RTC dedicate cup in memory of the late Ranjit Dahanayake on March 31
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In honour of their deceased committee member and horse racing enthusiast Ranjit Dahanayake, the Royal Turf Club (RTC) has dedicated one of its main races of the RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup, on March 31, to his memory.
Accordingly the winner of the Thoroughbred Class II race of the RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup will earn the Ranjit Dahanayake Memorial Cup, and a few well known runners will eye to grab the honoured trophy. Among the Class II runners Areca Wonder, Captain Haddock, Chul Bul Pandy, Celestial Fire, Ice Mint and Brilliant Cup will be the top contenders, turning the race into an exciting battle among the best.
While the cynosure of next Sunday’s raceday falls on the Thoroughbred Class I race, the race for the Ranjit Dahanayake Memorial Cup too could easily generate interest among the followers.
Ranjit Dahanayake played a pivotal role for RTC
“Mr. (Ranjit) Dahanayake was a great diplomat and a negotiator. That was one of his talents and qualities, which he inculcated in his business in the early 1980s in Sri Lanka. He participated in many gentlemen rider events and races. Mr. Dahanayake was one time President of Equestrian Association of Sri Lanka and a life member of Sri Lanka Turf Club. He was invited to be a part of RTC as a Committee Member, where he was active until his demise. He played an active role as a Committee Member in Royal Turf Club activities,” the RTC, issuing a press release, stated.
With just a week away from the first raceday of RTC, it is making all necessary groundwork to conduct a memorable race on March 31 at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya. To make the raceday more exciting, the RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup will include a total of five races.
The organisers are yet to reveal the exact lineup, but customarily the races are lined up beginning from the Class IV event, in which nine horses are expected to run. The Class III race will also include nine runners while the Class II race for the Ranjit Dahanayake Memorial Cup will have a maximum of 11 competitors.
The main event, the Class I race will be run as the fourth race of the day and is expected to feature 11 runners. Alcazaba, the unbeaten horse owned by Deepthika Jayakody will be closely challenged by two others who have constantly been finishing close to the 8-year-old frequent winner. The two expected to dish out challenges are Meheran, owned by Hasanga Jayaratne — the runner who clinched the RTC Magic Million Cup two seasons ago — Parshuram and Baashagar. The RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup will come to a close with the Class V race, where 13 runners are listed in.
“We conducted a Mock Race last weekend in Nuwara Eliya, at a distance of 1400metres, where 22 horses participated from the yard of six trainers. The Mock Race is an official trial held both as an aid to training, with the intention of testing a horse’s tractability at the starting gates, soundness and suitability to race or continue to race. The horses stabled in Nuwara Eliya have not raced for almost over 10 months and we are quite relieved of the behaviour of the horses. After three such Mock Races, the confidence is high on their performances next Sunday,” Nishitha Rupasinghe, the Treasurer of RTC, stated.
Following the March 31 raceday, which acts as a forerunner, RTC will conduct its two remaining mega events during the April Holidays — the RTC Governor’s Cup and the RTC Magic Million Cup. On April 15, a day after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, RTC will hold the ever popular 148th Governor’s Cup and Queen’s Cup on the same day followed by the RTC Magic Million on April 21.
Presently the RTC is also negotiating with other countries from the Asian region to send horses and jockeys for the three racedays, which will be held within four weeks. According to RTC officials, talks are more in favour of the three racedays featuring foreign runners and handlers.