Hyderabad monsoon races to begin tomorrow

Hyderabad :  The stage is set for the 28-day Hyderabad monsoon races, scheduled to commence at the Malakper race course, here tomorrow. An increased stake money of Rs 16.52 crore as against Rs 14.55 crore last year will mark the season, Hyderabad Race Club (HRC) chairman R Surender Reddy has said.

Addressing the customary season-eve press conference last night, Reddy said the advertised stakes would go up further with the division of races, adding that the stakes: horse ratio offered at HRC was the highest in the country (Rs 3.17 lakh per horse).

In view of early arrival of the southwest monsoon this year, the club had decided to conduct an extra day’s meeting on Thursday (July 13), heralding the beginning of the monsoon racing season, which will conclude on October 23.

He said 21 “A” licensed trainers at HRC and 32 licensed jockeys and apprentice jockeys will take part during the season. Besides, leading trainers and jockeys from other racing centres in the country will vie for honours in the classic events during the season.

Of the 734 horses including 209 two-year-old horses, 525 will participate during the monsoon season, Reddy added. Leading trainers like Ananta Vatsaya,Anupam sharma, L V R Deshmukh, Laxman Singh, L D’Silva, K Sateesh, D Netto, K S V Prasad Raju, M Satyanarayana, R H Sequeira, Shehzad Abbas and Srinivas Reddy.

All Hyderabad-based and Ganapathy, Sulaiman S Attaollahi and Vishal Gaikwad, outstation trainers will race their wards during the season. Among the jockeys, A K Paward, Deep Shanker, Ch Krishnamachari, Kiran Naidu, Kuldeep Singh, N Rawal, Akshay Kumar, Sai Kumar, Sreekant and others will don the silks of different owners. The blue riband of the season – The Deccan Derby would be conducted on October 2, 2017.

The stellar attractions of the season are Hazara Stud Golconda Juvenile Million (August 7), K Mahipathi rao Memorial Million (August 15), the Governor’s Cup (August 20), the Nizam’s Cup (August 21), Deccan Fillies Championship stakes (August 28), Deccan Colts Championship Stakes (September 4), The President of India Gold Cup (September 10), the Chief Minister’s Cup (September 17), the Melbourne Racing Club Trophy (October 9) and the Golconda St Leger (October 23).

The timely rains have done a world of good to the monsoon racing track which is a picture of lush, green.
Everything points to a competitive racing season ahead.