Ooty: The horse racing season, a tradition associated with the Ooty summer since the British era, will get underway on Saturday. Though the racing season is delayed by a month this summer, as many as 503 horses have come to this hill town for the month long racing extravaganza which continues to be a summer attraction in the hills.
The craze for horse racing has been on the wane in recent times when compared to its glorious past in the hills that saw many champion horses such as Winged Wonder, Grand
Parade, Own Opinion, Birthday Girl, Young Rajput and Chaitanya Ratham, that blossomed as champions in the race course in Ooty.
This year, the 132nd horse racing season beginning today coincides with the inauguration of the annual rose show at the rose garden in Ooty.
The Madras Race Club which conducts horse racing here plans ten race meetings this summer. 23 trainers, including five outstation trainers and 50 jockeys, including outstation jockeys, are expected to take part during the month-long racing season that concludes on June 14.
Of the three classic events which are scheduled for the season, the Nilgiris 1000 Guineas will be held on May 18, the Nilgiris 2000 Guineas on May 22, the
Nilgiris Derby Stakes on June 3, the Nilgiris Gold Cup, the traditional and most popular race on this hill race course, on June 10. All races will be held in the morning.
