Renk wins Gazi Derby

Jockey Ahmet Çelik rode thoroughbred Renk to victory on June 28 at the Gazi Derby, Turkey's most prestigious horse race.

Twenty-one Turkish three-year-old thoroughbreds competed in the derby for the 1.35 million Turkish Lira prize on the 2,400-meter grass track.

Renk finished the race in 2 minutes 30.82 seconds, ahead of Tatvan ?ncisi with jockey Selim Kaya, followed by Güngör Baba ridden by Gökhan Kocakaya.

With the victory, Çelik earned his place among the elite jockeys of Turkish horseracing.

"I had won some important races, but none of them could be comparted to this," Çelik said after the race. "I award this victory to my daughter and son," he added.

The Gazi Derby, organized by the Turkish Jockey Club (TJK) is dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, who was a supporter of horse racing in the country. 

Legendary thoroughbred Bold Pilot, who died in April, holds the record for the Gazi Derby. Karata? rode Bold Pilot to victory on June 30, 1996, with a time of 2 minutes 26.22 seconds.