Two set of rules haunt RWITC again
Whenever power changes hands in any institution or organisation, take for instance the Royal Western India Turf Club, a new dispensation always gives hope and reassurance to punters and the racing fraternity at large that their administration will be “different”. Similarly at the start of the Mumbai racing season, the current body of stewards promised clean and fair racing to punters in Western India and assured the racing fraternity that all their regulatory decisions will be taken without fear or favour.
Despite the frustrating experience of living with such empty promises, the race-goers didn’t doubt the word of Zavaray Poonawalla and Gulamhusein Vahanvaty, chairmen of the RWITC’s managing committee and stewards’ body respectively, for they could sense their honest intent to bring about a positive change in the conduct of horse-racing, which has gradually become aforsaken sport.
But the punters were in for a rude shock immediately when the stewards’ verdict against two riders, apprentice R Ajinkya and Colm O’Donoghue, was announced. As usual, a lenient view was taken against the offenders.
Earlier, during the previous term of Shyam Ruia-led stewards’ body, two horses in charge of veteran trainers Magansingh Jodha and Bezan Chenoy tested positive for banned drug substances during a routine random sampling exercise while three other horses too failed the drug test when compulsorily sampled on their arrival to Pune after a spell of summering at a nearby stabling facility. Jodha and Chenoy’s horses tested positive for Testosterone and Boldenone respectively and Stanozolol was detected in the three horses trained by Altamash Ahmed.
Jodha and Altamash were dealt with by Ruia’s team members (Ruia was ineligible to participate in the inquiry because he had removed his horses from trainer Nosher Cama’s care and transferred to Altamash. Jodha got a 15-day suspension while Altamash was given 17 months for the three offences. Well, Chenoy’s case was delayed due to various reasons and in the meantime Zavaray Poonawalla’s team was firmly in saddle. But eight months had lapsed before the Vahanvaty led stewards’ body finally found time and quorum to deliver their verdict on March 14.
Chenoy got a 45-day ban, which is subject to appeal yet in sharp contrast to the recent terms awarded to other professionals. The zero tolerance promise had gone for a toss. Unlike the white paper issued immediately after Shroff’s verdict, the stewards’ report about Chenoy’s punishment was published after a fortnight!
Comic scene
Well, the stewards’ decision was on expected lines for many race-goers but what was being discussed about the inquiry proceedings among the horse-trainers here was truly surprising. It’s learnt that the stewards were falling over each other to give the least punishment for the Boldenone offence (much similar to the scene in the Board of Appeal hearing when Altamash’s punishment was reduced).
Regardless, two-three stewards including the advocators of the proscribed list and two-year punishment for steroids took the zero tolerance policy to a different level by proposing zero punishment for Chenoy!
The jury is still out on whether the stewards’ body and BOA have acted without fear or favour in all the recent cases.
Despite the frustrating experience of living with such empty promises, the race-goers didn’t doubt the word of Zavaray Poonawalla and Gulamhusein Vahanvaty, chairmen of the RWITC’s managing committee and stewards’ body respectively, for they could sense their honest intent to bring about a positive change in the conduct of horse-racing, which has gradually become aforsaken sport.
But the punters were in for a rude shock immediately when the stewards’ verdict against two riders, apprentice R Ajinkya and Colm O’Donoghue, was announced. As usual, a lenient view was taken against the offenders.
Preferential treatment
Earlier, during the previous term of Shyam Ruia-led stewards’ body, two horses in charge of veteran trainers Magansingh Jodha and Bezan Chenoy tested positive for banned drug substances during a routine random sampling exercise while three other horses too failed the drug test when compulsorily sampled on their arrival to Pune after a spell of summering at a nearby stabling facility. Jodha and Chenoy’s horses tested positive for Testosterone and Boldenone respectively and Stanozolol was detected in the three horses trained by Altamash Ahmed.
Jodha and Altamash were dealt with by Ruia’s team members (Ruia was ineligible to participate in the inquiry because he had removed his horses from trainer Nosher Cama’s care and transferred to Altamash. Jodha got a 15-day suspension while Altamash was given 17 months for the three offences. Well, Chenoy’s case was delayed due to various reasons and in the meantime Zavaray Poonawalla’s team was firmly in saddle. But eight months had lapsed before the Vahanvaty led stewards’ body finally found time and quorum to deliver their verdict on March 14.
Chenoy got a 45-day ban, which is subject to appeal yet in sharp contrast to the recent terms awarded to other professionals. The zero tolerance promise had gone for a toss. Unlike the white paper issued immediately after Shroff’s verdict, the stewards’ report about Chenoy’s punishment was published after a fortnight!
Comic scene
Well, the stewards’ decision was on expected lines for many race-goers but what was being discussed about the inquiry proceedings among the horse-trainers here was truly surprising. It’s learnt that the stewards were falling over each other to give the least punishment for the Boldenone offence (much similar to the scene in the Board of Appeal hearing when Altamash’s punishment was reduced).
Regardless, two-three stewards including the advocators of the proscribed list and two-year punishment for steroids took the zero tolerance policy to a different level by proposing zero punishment for Chenoy!
The jury is still out on whether the stewards’ body and BOA have acted without fear or favour in all the recent cases.
