About 40 horses remain at Delhi Race Club as stables are cleared

Around 40 horses remain in the increasingly empty stables of Delhi Race Club, where roughly 200 had been housed before the closure process began.

The Centre took possession of the 53-acre racecourse property on August 27 and handed it to the Central Public Works Department for care and maintenance. The takeover followed an August 11 eviction order and a Delhi court’s dismissal of the club’s plea for an interim stay.

Owners whose thoroughbreds are still on site have been asked to move them, though the precise deadline is unclear. Some are considering racing centres in Hyderabad and Mysore. Relocation requires suitable stabling, veterinary clearances and detailed horse records; disease-test results needed before travel can take a week or more.

An owner estimated upkeep at about Rs 40,000 a month per horse, excluding trainer fees. Specialised transport from Delhi was estimated at about Rs 30,000 to Hyderabad, Rs 35,000 to Bengaluru and Rs 40,000 to Chennai, with veterinary tests charged separately.

The club had around 20 trainers, along with jockeys, grooms and other workers. Club representatives said they were trying to help workers find alternatives, while discussions were also under way on a possible alternative site for the horses.