BTC doping row: It's a political witchhunt, says Queen Latifa owner

Bengaluru: Queen Latifa, the Neil Darashah-trained filly whose record-breaking victory at the Karnataka Racehorse Owners' Association Million Cup made her the cynosure of all eyes, appears to be paying the price, along with her owners, for the murky politics of the Bangalore Turf Club.

"I'm going to make T-shirts with my face on them with the word 'accused', printed across," said a vexed Arjun Sajnani, restaurateur and race horse enthusiast. "This has played havoc with my piece of mind and Neil is in tatters." Neil Darashah, the 33-year-old trainer and part-owner of Queen Latifa, has his career at stake too, with BTC Chairman Harindra Shetty filing an FIR against what he claims is a "cover-up attempt" in the doping scam. "I never expected it of Shetty, who has been a friend for many years. He has called me a breeder, which I'm not and a punter – these are lowlife claims. As it happens, I now believe that if I don't bet a horse, it wins. So no, I didn't bet on Queen Latifa back in March," he said.

The controversy began back in March after Queen Latifa's record-breaking victory at The Racehorse Owners' Association Million during the prestigious Invitation Cup hosted in Bengaluru this year. "Neil had discovered an abscess in her throat and told the club's vets to treat her. This was done with a procaine-penicillin shot, a routine, albeit old fashioned method," said Sajnani.

"This took place against a certain backdrop – there is a political quarrel going on in the turf club between the committee members, many of whom didn't like the appointment of Nirmal Prasad as CEO. It's a matter of disgruntled people who have gotten together and tried to stop proceedings, muddy the waters and bring the conduct of the club into question ever since the Invitation Cup."

Queen Latifa's urine samples were sent to the National Dope Testing Lab in Delhi – “Which tests for doping in humans," Sajnani pointed out. "Queen Latifa had been administered the procaine-penicillin shot 25 days before the race and then again four days later. This still put her in the clear – 21 days is the accepted window for procaine." The lab found 1.22 nanograms/ml of procaine and claimed she had tested positive.

The results were sent for a second quantitative analysis allegedly because they knew the BTC had administered the injection. "They were worried. How did this happen? So far, the trainer, the other owners and I are blameless. It had nothing to do with us. The treatment was given in keeping with the schedule maintained by the club itself." Dr Karthikeyan, chief vet at the Madras Race Club, who also ran a lab of his own, suggested sending the sample to another centre like Hong Kong or the UK. "The permissible limit is 10, anything below that doesn't require testing. He told me this on the phone - the levels are too low, there's nothing here, really," he said.

Meanwhile, a political controversy is fast unfolding at the Bangalore Turf Club. “People are being instigated to do all kinds of things. I have been a part of this for quite a while and I have never seen an owner being accused of something like this! I'm not involved in the injections my horse receives, that's what the trainer does. And procaine is a deadener, it's not going to help a horse win a race!”

"We have been targetted from every corner," said prominent restaurateur Arjun Sajnani, who owns a 20 percent share of Queen Latifa. Harish Shetty, the Club's Chairman, said Sajnani, reportedly had differences with steward Vivek Ubaykar who brought Nirmal Prasad back as CEO. "This is his way of thanking Vivek, by targeting the horse that belongs to me. And we, the owners, are being made to suffer for it."

The filly returns early Sunday from Ooty and will race if she clears the fitness test.

BTC CEO summoned
The High Grounds police have summoned the CEO of Bangalore Turf Club, S. Nirmal Prasad, Chief Stipendiary Officer Pradyumna Singh, Steward Vivek Ubaykar, Stable Trainer Neil Darashah and race horse enthusiast Arjun Sajnani, for an inquiry in the “dope test cover-up” case. The investigating officer has sent notices to all the five accused and has asked them to appear at the police station for the inquiry. The officer said the inquiry will be held on Sunday and Monday, and the accused will be asked to present their version.