The prospectus for the forthcoming Pune monsoon racing season is out, and as expected, there is nothing to cheer about. The fortunes of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC)--as also that of the sport--have been damaged beyond repair, thanks to the 28 percent GST, which has dried up the betting pools all over India. Unless the government realizes it has killed a goose that could have laid golden eggs, and corrects course, the sport's future remains bleak.

No wonder the race club, in their press note, when comparing the upcoming season with the previous year's, has chosen to mention the stakes money increase of mere Rs 33 lakh (from 7.83 to 8.16 crore) as a "highlight" of the season, not realizing that with the number of racing days increased from 24 to 26, the average purses per day and per race will actually go down.