After the successful summer season, the Mysore Race Club (MRC) is ready with a competitive card of seven-events for the opening day of the winter season. The Rajyotsava Trophy, the plum event on the first day has attracted a good field of dozen runners and it is good to see the rest of the six events also attracting a dozen contestants. And this could well be the par for the course this winter taking into account that MRC has granted license to dozen trainers from Chennai to start a fresh innings at Mysuru.

"Now we have 38 trainers including the dozen from Chennai and this augurs well for the sport at this centre," said Venkatesh adding that the committee has drawn up designs and plans to scale a new high when they play host to the Indian Turf Invitation Cup in March next year.

"A dozen trainers from Chennai including the top three, Sebastian, B Suresh and Robert Foley applied for license and looking at the present scenario we thought it fit to help out the pros in the game," said Venkatesh adding that MRC too needed to increase the number of quality horses racing at their centre.

Chairman G Venkatesh in a telephonic conversation disclosed that more than 150-200 horses will move into the MRC campus from Chennai. The trainers from Chennai are slowly moving their horses out from Guindy and in a couple of weeks more than 400 horses including the local horses will be stationed at MRC.

When asked if MRC would host all the classics of the Madras season after Chennai shut-shop and that it is learnt that the Madras Race Club has initiated dialogue with MRC to help out in the unfortunate present situation, Venkatesh also chairman of Turf Authority Of India (TAI) revealed that following a meeting with the members of TAI, MRC was open to the idea and after a final meeting with the Madras Race Club chairman, Muthiah Ramaswamy, MRC will take a call.

"Muthiah Ramaswamy is looking forward to stage the Chennai classics including the South India Derby on Pongal Day here and after the final round of bilateral discussion we will announce the outcome," said Venkatesh.

Well the stage is set and with more than 150 new horses under the care of 12 trainers parading their skills at MRC, the winter promises to be very competitive taking into account that the big plums this winter will also attract the leading pros from Bengaluru to the royal city.