Post horse doping case,Turf Club to beef up security at stables

The Royal Western India Turf Club has decided to strengthen the security at Pune and Mumbai racecourses by installing more CCTV cameras.

The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) has decided to strengthen the security at Pune and Mumbai racecourses by installing more CCTV cameras. The decision follows a police case against 10 employees of the race course in Wanawadi after three horses were found to have been allegedly administered a banned substance. The incident has raised concerns about the security of stables in places near the clubs main premises here.

Though it was for the first time that a police complaint of this kind was registered,club authorities said it had forced them to review the security arrangements. The club is spread over 220 acres in Pune and houses over 1,500 horses in its stables. It is just not possible to provide security cover to the entire area. It should be noted that the final responsibility of horses lies with the trainer as it is his licence that is at stake, club chairman Vivek Jain said.

We had not taken up the issue in the past but now we are taking steps towards improving security. We will be installing more cameras at crucial locations inside the club boundaries and also at entry points. We are appointing an external security agency to conduct a detailed survey of the club premises and suggest changes in arrangements, he said.

A senior stipendiary steward at RWITC said surveillance at stables outside the main premises was one of their major concerns. We have some at the Empress garden and some others in Wanawadi. The issue will always be difficult to resolve. Adding more cameras will help us keep a record of the movement of people and vehicles and will also act as a deterrent… The security at the Mahalaxmi racecourse would also be strengthened as the racing season would shift to Mumbai after October.

Jockey Pesi Shroff said one could hardly control people coming in and going out of the club. A large number of people who work here live within the club boundaries. If we consider this number,their family members and people who come to meet them,it is really a mammoth job to keep a tab.

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