mumbai winter horse season dates

Mumbai season from Nov. 18
MUMBAI, NOV. 12. The Mumbai winter racing season will get underway here from November 18 and conclude on May 1, 2005 according to the prospectus issued here by Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC).
Until last year, a lengthy programme of 55 race days used to be framed by the Turf Club but it never achieved the desired goals.
The main reason of reducing more number of race days from 55 to 46 race meetings by RWITC is in a bid to reverse the dwindling public attendance at the races and also boost up the fragile economy of the turf club.
The total stakesmoney for the season is Rs. 9,13,00,000 including the worth of trophies as against last year's Rs. 8,26,04,500 including the value of trophies.
Previously, sponsors were keen to sponsor the Indian Classic events in Western India but this year's prospectus paints a grim picture as only one, the Indian Derby (Feb. 6) has been sponsored by McDowell & Co. Ltd. It is expected that power czars of RWITC will do their best to rope in some new sponsors for the other classic events before it is too long.
Mr. B.N. Nanjappa, the estate manager of RWITC told The Hindu that " this year we have brought the Gujarat graded river sand for the all weather track. The inside 20 feet of the all weather track at Mumbai race course has been relayed with the Gujarat river sand for the entire circumference. This track is exclusively being reserved for the fast work of the horses. Not more than two horses abreast will be permitted to go fast for the time being''.
He also disclosed that " the remaining 60 feet of all weather track will be very soon partitioned with false rails for slow work i.e. trotting and slow canter.''
" I don't think that with the relaying of this Gujarat sand, horses will be able to record the fast timings (like the Pune sand track) like earlier years'' he added.
He also said that " horses which worked for 10 to 15 minutes in the bund schools earlier may not take such a long time due to relaying of Gujarat sand in the bund schools''.
" If the newly laid sand track proves better during the coming Mumbai season, we may use the same sand for the bund schools and the outer sand track at Pune so that horses could go fast during the wet spell'' he said.
" Once a week, all the trainers who desire to give mock race to their wards will be permitted to gallop on the outer strip of the race track. A starting gate will be kept ready for this purpose. The mock races will start from 2000m or whichever trip the trainers may desire'' he disclosed.
Suraj Narredu will ride for trainer Aarti Doctor's horses while Kamlesh will don the silk for trainer C.D. Katrak. M. Narredu will guide the destiny of Mr. K.N. Dhunjibhoy's horses. C. Rajendra as usual will be piloting Mr. Shapoorji's horses. B. Prakash will ride Dr. M.A.M. Ramasamy's horses.
Horses to follow:
Adam's Bank, Adam's Star, American Hot, Ardmore, Ashbourne, Auchinblae, Avantage, Blue Horizon, Brave Victor, Bregenz, Cruise Control , Danger In Sight, Daughterofcharity, Dazzling Queen, Divine Romance, Euro Star, Eva, Everlasting Joy, Fraud, Frida Kahlo, Future Star, Gold Star, High Opinion, Infinite Glory, Kanthara, Ladybank, Lapwing, Money Star, Monifieth, Morpheus, Noble Desire, Ocean Of Angels, Power League, Priceless Place, Protege, Proteus, Paddington Green, Portal Of Victory, Radical Velocity, Raphaela, Rivendell, Romantica, Rosemount, Royal Hunt, Shyboy, Sheen Falls, Somerset West, Soul Mountain, Sugar N Spice, Thunderello, Venus Arising, Waves Of Glory and Zahra.