New Delhi: For the horses at Delhi Race Club, the end is not as simple as the closing of a gate. As the century-old racing establishment winds down at its central Delhi home, the stables are steadily emptying.Of the roughly 200 horses that used to be housed there, only around 40 remain, according to a staff member. Some owners are considering moving their thoroughbreds to racing centres in Hyderabad and Mysore.For those still in Delhi, however, the clock is ticking.The administration has been told that the premises must be cleared before Sept 14, the staffer said. This has left horse owners searching for new stables, trainers considering their next move and grooms and other workers at the club facing an uncertain future.For a horse owner, race days, which Delhi Race Club hosted once a week or sometimes five times a month, are only a small part of the relationship with the horse. The rest plays out through an almost daily cycle of training, feeding, grooming and veterinary care.Owners may visit the stables to watch a morning workout or simply spend time with their horses. This owner estimated the expenditure at roughly Rs 40,000 a month per horse, covering feed like oats or barley, salt and minerals, bedding, hay, dry grass and the groom’s salary. Trainer fees are additional.Keeping a horse at a race club begins with becoming an approved owner. Prospective owners undergo checks on their background and financial credentials. Once approved, the horse is placed with a trainer. The owner pays a recurring basic training fee, covering its upkeep and feed, apart from the trainer’s professional charges. The overall monthly expense varies depending on the trainer and arrangements for the horse.For the horses, relocation will involve considerably more than finding an empty stable. Another staff member said relocating thoroughbreds requires careful planning, including suitable stabling, records, veterinary requirements and continuity of care. On top of that, space at other racing centres may not be readily available.The administration at the Delhi club, the member added, is also trying to help jockeys, trainers, grooms and other workers find alternatives. “There is no other place in Delhi like this where they can be moved,” the member said.The racecourse occupies about 53 acres in the heart of New Delhi, on what was historically Race Course Road and is now Lok Kalyan Marg, close to Prime Minister’s residence. The site was originally leased for use as a racecourse in 1926. The club describes the venue as one of north India’s oldest racing establishments.Centre took possession of the property on Aug 27 and handed it over to Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for care and maintenance. The takeover followed an Aug 11 eviction order and the subsequent dismissal by a Delhi court of the club’s plea seeking an interim stay on the order.Amid that larger legal and institutional upheaval is the more immediate question of where the horses now go.For Colonel K S Garcha (Retd), an Arjuna Award-winning polo player and lifelong horseman, the uncertainty surrounding the horses is particularly troubling.A member of the club, Garcha said he had been informed that owners whose horses remain on the premises have been given another 14 days to move them out. There is, however, some hope, he said, as discussions are underway to find an alternative site for the horses.Relocating a thoroughbred, Garcha pointed out, is not as straightforward as simply moving an animal from one stable to another. “Every horse has a ‘passport’, and that of a horse is detailed. Their blood samples and DNA are taken, and every little detail, including their markings, is recorded,” he said.The horses that are still at the club belong to individual owners, many of whom must now find suitable places to accommodate them. For those without farms or other facilities of their own, this could take time.“I’m sure the owners are making arrangements to take them elsewhere. Not everyone who owns a horse has a farm, so they need time, which the authorities should give,” Garcha said.The club has only racehorses, according to an official. The primary difference between a racehorse and a polo horse lies in the athletic demands of the two sports. Racehorses are bred and trained primarily for speed over a set distance, while polo horses are selected and trained for a combination of speed, agility and responsiveness, including rapid acceleration, sudden stops and sharp changes of direction.Transporting horses between cities adds another layer of expense and preparation. According to an owner, specialised transport can cost roughly Rs 30,000 from Delhi to Hyderabad, Rs 35,000 to Bengaluru and Rs 40,000 to Chennai. Veterinary tests and clearances are separate. Blood samples have to be tested for diseases before travel, and results can take a week or more.Trainers are central to a racehorse’s daily life. Delhi Race Club had around 20, according to the official. Much like an athletics coach, a licensed trainer conditions a horse and works towards bringing it to peak fitness on race day.Jockeys, too, are separately paid, with a mount fee of around Rs 3,500-4,000 per race, according to the owner.Until recently, this elaborate ecosystem at Delhi Race Club revolved around an almost routine rhythm. Races were held weekly. Owners could come to see their horses, trainers worked with them daily, and grooms tended to their needs. Now, that rhythm is broken.For Garcha, the larger concern, however, is what happens to the horses as they move out of racing and into the next phase of their lives. “I feel deeply saddened that many horses leaving racing may struggle to find loving and suitable new homes. After giving their best on the racecourse, they deserve a second chapter where they are valued, cared for and allowed to live with dignity,” he said.For now, the horses that remain at the club occupy an increasingly empty space. Around them, an ecosystem built over decades is dispersing. The racing may have stopped, but for these horses, a new journey has only begun.
