The three week gap between the conclusion of the Mumbai Racing Season and the start of the Bangalore Summer Season is something that racing enthusiasts feel is too long. They would rather prefer the Mumbai season to end a week before the season in Bangalore takes off but the break has surely helped to recoup energy for racing which now goes on for the full length of the year.

After the season end shocks at Mumbai, punters are hoping that summer season which has traditionally favoured the fancied runners would make their two and half months racing to turn in their favour. Such an expectation is not entirely against the run of expectations as the manipulators in the field wait for the long winding winter season to get into the act. The summer season, luckily is spared from these manipulators. One can hope to have a good competitive racing season. The Bangalore Turf Club track is in ship shape condition thanks to copious rains in April. The weather has considerably cooled down which also helps matters.

The turf club however has served a shock to those who watch the sport from the comfort of the drawing rooms or from their offices by charging Rs 4500 per annum to access live webcast of races. The ostensible reason given by the Chairman of the Club Harimohan Naidu was that it was a Turf Authority decision and they were following what RCTC had introduced some years ago. ``The plan is to generate income from this activity,`` he said. However, he said that the authorities could reconsider the decision if it did not find acceptance from the majority and prevented the sport from spreading far and wide. Apart from earning the good will, the turf club has benefitted from life webcast as money has come on to the tote pools even if the punters are not present at the race course through their representatives. Naidu said that other clubs in the country are also in the process of charging for live webcast. It is for the turf authorities to take a call whether this would benefit the sport in the long run. Greater exposure to the sport has always helped to bring in numbers as also help remove the taboo associated with the sport as things become more transparent when more people are exposed to the sport. It is for the club to take a call in the overall interest of the sport.

Ganapathy trainer Eternal Flame is the highest rated three year old at this centre having four races in her career. Being the most experienced, she is the prime contender for the Fillies Championship. The daughter of Arazan has proved that the mile long trip is no issue. There are many promising three year olds whose destiny could be figured out when they have their first outing during the season after their promising debut during the winter season.

There seems to be tough competition in the colts section. Satish Narredu trained Authoritarian who has won twice in splendid fashion, surely enjoys top billing. The progeny of Holy Roman Emperor should be the one everyone has to beat. The Pesi Shroff trained Admiralty won twice at Mumbai in breath-taking fashion and is hailed as a horse of huge ability. However, Admiralty has to prove himself against seasoned customers as his wins came in less exalting company and he has to graduate into graded race company with equal felicity. There are many others who can take a quantum jump during the season and as such, the superiority of three year olds is relative and open ended.

Pesi Shroff has brought about a dozen good horses for the summer season, His horses are showing out in the workouts and he will have a strong say in major races. Trainer Irfan Ghatala is back in the fray after sitting out a year. His horses appear to be quite forward and he should enjoy a fruitful season. Trainer Padmanabhan has some promising three year olds in his yard and they are expected to make swift progress during the season.

The champion horse of the year Be Safe has now changed stables and is with trainer S Ganapathy. Be Safe has been rated a point below Quasar at 113. Be Safe appears a superior horse against Quasar but this may be nullified if both these horses run in the grueling Leger trip where the distance could prove a leveler.

The first week entries have been pretty good with more than one good horse standing out in each of these races. The lowest category races of course are an exception to this rule.

The Kingfisher Derby, scheduled for Sunday, July 12 will offer stakes of about Rs 2,5 crores which makes it the second richest race in the country. The added money for the race is Rs 1.4 crores with Kingfisher and BTC contributing Rs 70 lakhs each. Dr M A M Ramaswamy has been in Bangalore after a longish absence and his presence is sure to spur the stable into better performance. The stable has also retained Sandesh for full year.

There will be dearth of good jockeys. Even the few who were ruling the roost are absent for some period for one reason or the other. Trevor Patel has been suspended for unsatisfactory riding for six race days and the champion of the last season will make a belated appearance. Pradeep Chouhan has been sidelined by a fracture of his arm. He should be back early in June. Jokey Zervan, who used to ride as a retainer for Pesi Shroff, will be riding for Padmanabhan for the summer season.

With about 85 outstation horses, the bar for the season has been raised. With stake money being an added incentive, there should be more triers than spoilers in a race. If the authorities also exercise their power with due diligence without succumbing to pressure from outside forces, racing should be of a good standard after the disaster of winter.