JOIN USThe showpiece race of the Summer -- which is scheduled to be run on July 10 -- will see a record prize money of at least Rs 1 crore for the winner.
The total prize money for the race is expected to touch the Rs 2 crore mark, making it the second richest Derby in India, second only to the Indian Derby in Mumbai.
The Summer season -- which will have 26 race days from May 14 to August 5 -- will witness several professionals from high-profile centres like Mumbai and Hyderabad bringing their horses to Bangalore to compete in the season which will be held on Saturdays and Sundays.
Mumbai, the epicentre for racing in India, will have eight trainers including champion trainer Pesi Shroff -- who will have eight horses running this season -- and last year’s Kingfisher Derby winning trainer CD Katrak, who will saddle six horses.
Increase in stake money
The stake money for the season has been increased by 20 percent with the Mysore Summer Season to be concurrently run between May 18 and August 3.
On the impact of the Government’s increase of the Tote tax from 8 percent to 12 percent, DM Kumaraswamy, chairman of the BTC, said: “It is hard to guage how it will affect us until we function with the tax for a while. But I do expect a decrease in total turnover come the end of the year.”
BTC had a turnover of Rs 1300 crore during the last financial year.