LAHORE, Oct 23: Wednesday’s incident about a race horse owner and bookmaker challenging the Lahore Race Club (LRC) authorities to change the rider of a horse on the demand of a punter has evoked sharp criticism by many associated with the field.

An owner/bookmaker Sohrab Khan barged into the stewards’ room after the last race to rudely accuse the stewards for changing public fancy colt Leader’s Wing’s rider, who had won the race by three lengths.

A number of punters told Dawn that the stewards were bound to hold transparent and on merit racing irrespective of whom the result favoured.

They said stewards are known to change riders on bookmakers’ requests. No one takes pity on the plight of the punters, who are left at the mercy of the bookies.

They said if a horse is installed as a favourite and his rider is suspected of pulling and is changed on the punters’ request and the race is held fairly, there seems no cause for alarm.

From the incident, it transpires that bookmakers want every favourite to be pulled so that their coffers remain filled with money. The punters’ request is rarely acceded to while riders in just about every race are changed on the bookies’ request. The punters are thus robbed of their money.

When contacted, the LRC secretary Shahzad Akhtar told Dawn that an emergency meeting of the stewards held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Malik Hamid Ali Noon discussed the incident. The meeting took a serious view of Sohrab Khan’s misconduct and issued him a show-cause notice demanding explanation by 10.00am on Oct 26.

LRC secretary said: “Sohrab Khan along with certain bookmakers came into the stewards’ room and using bad language leveled grave allegations. Late, he also beat up the riding boy Khalil Vickey at the premises of the club canteen.”

Khalil Vicky too has lodged a written complaint against Sohrab Khan for beating him and hurling abuses at him in presence of jockey Shahid Rehman, owners Tauqeer Dar and Nasir besides others.

When contacted, LRC chairman Tariq Aziz said he was shocked at the incident. He said he didn’t expect such rude behaviour from one of the leading owners.

Sohrab Khan, meanwhile was not available for comment.

Horse owners, while talking to Dawn, said that the incident calls for enforcing strict discipline and racing rules. “From now on, the stewards should not change the riders of horses at the request of the bookmakers. By doing so they have down-graded themselves, giving an upper edge to bookmakers, who want to dictate their terms.