About 500 horses, including 100 two-year-olds, will take part in the 33-day Madras racing season which begins on Friday October 18.
The concluding meeting will be on Sunday March 15, 2020. Mr. T. Raman (CEO), Madras Race Club who briefed the press, said that the total stakes money offered is ₹ 12,96,42,500 including the value of the cups.
Two hundred and fifty races including six Million races have been framed for the season. One hundred and twenty four of them are cup races and stakes money can also extend up to 15 crores based on divisions. The CEO said they expected very high quality racing this year as due care has been taken to frame additional Million races.
An extra incentive of 25% of prize money is offered for the participants of long distance races and opening of more races for the outstation horses. The measures are initiated to improve the competition which will have direct impact on the betting and racing of this centre.
About 16 local trainers and 15 outstation trainers are expected to race their charges during the season. Seventy jockeys including all the top riders in the Indian circuit and foreign jockeys are expected to participate.
Racing dates: October: 18, 25 & 26, November: 3, 9 (P.R.Seed's Australian Wandering Oats Million), 14, 21, 23, 28 and 29 (Guindy Gold Cup), December: 6 (Tamil Nadu Race Horse Owner's Association Juvenile Million), 7 (South India 1000 Guineas), 13, 19 (South India 2000 Guineas), 25 (Christmas Cup) and 26. January 2020: 1 (South India Oaks and R. Ramakrishnan Memorial Million), 2, 8, 14 (A M M Arunachalam Juvenile Million) 15 (South India Derby Stakes and M.A.M. Ramaswamy Memorial Multi Million), 22, 23 and 29.
February: 7 (South India Sprinters Trial Stakes), 8 (Madras Gold Vase and South India Stayers Trial Stakes), 13, 14 and 23 (South India St.Leger and Sans Craintes Million). March: 7, 8 (Guindy Grand Prix), 13 and 15.