Royal Turf Club launched, promotes sports tourism
The Royal Turf Club (RTC) Nuwara Eliya was launched on Tuesday geared to promoting horse racing in Sri Lanka to its “highest level” that is expected to lure tourists to witness a numberof events scheduled from March this year. The newly-launched club is set to herald a new phase in horse racing in the country with a view to reviving the age-old sport that was first introduced in the 1840s by John Baker, with the inaugural race held at the Nuwara Eliya Race Course in 1875. With a view to generating an interest in thoroughbred racing in Sri Lanka the RTC Nuwara Eliya would be attracting many tourists who come to watch horse racing at the highest level, the club’s first Stipendiary Stewards CEO and Chairman Wayne Wood said at a media briefing held at the The Stables, Park Street Mews this week. A Stipendiary Steward’s role ensures all races are run smoothly and within the rules of racing at all meetings.
Mr. Wood, an Australian, is a respected member of the international racing community having held the position of Royal Western India Turf Club in Mumbai Chief Integrity Steward and most recently as the Bangalore Turf Club Racing and Chief Stipendiary Steward Director. In 1910, the then Governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry Edward McCallum inaugurated the prestigious Governor’s Cup as well as the Queen’s Cup. During the early 1950s Ceylon horse racing was at its peak and in fact took pride of place in the entire region. Mr. Wood noted that manipulation of horse racing rules and misconduct on the race course, where doping of horses and other unethical practices held sway, was now a thing of the past. RTC has been involved in making arrangements to conduct horse racing in Sri Lanka as one of the premier sports, adhering to international standards, the club stated adding that their motto is “Horse racing at the highest level.”
RTC is headed by Suranjith Premadasa, President of the RTC and office bearers of RTC are: Secretary Lucille Dahanayake and Treasurer Nishitha Rupasinghe and Committee comprising Ranjith Dahanayaka, Ms. Nihara Jayatilleke and Sudarshana Deshapriya. The forthcoming 2016 season in Nuwara Eliya will see the first race held on March 20 and later events are scheduled for April, August, September, October, November and December. It was pointed out that the RTC had invested heavily in developing the infrastructure at the Nuwara Eliya racecourse which was owned by the Sports Ministry since 2000 and has been managed by the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority. In this respect, the RTC has carried out renovating the track and replacing the track railings, renovating the Grand Stand, Steward Room, Jockey’s Rooms, as well as all other Race Course buildings that required extensive repairs.
The RTC has also drawn up plans for a programme of development activities over the next two years in partnership with foreign investors, to make Sri Lanka and Nuwara Eliya a racing hub for the region. Mr. Wood also said they have plans to educate young riders, carry out a compliance programme for animal welfare and drug control programme for horses. In addition, he noted that they would also be training new riders and helping them appreciate the event of horse racing and ensure that this sport will become attractive and bring down more overseas licensed riders. The RTC would also seek to join the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) and promote sports tourism to attract increasing number of visitors to the country. Mr. Wood told the Business Times that they had already received interest from countries like Australia, Mauritius, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
He also noted that joining the ARF would increase their profile on the international sphere in the horse racing sport that would ensure more people would be attracted to participate at events in Sri Lanka. Another veteran in the field, Sinclair Marshall is joining the RTC as its Thoroughbred Riding Instructor and Stipendiary Steward who has ridden eight Derby winners, while he was Champion Jockey on several occasions in Bombay, Pune, Madras and Mysore Turf Clubs. He told the Business Times that in the 1950s when he had visited the country horse racing in the country was at the highest level and pointed out that it could be revived and brought to an ultimate dream. Mr. Marshall held the position of Stipendiary Steward and Riding Instructor and track-work jockey at the Bangalore Turf Club until the time of this appointment in Sri Lanka. He has ridden in both the UK and Macau, for a brief stint, riding 983 winners out of around 4000 rides and has ridden eight Derby winners across the country and several 1000.