Veliefendi Race Course
{{Short description|Horse racing track in Istanbul, Turkey}}
{{Infobox Racecourse
|Name = Veliefendi Race Course
Veliefendi Hipodromu
|Image=Istanbul Turkey - Flickr - brewbooks (1).jpg
|Caption=
|Location= Veliefendi, Bakırköy, Istanbul, Turkey
{{Location map
| Turkey Istanbul
| width =
| float =
| border =
| caption =
| alt =
| relief =
| AlternativeMap =
| label =
| label_size =
| position =
| background =
| mark = Horseracingicon.svg
| marksize = 25
| link =
| lat_deg = 40.986944
| lon_deg = 28.889167
}}
|Owner= Jockey Club of Turkey (TJK)
|Opened= {{start date and age|1913}}
|CourseType= Flat/Thoroughbred
|Website=
|NotableRaces =
- Gazi Race (since 1927)
- Prime Minister's Race (since 1951)
}}
Veliefendi Race Course ({{langx|tr|Veliefendi Hipodromu}}) is a horse racing track located at Veliefendi neighborhood in Bakırköy district of Istanbul, Turkey.{{Cite web|title=BizeUlasin|url=https://www.tjk.org/TR/Kurumsal/Static/Page/BizeUlasin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921171611/http://www2.tjk.org/TR/Kurumsal/Static/Page/BizeUlasin|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 21, 2012|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.tjk.org}}
It is the country's oldest and biggest race course founded on a former grassland that was historically a farm belonging to Şeyhülislam Veliyyüddin Efendi, an 18th-century superior authority of Islam in the Ottoman Empire.{{cite web |url=http://wowturkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=146 |publisher=WOW Turkey |title=Veliefendi hipodromu |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }} The race course was constructed in the years 1912/13 by German specialists upon the initiative of Enver Pasha.Klaus Kreiser: Kleines Türkei-Lexikon. München 1992, s.v. Veliefendi hipodromu (in German){{cite news |url=http://www.haber7.com/haber/20110422/Unlu-sehulislamin-arazisinde-at-yarisi.php |newspaper=Haber7 |title=Ünlü şehülislamın arazisinde at yarışı |author=Baki, Gülizar |date=2011-04-22 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }}
The race course hosts also music events. In 2006, Turkish pop singer Nez held a concert.{{cite news |url=http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/ShowNew.aspx?id=4469984 |newspaper=Hürriyet |title=Nez, Veliefendi Hipodromu’nda konser veriyor |date=2006-05-26 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }}
Physical attributes
The race course covers an area of {{convert|59.6|ha|acre|abbr=on}} consisting of facilities for racing, training and barns. The race course has three interleaved tracks as:
- a {{convert|2020|m|yd|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|27|-|36|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide turf oval,
- a {{convert|1870|m|yd|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|17.5|-|19|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide synthetic track for all-weather racing and
- a {{convert|1730|m|yd|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|16|-|17|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide sand oval for training.{{cite web |url=http://www.tjk.org/tjk_en/Content/Hipodromlar/Hipodromlar_en.aspx?l=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903003535/http://www.tjk.org/tjk_en/Content/Hipodromlar/Hipodromlar_en.aspx?l=2 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 3, 2009 |publisher=TJK |title=Istanbul Veliefendi Racecourse |access-date=2011-11-15 }}
The track's seating capacity is 7,600. The complex comprises offices, a museum, an exhibition hall, a racehorse hospital, an apprentice training center as well as social and recreational facilities.
Major races
- Gazi Race (Gazi Koşusu), is the most prestigious Turkish Oaks, and is held since 1927 in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who was awarded the honorific title "Gazi" (Ghazi). Initially run in Ankara, the event was later transferred to Veliefendi Race Course. The award is about TL 1.4 million (approx. US$850,000 as of June 2011), and since 1970 is accompanied with a silver equestrian statue of Atatürk.{{cite news |url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/Spor/2010/06/27/ingiliz_safkanlari_gazi_kosusu_icin_veliefendi_hipodromunda |newspaper=Sabah |title=İngiliz safkanları Gazi Koşusu için Veliefendi Hipodromu'nda |date=2010-06-27 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.gazeteport.com.tr/haber/39508/gazi_kosusunu_anatoly_kazandi |newspaper=Gazeteport |title=Gazi Koşusu'nu Anatoly kazandı... |date=2011-06-21 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809120601/http://www.gazeteport.com.tr/haber/39508/gazi_kosusunu_anatoly_kazandi |archive-date=2011-08-09 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://spor.milliyet.com.tr/85-gazi-kosusu-yarin-istanbul-da-yapilacak/spor/spordetay/25.06.2011/1406682/default.htm |newspaper=Milliyet Spor |title=85. Gazi Koşusu, yarın İstanbul'da yapılacak |date=2011-06-25 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628224936/http://spor.milliyet.com.tr/85-gazi-kosusu-yarin-istanbul-da-yapilacak/spor/spordetay/25.06.2011/1406682/default.htm |archive-date=2011-06-28 |url-status=dead }}
- Prime Minister's Race (Başbaşkanlık Koşusu) is a Turkish Oaks held since 1951. The winner is awarded TL 1,105,000 (approx. US$330,000 as of July 2018) and a trophy bestowed by the Turkish prime minister.{{cite news |url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2011/07/25/erdogana-jokey-surprizi |newspaper=Sabah |title=Erdoğan'a jokey sürprizi |date=2011-07-25 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }}
Incidents
During a race on July 31, 1949, four race horses, including two favourite horses, did not leave the starting gate upon the referee's start sign, and were disqualified. The bettors protested against a possible swindle by the referees and the racehorse owners, and demanded a rerun. As the referee commission rejected the demand, the crowd set the referee tower, the bleachers, the administration and box offices on fire.{{cite news |url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/ek_haber.php?ek=cts&haberno=6908 |newspaper=Radikal |title=Milli Tarih-Veliefendi Hipodrom İsyanları |author=Toklucu, Murat |date=2007-08-18 |language=tr |access-date=2011-11-15 }}
In July 1953, bettors threw stones towards horsemen and beat a jockey named Muhacir Ahmet (literally: Ahmet The Immigrant) whom they believed to have swindled. Two years later local newspapers published news about swindles at Veliefendi Race Course, and during a race on July 13, 1955, the bettors stoned the administration building, and Muhacir Ahmet was beaten once again.
In 2008, the track held its first-ever farewell ceremony for a racehorse, honoring Ribella, a popular mare.{{cite web | title = Champion Horse Ribella Bids Farewell | publisher = Turkish Daily News | date = Oct 30, 2008 | url = http://www.allvoices.com/news/1659426-champion-horse}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{coord|40.98709|N|28.88881|E|type:landmark|display=title}}
Category:Horse racing venues in Turkey
Category:Sports venues in Istanbul
Category:Music venues in Istanbul