You got to doff your hat to the managing committee of the Madras Race Club (MRC), spearheaded by the chairman, Dr Muthiah Ramaswamy. Despite the fact that it could well be the last racing season at Guindy, MRC has magnanimously offered attractive stakes for the 30-day season starting on Saturday, August 30.  

The club on the opening day has framed a small, yet, competitive card of six-events, the first plum of the season, the Welcome Cup  run over a sprint attracting a creditable field of nine runners in what on cards promises to be an intense struggle for supremacy. 

Chief Stipendiary Steward and Handicapper Vincent Dhanraj disclosed that MRC has left no stone unturned in its effort to offer a silver lining and most professionals at this centre are satisfied with the facilities and the stakes on offer. "MRC has offered 18 crore in total stakes this season and the owners are delighted with the rich stakes on offer," said Vincent adding that the advertised stakes for six juvenile Million events is 12 lakh and in addition three more races for Juveniles are framed with total stakes of 14 lakh for each event. Vincent revealed that apart from the five classics, two new races, the Fillies Trial and Colts Trial Stakes are framed this season and the response, Vincent reckons will be big for the new events taking into account that some of the classic hopefuls from Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune are likely to parade their skills in the two new events. 

"We will have a good number of top class classic hopefuls from the other premier racing centres competing in the classics. The stakes offered will ensure that some of the best horses on the Indian racing circuit will figure in our blue riband, the South India Derby scheduled to be held on Pongal Day," said Vincent pointing out that the track is in ship-shape condition and the weather is ideal for both the horses and horsemen to gallop to fame. 

When asked if MRC will be able to frame more than six races on every racing day taking into account that less than 300 horses are stationed at the Guindy campus, Vincent shot back: " We will frame seven and more races on each racing day. A number of outstation horses will be competing in most plums and with the trainers and owners keen to earn valuable stake money, the entries each week will be good enough to frame a competitive card." 

When posed with the question, does Chennai have the quality to test the best from Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad, Vincent disclosed that top local trainers, Deepesh Narredu, Sebastian, Suresh and Vijay Singh in their yards have a couple of good horses who will make their presence felt again the outstation lot and that's a good sign from the racing point of view. 

Well the stage is set and the thunder of hooves on Saturday will provide a lyrical ring to the first-day, first-show at Guindy.