The 45-day Mumbai Racing Season will start from Sunday, November 19 and
go on till the end of April 2007. The total advertised stake money is at an all-time high of Rs 922.15 lacs and much higher than the previous year's figure of Rs 888.65 lacs. Sponsorship has a hit new high, will all the five Indian Classics being sponsored.
The total value of sponsorships for the Mumbai season is Rs 206 lacs which is up 50 per cent over last year's figure of Rs
136.8 lacs. The biggest racing event of the year, the Gr.1
McDowell Indian Derby will continue to be sponsored by the UB Group. The other highlight of the season would be that two race days programme will be entirely sponsored. A full day is sponsored by international associates of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce which will also feature a Christmas Carnival.
Mr Vivek Jain, Chairman, Marketing and Media Group of RWITC, told newsmen on Wednesday that the McDowell Indian Derby
day will have three
event co-sponsors for the first in the history, giving the premier event a great boost. A million by the Rattonsey family; 10 guaranteed million races, including two for the first time for older horses is a path-breaking miltestone. Sponsorships spread over all classes of horses is another highlight, Mr Jain added. Several first time
corporate sponsors are Deutsche Bank, Diageo India, Panchshil Realty, Orra, Yes Bank,
Play win, Auto Hangar, Casino Goa etc. Diageo, the world's biggest liquor company, is the newest sponsor, who will enhance the occasion with a heady mix of prizes and promotion and have shown unbelievable enthusiasm in this, their first foray; Several days to feature
never-before-seen prizes and entertainment.
The season itself is expected to provide some quality fare, with the best of the horses in the country arriving to take part in the various plums on offer during the season. Equine super stars like Southern Empire, Haunting Memories and Mystical will be taking part in the major events. Southern Empire who has remained unbeaten thus far, is the hot horse for the Indian Derby and the professionals are unanimous in their view that he is the best horse one has seen
in the last decade. Mystical has
everything going for him in the graded races meant for older horses. Democraticus is another top quality older miler who will be seen in action during the season.
The professionals who are expected to hog the limelight are trainers Imtiaz Sait and Pesi Shroff among the local brigade while the outstation challenge will be spearheaded by Ganapathy who has a surfeit of top class horses in his yard.
