December 14, 2007	Friday	Zilhaj 3, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 13: Hit by the recent outbreak of equine influenza, race horse owners at the Lahore Race Club (LRC) have appealed to LRC authorities to revise the slab of stake-money amount being offered to the winners of different classes.

While talking to Dawn on Thursday, a group of hard-hit owners pointed out that none of the club’s stables was spared from the disease resulting in their having to spend huge amounts on treatment, etc. Many of the horses are even now rendered unable to race for at least a month.

The hardest hit are the horses in form, who were earlier considered fully fit to take part in the on-going Lahore winter meeting but then the meeting schedule was totally disrupted, leaving the owners economically depressed.

Masood Pervaiz, an LRC steward and owner of a big stable, said that even if the stables had not been hit by the illness, the maintenance, training and upkeep of horses has become so expensive that the stake-money amount seems meagre in comparison. This has affected the standard of racing rather adversely.

All the horses, according to Pervaiz, are not of the same standard and quality. There are good, mediocre and ordinary horses, who may win more than one race, just one race or not even a single race during a season. Therefore in the interest of competitive racing, the LRC must consider some kind of reforms regarding the matter.

Suggested steps in order to increase the stake-money amount include betting on the computerised Tote totalisator. Abolishing bookie’s stalls can result in making Tote betting popular. They are causing big losses for the club anyway by holding syndicated stalls, comprising four to five shareholders to save fees. The situation demands that the turf accountants be asked to pack up.

Citing yesteryear’s example when the LRC held races on Tote betting, Pervaiz, said that the LRC was able to offer handsome stake-money packages to the winners that way.

“If we revert to the old system, we may succeed in raising stake-money amounts, which will ultimately lead to a better and competitive racing standard.

He also advocated the introduction of free-handicap of horses according to the universally accepted formula of providing equal chances to all the participating horses in a race.

A majority of horse owners expressed their grievances over the present mode of handicapping too.

They said that it has been largely instrumental in lowering the standard of racing as well as crushing the owners.