History of Bangalore Thoroughbred racing
In addition to other modern cities of it’s time, Bangalore was the first city in India to get electricity, and they have continued to be a city of luxury living. Today, nestled in the mountains, Bangalore is considered the “Silicon Valley” of India and it’s horse racing follows this grand San Francisco style. While modern Thoroughbred racing maybe the associated with the British, India already had a close relationship with Arabian horses through their own Marwari breed.
Working in ways similar to the specialized Tennessee Walking Horse and the Canadian Pacers breeds, there were many excellent stud farms in India that were fully prepared for the grand Thoroughbred introduction. Since they were already familiar with breeding, Thoroughbreds from Europe were simply a bonus species to work with in India. By the early 1900s, Thoroughbred native Indian farms, like the Aga Khan, were ready to start racing.
How the Bangalore Turf Club began
Many historic references on horse racing in India say that it started to evolve around the early 1500s. However, all horse racing fans know that horseracing is likely to be much older than that. Regardless, when the French and the British arrived in India in the 1800s, they all noted that Bangalore was a particularly natural climate for raising finer horses. This was due to Bangalore’s temperatures that average between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
In from 1905 to 1916, there were several races on land owned by the Maharaja of Mysore, but a more organized effort was needed. In 1920, the culmination of Thoroughbred focus in the area led to the formation of the Bangalore Turf Club and the racecourse was built in 1923. The Maharaja granted use of the land for as long as the Bangalore Turf Club wanted it – provided it was only used as a racecourse. Now, it is the annual home of the Kingfisher Bangalore Derby and the Bangalore Summer Meeting.
How the Bangalore Derby rose to greatness
Like Kentucky, summer in India is often full of humid days that are not suited for horse racing. For this reason, Bangalore stands out as a city where trainers from Calcutta and Bombay could meet, race, and stable their horses all summer long the on the lush 85 acres. For this reason, a summer meet began to be held each July with horses from all over India meeting in the center of Bangalore.
In spite of this, one of the main reasons that the Bangalore Derby and it’s racecourse rose to greatness was due to the unique shape of the track. At 1,950 meters, there are four sharp curves and uphill gradients that make it challenging. Therefore, if you are determining the tenacity of a horse or jockey, passing the Bangalore Derby test is a must.
Celebrating the Bangalore Derby
Since there is a large middle class and upper class background to the city of Bangalore, the Derby celebrations for the Summer Neet are similar to the Triple Crown racing events in other places like England or Kentucky. Like Dubai and Sydney, the major horse races are also associated with a fashion contest for the attendants.
One other shared feature between the Bangalore Derby and other international leading horse races is that celebrities often show up to wear their finest among the crowd in the grandstands. For the winning horse, the purse is RS 32,700,000 (USD $592,000). Finally, if you are attending the Bangalore Derby or just betting on it over the internet, there are a few facts and terms you should know.
· The Bangalore Summer Meet races are often prep races for the Indian Classics (Indian St. Leger, Indian Derby, Indian 1000 Guineas, etc.).
· Many bets for the Bangalore Derby are placed at ‘rupee betting’ websites.
· Graded Stakes races in India are sometimes called conditional races or condition races.
· A racetrack is a racecourse in India and off track betting is often called off course betting instead.
Betting evolves into the first Bangalore Derby
The during the 1970s, when horse racing was on the decline in Western India, a new format of off track betting began and the Bangalore Turf Club was an essential initiator. This push put new interest on the sport and carried it into the internet age. Along with this success at the track, in 1987 the first Bangalore Derby was run. Today, there are a variety of betting options in India that are difficult to find elsewhere.
One thing that sets them apart from other off track betting schemes in other countries is the solid reputation of many of the bookies. This means that you can rely on the betting pools and expect a reasonable payout. Most of the time, bettors from outside of India have no idea that there is a difference between off course betting and India’s state regulated betting system. In fact, unlike other countries, off course betting is not illegal in any way in India and the government embraces it as a competitor.
This means that your bet on the Bangalore Derby will soon be included in one of many international events where bettors can expect their biggest payouts of the year.
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