With only a week to go for the commencement of the Pune monsoon racing season 2011 which opens July 21, the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) trainers find themselves caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
With only a week to go for the commencement of the Pune monsoon racing season 2011 which opens July 21, the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) trainers find themselves caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
On one side are officers of the army who want trainers, their staff and horses out of the training school premises during their pleasure riding sessions which, interestingly, coincide with the morning track work of racehorses, and on the other the club authorities, whom the trainers turn to for help and protection, tell the professionals to be 'polite' to the arrogant army officers and avoid precipitating a showdown. 
A 100-year old photo of Pune racecourse on the Governor's Cup
day in 1912. Pic/RWITC archives
"Situation has come to a flashpoint," a trainer told MiD DAY on the condition of anonymity before another veteran trainer, Mansing K Jadhav, raised the issue for the attention of Vivek Jain, chairman of the club, during a press meet that was held at the Turf Club House, Pune racecourse, yesterday afternoon.
"Two ADCs on horseback barged into the training school around 7 am on Wednesday morning," trainer Jadhav told MiD DAY, "asking to immediately vacate the premises because 'Commandersaab' wanted to ride there.
Trainer Malesh Narredu's two horses were working inside, they had to be abruptly taken off."
Another trainer, Karthik Ganapathy was warned at the gates by the same ADCs. Jadhav also added that Jasdanwalla, a senior member of the club was riding in school at the time.
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