to take place which led to the horse’s leg getting stuck in the soil.
Videos posted on social media showed spectators thrashing glass panels of counters, TVs and window panes amidst loud noise.
According to club officials, all the seven races that were set to be held were cancelled.
Reports said that the club officials will host a mock race on November 19 and take further decisions to resume the season after holding a stakeholder meeting.