NILGIRIS: The 137th Udhagamandalam Racing Season commenced at the Ooty race course on Saturday. A total of 120 races will be held during the season. All the races will be held in the morning. The total price money is Rs 7.47 crore, said the Madras Race Club which organises the popular horse racing event.
Six horses and jockeys took part in the Nilgiris Municipality Trophy which was the main event out of the six scheduled on the opening day. Udhagamandalam Municipality Commissioner P Egaraj handed over the winner trophy to Saikumar who is the jockey of ‘New Neziah’ horse.
Saikumar received Rs 5.22 lakh from the organisers. A large number of local residents witnessed the opening day’s races. They took pictures and videos of the race and shared them on social media. The highlight of the Udhagamandalam Racing Season, 2024, is the Nilgiris Derby Stakes (Grade I) scheduled to be held on May 12. The most popular racing event, ‘Nilgiris Gold Cup’, is scheduled on May 26. The race will conclude on June 2.