KARACHI: Back-to-back incidents in a span of two weeks that left two horse riders unstable due to scorching heat at the Karachi Racecourse has come as a wake-up call for the KRC hierarchy, it emerged on Sunday.

Senior rider M. Nasir could not celebrate his treble that he performed after a long time and survived following a severe chest pain when the Gymkhana meeting resumed after three-week break on May 21.

Again it was riding boy Mohammad Qais who bec­ome unconscious after riding My Beauty to third place in the fourth race of the progra­mme on Saturday (June 3).

Earlier he had piloted home outsider Vampire to triumph in the opener besides riding Chhatri who finished off the frame in the third race. He was succeeded by Ghulam Shabbir II on Fantastic Game in the fifth and concluding race.

As per practice, Satur­day’s meeting was the second of the three that takes place during Ramazan. The next meeting is scheduled for June 11.

“Almost all the riders do not fast during Ramazan,” an official confirmed in response to Dawn’s query.

The heatwave has gripped the city and according to the met office, the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

It was strange that no proper relief arrangements have been made to avert big mishap and the compounder was also on leave.

People cautioned the KRC high-ups to take precautionary measures including provision of cold drinking water to prevent loss of life due to heat stroke.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2017