<p>The Bangalore Turf Club authorities on Sunday had reasons to smile after Queen Latifa’s B-sample returned negative, with the new chairman Y Jagannath saying his next focus would be to put the house back in order.<br /><br />“Unfounded allegations have been made by disgruntled elements to bring disrepute to horse racing by indulging in a disinformation campaign,” Jagannath said at a press conference referring to a criminal complaint filed by HS Chandregowda, a member of the Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association, last month against two officials of the BTC, two horse owners and a trainer over the doping issue and allegedly covering it up.<br /><br />Queen Latifa’s urine sample, taken after the KROA Million during the Invitation Cup Weekend in March had come positive for Procaine Penicillin but the BTC had maintained that the substance was within permissible limits.<br /><br />While the BTC maintained they had not indulged in any cover-up, they sent the B-sample of Queen Latifa for testing at Qanti Lab Mauritius on April 28. The reports arrived on Saturday which said the presence of 1.22 nanograms of procaine per ml of Queen Latifa’s urine sample is technically negligible and far below the minimum reporting levels accepted internationally.<br /><br />“It was a very difficult time for the BTC,” said Jagannath. “It’s not easy when one of your people throws slush on you. We remained silent on the issue because we wanted to speak with evidence in our hands. We always knew that we hadn’t done anything wrong as the club, known for it’s integrity, had always followed the protocols. The drug procaine penicillin was administered to Queen Latifa by our very own doctor and all procedures were followed.<br /><br />“People who hurled baseless allegations against us, saying we are involved in doping, cover-ups and illegal betting now have egg on their faces. Some of the allegations were unwarranted but every organisation has some people with vested interests. Their goal is to create disorder and chaos. Many of us at BTC are very united and we are happy to have come through this stronger,” added Jagannath.<br /><br />Managing committee member Ajit Saldanha, sharing the dais with Jagannath, said BTC would not file a defamation case against Chandregowda. “We at the BTC would not be interested in filing any defamation cases. But the people against whom the complaint was filed initially are free to do so individually. They’ve done a lot for racing and are respectable people in the society. Their names have been needlessly tarnished. It’s totally upto them.”<br />Jagannath said it was time to move on now. “My main goal is bring the house back in order. I want to unite BTC. The managing committee wants to forget whatever has happened and move on. The summer season starts on May 13 and we want to spend all our energies on that.<br />“There’s simply no end to infighting. It will just keep getting uglier. So it’s better forget it move on. Also the Goods and Service Tax (GST) is high on our minds now. Our priority lies in that and making BTC the best racing centre in the country.”<br />The arrival of GST is set to hit the racing industry hard and attempts are being made to sort out the issue.<br />Jagannath also said they’ll forward the dope report to the state government which had stated it would probe into the affairs of BTC after former chairman N Harindra Shetty had shot off a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking his intervention.<br /></p>
<p>The Bangalore Turf Club authorities on Sunday had reasons to smile after Queen Latifa’s B-sample returned negative, with the new chairman Y Jagannath saying his next focus would be to put the house back in order.<br /><br />“Unfounded allegations have been made by disgruntled elements to bring disrepute to horse racing by indulging in a disinformation campaign,” Jagannath said at a press conference referring to a criminal complaint filed by HS Chandregowda, a member of the Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association, last month against two officials of the BTC, two horse owners and a trainer over the doping issue and allegedly covering it up.<br /><br />Queen Latifa’s urine sample, taken after the KROA Million during the Invitation Cup Weekend in March had come positive for Procaine Penicillin but the BTC had maintained that the substance was within permissible limits.<br /><br />While the BTC maintained they had not indulged in any cover-up, they sent the B-sample of Queen Latifa for testing at Qanti Lab Mauritius on April 28. The reports arrived on Saturday which said the presence of 1.22 nanograms of procaine per ml of Queen Latifa’s urine sample is technically negligible and far below the minimum reporting levels accepted internationally.<br /><br />“It was a very difficult time for the BTC,” said Jagannath. “It’s not easy when one of your people throws slush on you. We remained silent on the issue because we wanted to speak with evidence in our hands. We always knew that we hadn’t done anything wrong as the club, known for it’s integrity, had always followed the protocols. The drug procaine penicillin was administered to Queen Latifa by our very own doctor and all procedures were followed.<br /><br />“People who hurled baseless allegations against us, saying we are involved in doping, cover-ups and illegal betting now have egg on their faces. Some of the allegations were unwarranted but every organisation has some people with vested interests. Their goal is to create disorder and chaos. Many of us at BTC are very united and we are happy to have come through this stronger,” added Jagannath.<br /><br />Managing committee member Ajit Saldanha, sharing the dais with Jagannath, said BTC would not file a defamation case against Chandregowda. “We at the BTC would not be interested in filing any defamation cases. But the people against whom the complaint was filed initially are free to do so individually. They’ve done a lot for racing and are respectable people in the society. Their names have been needlessly tarnished. It’s totally upto them.”<br />Jagannath said it was time to move on now. “My main goal is bring the house back in order. I want to unite BTC. The managing committee wants to forget whatever has happened and move on. The summer season starts on May 13 and we want to spend all our energies on that.<br />“There’s simply no end to infighting. It will just keep getting uglier. So it’s better forget it move on. Also the Goods and Service Tax (GST) is high on our minds now. Our priority lies in that and making BTC the best racing centre in the country.”<br />The arrival of GST is set to hit the racing industry hard and attempts are being made to sort out the issue.<br />Jagannath also said they’ll forward the dope report to the state government which had stated it would probe into the affairs of BTC after former chairman N Harindra Shetty had shot off a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking his intervention.<br /></p>
