99. Gazi Race

The 99th Gazi Race, held on 29 June 2025 at the Veliefendi Hippodrome in Istanbul, is the race organized in the name of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk since 1927 and is regarded as the most prestigious event in Turkish horse racing. In this race, the thoroughbred filly “Cutha,” owned by Hulusi Çil and ridden by jockey Ahmet Çelik, secured first place. This victory marked Ahmet Çelik’s eighth Gazi Race championship in his career.

Gazi Race Infographic – Anadolu Agency

Organization and Participation

The Gazi Race is open exclusively to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. This event, which each horse may enter only once in its career, was run over a distance of 2400 metres on a turf track. A total of 22 thoroughbreds started the race. The event was held in its traditional venue, the Veliefendi Hippodrome, and attracted a large audience. The official start time was set at 17:15.

It was announced that a total of 59,700 people attended the hippodrome on race day. This high level of public interest once again demonstrated that the Gazi Race is not only a major attraction for racing enthusiasts but also an integral part of Turkey’s sporting culture.

Race Results

The winner of the race, with a time of 2:30.28, was the thoroughbred filly “Cutha.” Ahmet Çelik was the jockey, Hulusi Çil the owner, and Yaşar Demir the trainer. The second-place finisher was “Handsome King,” owned by Asuman Yenice and ridden by Hışman Çizik, with a time of 2:30.38. Third place went to “Special Man,” owned by Melih Temel and ridden by Vedat Abiş.

The award ceremony following the race took place on a stage erected beside the track. The trophies and prizes were presented by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Gümen, Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Davut Gül, Governor of Istanbul, General Metin Tokel, Commander of the First Army, and Nuri Aslan, Acting Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Gazi Race – Anadolu Agency

Prize Distribution

The prize pool for the Gazi Race was among the highest in the history of Turkish horse racing. Hulusi Çil, the owner of the winning filly “Cutha,” received a first-prize bonus of 30 million Turkish lira. Including registration fees, installment payments, and owner bonuses, his total earnings reached 46 million 335 thousand lira. If the owner is also the breeder, the breeder’s bonus is added, bringing the total prize to 55 million 335 thousand lira.

Prizes were distributed as follows: 12 million lira for second place, 6 million lira for third, 3 million lira for fourth, and 1.5 million lira for fifth. A total of 52 million 500 thousand lira in prize money was awarded. These figures highlight the scale of Turkey’s horse racing economy and the central role of the Gazi Race within this ecosystem.

Ahmet Çelik’s Place in Racing History

With his victory aboard “Cutha” in the 99th Gazi Race, Ahmet Çelik achieved his eighth win in this event. Previously, Çelik broke the record for consecutive wins by claiming seven straight Gazi Race victories from 2015 to 2021. This latest triumph has cemented his name in the annals of Turkish racing. His earlier wins came with “Renk” (2015), “Graystorm” (2016), “Piano Sonata” (2017), “Hep Beraber” (2018), “The Last Romance” (2019), “Call To Victory” (2020), and “Burgas” (2021). He did not win in 2022, 2023, or 2024, but returned to victory in 2025 with “Cutha.”

With this win, Çelik has drawn close to the record held by Mümin Çılgın, who won the Gazi Race nine times between 1960 and 1991, making him the most successful jockey in the race’s history.

Ahmet Çelik and His Family – Anadolu Agency

Participant Comments and Assessments

In post-race statements, Ahmet Çelik emphasized that the competition was extremely tough and highly competitive. He noted that all the fillies had equal chances and that his strategy had been to conserve the horse’s strength until the final straight, a plan that succeeded perfectly. Despite a protest lodged by one of the rivals after the race, he maintained that no unfair advantage had been gained.

Hulusi Çil, the owner of the horse, stated in his remarks that although they had won many races before, the Gazi Race had remained an unfulfilled goal in their collection, and this victory completed that missing piece. Trainer Yaşar Demir also celebrated the team’s success by accepting his award during the ceremony.

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak also issued a written message congratulating the organizers and the winners of the race.