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Where the Horses Race and Mumbaikars Bet - By Dan Packel I New York Times

Posted on - 09 Jan 2011

RWITC gets a mention in the venerable New York Times!

Where the Horses Race and Mumbaikars Bet

By DAN PACKEL


 
Mahalaxmi Racecourse isn’t just home to the most lucrative races in all of India. The racetrack — established under British colonial rule in 1883 — is also a pastoral oasis near the heart of this teeming city. The green swath on display from inside the whitewashed grandstand induces a welcome sense of languor, one that is periodically interrupted when the horses approach the starting gate before a race.
 
 
While the highlight of the season – the Indian Derby, held in the spring – attracts throngs of well-dressed socialites to the lawns and grandstand, a normal Thursday or Sunday of racing at the track (Race Course, Mahalaxmi; 91-22-2307-1401; www.rwitc.com) is a laid-back affair. Admission is just 20 rupees (about 45 cents), and the minimum bet at the windows is only 10. That means it’s possible to pick a horse for all eight races, lose every time, and still have lost only a few dollars on the day.
 
Or, for a livelier betting experience, head to the officially sanctioned Bookmakers Ring, a crowded, covered spot just next to the paddock. Here at a dozen stalls, bookmakers are constantly updating the odds for the upcoming race. You’ll see the latest odds at each stall scribbled on a chalkboard next to the horse’s name. If you chose to bet here, the embossed card, with the bookmaker’s name and the details of your bet, makes for a nice souvenir — provided you don’t win and get to trade it in for a wad of rupees.
 
Then return to the grandstand, watch the kites idly swooping overhead, and wait for the thoroughbreds to approach the starting gate.

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