The Bangalore Winter Meeting 2012-13, covering 32 race days, is scheduled to commence on Saturday (Nov. 3) and will conclude on March 23, 2013. Racing will be held mostly on Fridays and Saturdays.
Briefing the media here on Wednesday, the Bangalore Turf Club Chairman and Senior Steward Mr. D.K. Kumaraswamy said it is expected that the Club would be paying stakes, incentives and subsidy of nearly Rs. 16.50 crores during the meeting, as against Rs. 14.42 crores during the previous Winter season, excluding the Indian Turf Invitation Cup weekend. Ten per cent incentive would be paid on stakes earned in ordinary races by horses bred in Karnataka, 20 per cent incentive would be paid on stakes money earned by small owners of local horses in ordinary races, oats subsidy has been enhanced to Rs 1,200 per horse per month, subject to fulfilling certain conditions.
The Rajyotsava Trophy has been accorded Grade III status by the Indian Pattern Committee from this year. The Governor’s Trophy, the Hyderabad Silver Vase, the RWITC Trophy and Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association Trophy have been framed as Million Races, with the Club guaranteeing minimum stakes of Rs one million.
The Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association Trophy, the D.P. Sharma Memorial Sprinters Trial Stakes and the P. Dayanand Pai & P. Satish Pai Bangalore Winter Million will be sponsored during the ensuing meeting. Kimmane Bangalore Derby (Grade I) will be sponsored by Mr. Jairam G. Kimmane of Kimmane Golf & Resorts, KTG Group.
The prospectus of Classic races to be run during 2013-14 is being finalised and the Club is considering the feasibility of hosting the Bangalore Winter Derby 2014 in the first week of January, as against the traditional date of January 26.
A final view of the matter will be taken after holding discussion with a cross section of the racing fraternity.
The quality of broadcast of Bangalore races on the CCTV system is expected to improve with the change over from the existing composite video platform to fibre optic platform.
The quality of live racing signals from other Racing Centres is expected to improve by November 15, 2012, following change over in broadcasting platform from MPEG2 to MPEG4. About 110 jockeys, including four foreign jockeys and 35 ‘A’ licence trainers, 800 horses and 314 two-year-olds are expected to take part during the season.
Racing dates: November: 3 (Rajyotsava Trophy), 9, 10, 17, 23, 24 (Bangalore 1000 Guineas). December: 1 Bangalore Turf Club Trophy), 7, 8 (Bangalore 2000 Guineas), 15, 21, 22, 29. January: 4 (Chief Minister’s Trophy), 5 (Bangalore Oaks & The New Year Cup), 12, 18, 19 (Karnataka Racehorse Owners’ Association Trophy), 25, 26 (Bangalore Derby), 31 (D.P. Sharma Memorial Sprinters Trial Stakes). February: 9 Stayers Trial Stakes), 15, 16 (P. Dayanand Pai & P. Satish Pai Bangalore Winter Million), 22, 23 (Governor’s Trophy). March: 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23 (Bangalore Juvenile Million).
