Horse Racing Goes The Cricket Way - By Usman Rangeela
Posted on - 31 Mar 2015
Horse Racing Goes The Cricket Way
By Usman Rangeela
Mumbai Mirror
To attract more people in the stands, Mahalaxmi Racecourse will host night races on April 18 and 19 on a trial basis.
In the 1970s, Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer turned world cricket on its head by introducing day-night matches. Now, the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) is moving in the same direction, with horse racing under floodlights at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, scheduled for April 18 and 19, on a trial basis. The idea is to change the fortunes of horse racing and make it seen as a spectator sport.
The races are likely to begin around 4.30 pm or 5 pm, depending on the number of races that are likely to be framed, and the last two or three races will be held under the floodlights. These will be the sprint events that will cover a distance of 1,000 mts. The club has shortlisted a few Indian and multinational lighting equipment manufacturers and suppliers, including Bajaj Electricals and Philips India, and the former has offered to assist the club in arranging the infrastructure needed for the trial run.
The RWITC committee member, Ram Shroff, who has been working on the concept, said: "The club has been exploring the idea of conducting night racing at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse for long but it never took off because of its capital-intensive nature. But we believe that the costs of this project can be met through internal accruals and various other means. We have decided to take the first step in this direction and start night racing on a trial basis."
Shroff said that the concept could prove to be a "game changer" for the club and the sport itself. "What we are broadly planning to do is offer the Mahalaxmi Racecourse as a family destination with entertainment as the main theme. We want the visitors to not only witness the thrills of horse racing but also enjoy the ambience of the racecourse. If night racing becomes a hit, I think the Mahalaxmi racecourse will find a prominent place on the tourist map," he said.
The RWITC chairman, Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, said that the club has been fighting a "losing battle" with other entertainment options such as satellite channels. "Some innovative thinking was urgently required to arrest the falling attendances and the sagging popularity of the sport. And, given the do-or-die situation the club finds itself in, I don't think there could have been any better option than introducing night racing. Should this project succeed, night racing has the potential to prove a boon for every stake-holder of the club and the sport," Dhunjibhoy said. He said that the BMC and the state government also stand to gain additional revenue from this project.
First proposed by Mallya
Night racing at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse was first proposed by Vijay Mallya nearly 15 years ago during his tenure as the RWITC committee member, the cost of which he agreed to fund through the UB Group sponsorship, but on a revenue-sharing agreement. Those opposing Mallya's proposal claimed it was a sell-off. Despite a UB Group-funded trial run at Mahalaxmi, Mallya didn't pursue the project.
Now, the RWITC will have to erect over 35 temporary scaffolding towers for the floodlights, initially from 1,000 metres to the winning post and further 400mt to allow the participant horses to pull up gradually after crossing the finishing line. The floodlights will be powered by generator sets.
If the project finds acceptance, the estimated cost of first phase is likely to be anywhere between Rs 6 crore and Rs 9 crore, depending on which make of the LED lights the RWITC approves. The cheapest LED lights are manufactured in China. Secondly, the cost factor will also depend on whether the RWITC opts for lights which facilitate broadcasting quality or just the CCTV quality. In the second phase, the RWITC plans to provide floodlights from the mile chute till 400 mt after the winning post. After incurring the initial capital expenditure, the club plans to monetise the project through various sponsorships deals.
Please Comment Below
