Turf Panel To Hold Meeting Over Ailing Racehorses
Thoroughbreds on the brink: As calls for rescue grow louder, the fate of 13 starving racehorses in Jabalpur remains uncertain amid bureaucratic delays and disputed records.
Hyderabad: The fate of the starving thoroughbreds in Jabalpur remains in limbo as the Turf Authority of India (TAI) prepares to hold a committee meeting on June 3 over Zoom. G Venkatesh, the chairman of TAI, confirmed the development but refrained from commenting on decisions or prior communications.
On the other hand, horse accounts from those in Jabalpur documenting the takeover of the horses by Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) confirm that a chief steward and veterinarian has already been sent to assess the conditions of the horses. The condition of the 13 thoroughbred horses is allegedly in such advanced stages of starvation that they are unlikely to survive.
According to sources, the Marwari and Kathiawari horses have shown some recovery due to being fed in recent weeks, but the thoroughbreds, described as more delicate and harder to rehabilitate, have visibly worsened. The recommendation now is to euthanise these horses on humanitarian grounds.
Despite mounting evidence, including reports from eyewitnesses from the active racing days of horses, official figures remain disputed. While many allege that there were 154 horses in training, both the Hyderabad Race Club and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have presented different numbers. Nonetheless, there are at least 22 horses unaccounted for apart from the 49 currently in Jabalpur.
A Public Interest Litigation filed by Simran Isar remains pending in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Despite public outcry and internal discussions, no horses have yet been relocated or rescued although RWITC is in the process. The case has exposed not just systemic neglect but the fragility of accountability mechanisms in turf governance.