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Home > Sports News > Other Sports News > Article > Go baby go legal eagles tell race clubs

"Go baby, go!," legal eagles tell race clubs

Updated on: 12 August,2017 09:54 AM IST  | 
Prakash Gosavi | sports@mid-day.com

One of the world's most famous marketing campaigns for horse racing was done by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) of USA some years ago

One of the world's most famous marketing campaigns for horse racing was done by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) of USA some years ago. The glitzy television commercials were targeted at teenagers, and the catch line was "Go baby, Go!" Well, that's exactly what some eminent lawyers are telling the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) who believed the sport of horse racing, already reeling under many serious issues including a near-bankruptcy, had received the final nail in its coffin with the 28% GST slapped from July 1.


Vivek Jain, chairman of RWITC, who had met finance minister Arun Jaitley, had already thrown in the towel when he painted a very grim picture of the GST consequences to his colleagues in Mumbai, and also to all the chairmen of the Turf Authority of India (TAI), the apex body of all Indian turf clubs. However, most of them did not agree with Jain's view, and sought legal opinion from at least a dozen top lawyers from across the country. Interestingly, all of them, with one exception, held that the GST would not be applicable on all of betting, but only on the commission the race clubs earn from betting.


"This is like your own family doctor saying you are terminally ill, and all the specialists called in for second opinion certify that you are perfectly healthy; in fact, better than you have been in many years," said a senior RWITC member to midday on the condition of anonymity. In a way that's true, because fortunes of horse racing, which was staring at a certain, imminent death, can wildly swing to the other extreme if more and more punters return to the tote windows.


Obviously not wanting to waste a minute to capitalize on the new interpretation, the RWITC committee, in a meeting held at Mahalaxmi racecourse on Thursday evening, unanimously decided to offer relief to the punting community by bringing down the ridiculous 57% deductions in pools to 32%--and in another sensational move, declared that there will be--hold your breath--zero betting tax on the club-operated fixed odds betting facility.

"Yes, it's true, what you will see is what you will get," Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, committee member, confirmed to mid-day, and added, "we have reason to hope we are on a good turf, these are all eminent lawyers, and the turf authorities have unanimously decided to follow their advice." Some of the prominent lawyers consulted by various turf clubs included Mr SS Gupta, Mrs Bhavna Doshi and Mr Dattar of the supreme court.

Chairman Vivek Jain, whose interpretation was overruled by the majority legal opinion, was also present at the Thursday meeting, but did not file a dissent note. When mid-day tried to reach him for reaction, he said he was driving to Pune, but later sent a message to this correspondent which read: "RWITC's consultants have advised us to take a conservative view, even though the interpretation favours paying GST on commission. I have been vocal in my view that in a public body one has to play safe. Also, one has to go into intent of the legislation. Having said that, as it is a TAI matter, in the interest of uniformity, I've stated we should go along with the view of TAI."

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