The Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) will officially commence its Bangalore Summer Meeting 2026 on Friday, May 1, with an expansive and competitive opening-day card featuring a balanced combination of handicaps and maiden contests. The programme has attracted a sizeable pool of runners across different categories, with established trainers and accomplished jockeys strongly represented throughout the afternoon. Among the principal attractions on the card are the Usha Stud Plate and the Pattadakal Plate, both of which have assembled evenly matched fields expected to provide an informative beginning to the new season in Bengaluru.
The opening race will be the Usha Stud Plate for horses rated 40 to 65 over 1400 metres, where Aherne, trained by Imtiaz Khan for Mr Saurabh Jetli and Mr Vasanth Kumar R, will take on Aquamatic trained by Azhar Ali for Mr Praveen Kumar N and Mr Naveen Preben Gowda. Aquastic, trained by S.S. Attaollahi for Mr S. Pathy, is also in contention. The field is further strengthened by Corinthian and Finley (both S.S. Attaollahi), Double Vision (S. Shoban Babu), Eagle Eye (Pradeep Annaiah), Flaming Sword (S. Dominic), Invincible, Magnus, Money Bags, Moon Star, Pole Star, and Sassy, forming a strongly packed handicap to begin proceedings.
The International Labour Day Trophy for maiden three-year-olds over 1100 metres will see Brave Heart, trained by M. Rajendra Singh for Mr H. S. Chandre Gowda, line up against Breathtaking, trained by Imtiaz Khan for Mr P. J. Vazifdar, Mr M. Rishad, Mr Kersi H. Vachha, and Mr Firoze Adi Vakil. Burevestnik, trained by S.S. Attaollahi for Mr Sulaiman S. Attaollahi and Mr Shantanu Sharma, also features in a competitive maiden field. Others include Charming Prospect (V. Lokanath), Country’s McQueen (Darius R. Byramji), Deep Respect (S. Narredu), First Choice (Joseph B. Awale), Legacy Field (Prasanna Kumar), Nimbus Speed, Osaka, and Portieux.
The Welcome Plate for Bangalore-based maiden three-year-olds over 1200 metres will bring together a large and diverse field of locally trained juveniles still seeking their first success. Bellucci, trained by Irfan Ghatala for Mr Vishnu Vardhan Reddy Komma, will be joined by Brave Heart (M. Rajendra Singh), Breathtaking (Imtiaz Khan), Bulletproof (S.S. Attaollahi), Charming Prospect (V. Lokanath), Deep Respect (S. Narredu), Estelle (Arjun Mangalorkar), First Choice (Joseph B. Awale), Knightsbridge, Legacy Field, Monstera, Osaka, Panache, Pearl Star, Sprezzatura, and Whistling Glory, making it one of the most open maiden contests on the card.
The Epsom Plate for horses rated 20 to 45 over 1300 metres will see Absolute Katrina, trained by Joseph B. Awale for Mr Raj Ramprasad Singh, clash with Adornment, trained by Darius Byramji for Mr Mukul A. Sonawala, Mr Girish Mehta, M/s DT Racing & Breeding LLP, and So Blest Trading Co. Pvt Ltd. Allegro Dance, trained by Md Sajid Qureshi for M/s Cherie Sports Pvt Ltd and Mr Ashok N. Sharma, also features prominently. The field further includes Auctav (Darius Byramji), Carat Love (Vishesh M.P.), El Alamein (Faraz Arshad), Elveden (Arjun Mangalorkar), Femme Fatale (M. Rajendra Singh), Frederika (Pradeep Annaiah), Glaze, Hazel, Honeypot, Hushed, Imperador, Vibrant Queen, and Zilfee.
The Pattadakal Plate for horses rated 20 to 45 aged five years and above over 1400 metres will stand out as one of the key contests of the afternoon. Absolute Katrina will again be in action, alongside Acantha, trained by K. Purshotham for Mr Chethan Neelakanta and Mr Y.S. Harsha, and Amazing Stride, trained by Imtiaz Khan for Mr P. J. Vazifdar, Mrs P. J. Vazifdar, Mr M. Rishad, and Mr Kersi H. Vachha. The supporting cast includes Bellavita (Neil B Devaney), Ebotse (Arjun Mangalorkar), El Alamein (Faraz Arshad), Elveden (Arjun Mangalorkar), Gandolfini (K. Purshotham), Golden Time (V. Lokanath), Infinite Spirit (V. Lokanath), Shahenshaah (Praveen Jesu), She Rules, Stentorian, Sundance Kid, The Golden Dream, Thrill of Brazil, and Turkoman.
The concluding race, the Camino Plate for horses rated 00 to 25 over 1200 metres, will feature Agrima, trained by M. Eshwer for Manjri Horse Breeders’ Farm Pvt Ltd, along with Blue Saint, trained by Azhar Ali for Mr Waseem Dadapeer, Mr Rohit Raman, and Mr Syed Imranuddin Mujahid. Dr. Colchester, trained by S. Shoban Babu for Mr Ramesh R, will also take part. The remaining field comprises Embosom (V. Lokanath), Emeraldo (Pradeep Annaiah), Enjoyable (M. Rajendra Singh), Imperial Star (Rajesh Narredu), Infinite Spirit (V. Lokanath), Jolie’s Star (Kishan Thomas K), Ladyness (Kishan Thomas K), Mericle Beauty, Mystical Queen, N R I Millennium, Ransomware, Recreator, Rising Form, Zayana, and Zephyrine.
The opening day of the Bangalore Summer Meeting 2026 is expected to deliver a highly competitive and tactically engaging start to the season, with large fields and evenly matched runners across all six races setting the tone for the weeks ahead at the Bangalore Turf Club.
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