PRESS CONFERENCE

Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Members of the Managing Committee of the Bangalore Turf Club Ltd., I have great pleasure in extending a warm welcome to all of you to this Press conference.

I.                    Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017 will commence on Saturday 13th May, 2017 and will conclude on Friday 4th August 2017. Racing will be conducted over 26 days during the meeting and will mainly be held on Saturdays and Sundays except during the last week.

II.                  Details of professionals expected to participate in the ensuing season are as under:

Nearly 60 Trainers and 100 Jockeys are expected to participate during the meeting.

III.                Particulars of Outstation Trainers and number of Horses under their charge are furnished in the table below:

IV.               The following have been granted ‘A’ license to train with effect from Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017:

1.       NEIL B. DEVANEY

2.       PRAVEEN JESU

3.       DHEERAJ VENKATASWAMY

4.       M. RAJENDRA SINGH

5.       PARVATI BYRAMJI

6.       K.P.G. APPU

V.                 In all about  890  Racing  horses including  120 outstation horses are stabled in the BTC premises and about 775 horses  are  expected  to  participate during  the meeting  as  against  778 during the previous  Summer Meeting.

VI.               STATISTICAL INFORMATION:

VII.             STAKES AND INCENTIVES:

In the context of publication of rates under the Goods and Service Tax in the second half of May 2017, particularly in relation to the levy of betting on horse racing and pending evaluation of its impact on racing and as a matter of financial prudence, the Club has decided as under:

(a)           To publish the prospectus for the Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017 only for the month of May 2017.

(b)          To publish the prospectus for the remainder of the Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017 as also the level and quantum of incentives to be paid during the summer season, no sooner rates under the Goods and Service Tax are in the public domain.

(c)           To maintain in the interim, the level of stakes on par with that paid during Bangalore Winter Meeting 2016-17.

VIII.           CLASSIC RACES AND SPONSORSHIP:

(a)           Added money for the following Classic races to be run during Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017 is detailed below:

(b)          THE KINGFISHER ULTRA DERBY BANGALORE (GRADE I) will be sponsored by M/s United Breweries for the 30th year continuously. The added money would be Rs.1.5 crores inclusive of the club’s contribution of Rs.75 lakhs and an equal contribution of  Rs.75 lakhs by the sponsor. With the Club guaranteeing a total stakes of Rs. 2.5 crores, it will be the second richest race in the year 2017, next only to the Indian Derby.

(c)           The added money for the Fillies Championship stakes (Grade I) and the Colts Championship Stakes (Grade I) will be Rs 50.00 lakhs each. These races are expected to garner total stakes in excess of Rs.75.00 Lakhs each.

IX.                SPECIAL RACE DAYS:

X.                  SWEEPSTAKE RACES:

The following 15 Sweepstakes races that were run during Bangalore Summer Meeting 2016 will continue to be run in 2017:- 

XI.                Normally a maximum of 12 acceptors are permitted to be accepted in ordinary races. But this limit has been enhanced to 15 on Classic race days and the last day of the season.      

XII.              GENERAL:

(a)           Schedule of acceptances and declarations have been revised.

(b)          Live streaming of Bangalore Races can be watched on www.bangaloreraces.com on pay per race day basis at Rs. 200/-. Existing practice of availing live streaming on payment of annual subscription amount of Rs. 4,500/- will continue.

(c)            675 betting terminals are currently in operation, including 115 betting terminals at eight off-course betting centers.

(d)          Rating book will be published before the start of the season.

(e)           Bookmakers will not be in operation during the meeting.

(f)            Selections provided by leading Newspapers and Race Card Publishers will be displayed on the club’s CCTV system on all the race days before the commencement of the first race and will be repeated again race by race.

(g)           Display of betting trend for win pool for the top four fancied horses which was experimentally introduced during latter part of the last winter season will be a regular feature from this season.

(h)          Both these facilities will be functional even on days of Inter venue betting operations on other centers.

(i)             Despite deficit rainfall, track is in good condition.

XIII.            BOARD OF APPEAL:

The Board of Appeal has been reconstituted effective from the commencement of Bangalore Summer Meeting 2017 as under:

                                                Mr. V.Harimohan Naidu (Chairman)

Mr. H.Kumara Swamy

Mr. K.R.Prakash

Mr. I.S.N.Prasad

Mr. Praveen Sood

Mr. Shivkumar Kheny

XIV.           ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I thank you all for the help extended to the Bangalore Turf Club Ltd. in the past. On behalf of the Managing Committee, I seek your support once again in providing wide coverage for the Summer Races.

While seeking your cooperation, I wish you and the racing public a successful Meeting.

Bangalore                                                                                            (Y.JAGANATH)

Dated 10^th May, 2017                                                           CHAIRMAN  & SENIOR STEWARD