Bookies strike likely to spread

Though the BTC Chairman had assured that the book-makers problems could be discussed with the managing committee, he was non-commital with regard to the issues raised by them in their letter.

As a result, the book-makers stayed away and the off-course betting were held on the club operated totalisator pools only.

Meanwhile, the Book-makers Association of Mysore, have also threatened not to operate during inter-venue betting on Bangalore races. In a related development, the book-makers association of Hyderabad and Mumbai too have informed their colleagues in Bangalore that they were holding a meeting on Thursday to decide whether they too should boycott Bangalore races.

“The book-makers all over the country have said that they have lost confidence in the Stewards of Bangalore and that they have been appalled by the decisions taken by them,” the spokesman added.

What started off as a only mild protest by the public and the book-makers threatens to become a stormy one, with the threat by the book-makers all over the country, to boycott Bangalore races, thereby cause serious harm to the image of the Bangalore Turf Club.

The book-makers are agitating against the decisions of the BTC Stewards to uphold two dubious objections during the races held over the last week-end. They are demanding, among other things, that the scope of the board of Stewards should be expanded to include representatives from trainers, jockeys, book-makers and government Stewards while deciding on objections.

They are also upset that the BTC Chairman was discourteous.

It may be recalled that the BTC Chairman had asked the book-makers to surrender their licenses if they were not happy with the Stewards and that they would not yield to any of the demands of the bookies.

The book-makers strike follows that of the jockeys, syces and trainers in the early part of the season, which had disrupted normal activity.