Racing ahead

“One of the most important changes that has come in is the redesigned website. We have gotten bigger servers to manage the traffic on the site on race days. In addition all the races are currently being streamed live so that audiences can enjoy the same online,” says Vivek Jain,chairman,RWITC.

Introduced this racing season is the online ticket booking system. People can watch the races by purchasing tickets off Kyazoonga.com,where they could see the races live in the members’ enclosure. Neetu Bhatia co-founder of the website mentions that this is being done to improve the visibility of the sport. “We have purposefully priced the tickets as low as Rs 160 and Rs 210 for the weekend races and the special races. People can use modern methods to enjoy an age-old sport,” he says.

The race weekend will feature one of the biggest races of the season–the Mc Dowell Signature Indian St. Ledger Day. Jain mentions that the crowd turnouts for these big races demands the need for improved security where CCTVs and metal detectors come into the picture. Speaking on the mobile application for the races he says,“It will be ideal for big races like the one this Sunday. People will be able to access information about the races and the horses too. The application should be out soon as we are just working on the last minute details of the same. It will be available across all platforms,” he says.

While the concept of online betting has not yet caught on at the RWITC,Jain doesn’t rule it out for the future. “We can see the online betting system implemented once all the required clearances are obtained and we understand the manner in which it will work. By the end of the year we will be working on upgrading the totes and make them more computer-friendly,” he adds.