The monsoon racing season of the Hyderabad Race Club (HRC), delayed by poor rainfall, will get underway at Malakpet on July 24. It carries stakes amounting to Rs. 9.92 crore, a Rs. 47 lakh increase against the Rs. 9.45 crore on offer last year. The value of trophies remains the same at Rs. 30.75 lakh.
The total minimum guaranteed stakes and professional fee for the President of India Gold Cup and the Vijay Textiles Deccan Derby, both Grade I events, is Rs. 5 million. Of the 736 horses in station, 201 of them two-year-olds, 535 will participate, handled by 21 ‘A’ licenced trainers and 55 jockeys, 19 of them holding B licences besides 16 apprentices. The entry fee per horse has been brought down from 0.70 % to 0.30 %.
At a press conference on Tuesday, HRC Chairman R. Surender Reddy said a new computerised betting system had been installed at a cost of Rs. 8.50 crore, with separate pay-out counters to be introduced initially in the grandstand and later in the members stand. Facilities at off course tote centres (OCTC) would be upgraded in a phased manner, by providing air-conditioning as in Musheerabad, replacement of old models with LCD/LED television sets and increased floor space as in Uppal and Kurnool.
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Innovations include the show-stealing horse simulator imported at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh, a modernised jockey room, a renovated surgery room in the equine hospital, a new members stand and a new filtration plant for the swimming pool.
The racing dates:July: 24, 25, 28. August: 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, 17 (The Governor’s Cup), 18 (Nizam’s Gold Cup), 24, 25 (Deccan Bookmakers Fillies Championship Stakes), 31. September: 1 (D.B. Colts Championship Stakes), 7 (The President of India Gold Cup), 9, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28. October: 2 (Vijay Textiles Deccan Derby), 6 (The Melbourne Racing Club Trophy), 11, 13, 20 (Golconda St. Leger), 21.
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