In a move that seemed both strange and unreasonable, bookmakers in Western India downed their shutters in protest of the decision taken by the Stewards of the Mysore Race Club to declare the second race in the day’s card null and void. The turf accountants, both at Mumbai and Pune racecourses, were seemingly upset as outsider Society Times, owner-mate of favourite Odysseus, won the Sidapur Plate Div-II in a close finish and did not operate thereafter. 

Just a hundred metres from home, Odysseus looked to be in firm control of the race and had almost won when jockey Nasir Imam astride the favourite appeared to have eased up his mount. Society Times finished on with a burst to pip his owner-mate right on the winning post.

Immediately after the race got over, the Stewards of the Mysore Race Club held an enquiry into the running of the race and decided to declare it null and void. Dr M.A.M. Ramaswamy owns both Odysseus and Society Times, the two horses involved in this fiasco. R.V. Manohar trains the former while the latter is in the care of Karan Singh.

Although bookies do stand to gain when favourites lose and have every reason to feel cheated after the race being declared null and void, unconfirmed reports filtering in from Mumbai suggest that smart money was wagered on the winner Society Times at fancy odds. More importantly, not operating their counters at RWITC hardly made any sense as the club authorities here have no say in the MRC’s racing matters at all.