Horse racing seems to be the latest sport to be bitten by the IPL bug, and Mumbai may soon play host to an international event modelled along the lines of the Indian Premier League.

The concept of sponsors bidding for jockeys, who will then participate in a series of international horse races, is one that the international horse racing federation is working upon, Mr Vivek Jain, Chairman, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), says. “Patterned along the lines of the Indian Premier League, this is a new movement in the world of horse racing. We hope to host one of the races in Mumbai as early as 2013,” he adds.

For the last few months, the club has been getting into overdrive to make a pitch for Indian horse racing in the international arena. It participated in the Asian Racing Conference held in Turkey last week to showcase Indian racing. A race for the RWITC Trophy will also run at the Singapore Turf Club as part of its objective to establish reciprocal arrangements with overseas racing clubs.

The newest idea revolves around holding 12 races in as many cities across the world, with 12 internationally known jockeys participating in each to earn points. “Sponsors will bid for jockeys, just like they bid for players in IPL teams,” Mr Jain explains.

While the need for potential sponsors to have an international footprint may restrict the choices as far as India is concerned, he is optimistic that some high profile owners may actually be sold on the idea.

Meanwhile, the club announced that the Pune racing season will kick off on July 26 and with 27 racing days, end on October 28. The total prize money is Rs 7.15 crore while the season’s only two Grade 1 races remain the McDowell Signature Indian St Leger on September 13 and the Nanoli Stud Pune Derby on October 14.

For the first time RWITC has tied up with web-based portal Kyazoonga to enable online purchase of tickets.

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