The Mysore Race Club on Thursday announced the programme for the 64th Indian Turf Invitation Cup Weekend, to be held on Saturday (Oct. 24) and Sunday (Oct. 25), with the Mysore Derby included in the two-day programme for the first time.

The Invitation Cup Weekend, which returns to Mysuru for the second time, having first been hosted in 2020, was originally scheduled for March but was postponed following an outbreak of glanders that disrupted racing in southern India. The weekend will feature five Group 1 races, one Group 2 contest and 10 additional Million races, offering total stakes of ₹5.65 crore.

Saturday’s programme will be highlighted by the Zavaray Poonawalla Mysore Derby, the Zavaray Poonawalla Sprinters’ Cup and the Zavaray Poonawalla Stayers’ Cup. The main attractions on Sunday will be the Zavaray Poonawalla Indian Turf Invitation Cup, carrying stakes of ₹1.50 crore, and the Major P.K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile Cup. The Suresh Mahindra Multi-Million, a Group 2 race, should add further interest to the programme.

Zavaray Poonawalla has sponsored four of the five Group 1 races. The club has also acknowledged the support of other sponsors and turf clubs in making the weekend possible.

A special ‘contest of skill’ on Sunday, organised in association with Mr. Poonawalla, will offer a Renault Kiger car as the first prize, along with two motorcycles and five smartwatches.

The two-day meeting promises to be a major occasion on the Indian racing calendar, bringing together some of the country’s leading horses and professionals in this historic city.