The 133rd Udhagamandalam Horse Racing Season, organised by the Madras Race Club (MRC) is all set to start from Sunday with well over 500 horses from across India expected to participate in the 20 race meetings that are to be held over the next two months.
The MRC said that 26 trainers, including five outstation trainers and 50 jockeys, including outstation jockeys are expected to take part during this racing season. The total prize money at stake this year would be ₹6.44 crore.
“With the continued aim of providing our patrons with quality racing and to add glamour to the season, our stewards have framed one Sweepstakes Race over distances of 1,600 metres carrying added money of ₹10 lakhs to the Nilgiris Gold Cup, which will be run on May 26,” a release from P Sivasubramanian, Secretary (Racing) of the MRC read.
As in previous years, the live telecast of races at Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Delhi will be shown for the benefit of racing patrons at the Ooty Race Course.
Apart from the Nilgiris Gold Cup, the other events that will headline the racing season in 2019 would be The Nilgiris 1000 Guineas Grade-III, to be held on April 27 and 28, The Nilgiris 2000 Guineas Grade-II on May 4 and 5 and The Nilgiris Derby Stakes Grade-I, to be staged on May 16, 17, 24 and 26. The racing season will conclude on June 14.