JOIN USThe 34-race-day-long winter season begins with the Rajyotsava Trophy (November 5).
“Bangalore Winter Meeting will commence on Friday and will conclude on March 26 next year,” said BTC Chairman and Senior Steward DM Kumaraswamy at a press meet on Wednesday.
But Kumaraswamy refused to make any comment regarding the BTC’s petition in the Supreme Court against the State government’s order on the shifting of the race club from the present premises. The case is currently in the Supreme Court.
Decrease in stakes
Compared to previous years there will be a slight change in the stake money paid by the club with a decrease of Rs 45 lakh from last year’s stakes of Rs 11.05 crore.But there won’t be any change in the number of races, which was 280 in the last winter meeting. The highlight of the Winter Meeting, the VIF Bangalore Derby (Grade I), will have a prize money of Rs 25 lakh besides a trophy worth Rs 1.75 lakh.
Races will be held mainly on Fridays and Sundays with 95 jockeys and 38 ‘A’ license trainers expected to take part in the five-month long meeting.
Bangalore 1000 Guineas (November 27), Bangalore 2000 Guineas (December 11), Bangalore Oaks (January 1), Chief Minister’s Trophy (January 8), Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association Trophy (January 15) and Governor’s Trophy (February 26) are some of the main races this season. Heeroji Lad Bangalore Juvenile Million will be the main event on the concluding day. The BTC re-constituted its board of appeal which is now headed by V Harimohan Naidu. The other members are S Chockalingam, JMS Prasad, L V Nagarajan and Shankar Mahadev Bidari.Concurrently, the Winter Meeting in Mysore begins on November 11 which will run for 17 days.