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Hats off to the Governor's Cup
By Hiranthi Fernando

The ‘most creative hat’- Rezani Aziz in a butterfly creation

The Nuwara Eliya Racecourse had a festive air on April 14, gaily decked in colourful flags and bunting as an eager gathering of people from all walks of life thronged the course for the Sri Lankan Airlines Governor's Cup 2004.

The Governor's Cup has been one of the most prestigious events in the Sri Lankan racing calendar for the past five decades. The sponsorship of this race by SriLankan Airlines, for the past several years has added much colour and glamour to this event, one of the seasonal highlights in the hill resort of Nuwara Eliya, recapturing the past glory of turf racing of the pre 1970's era.

Fifty journalists from overseas graced the event on the invitation of SriLankan Airlines. The invitees included travel writers, sports writers and some specialists in horse racing, representing newspapers, TV and life style magazines. The guests were accommodated in a special box with a marquee laid out with refreshments, including champagne.

Trendy attire and incredibly original hats were the order of the day. Prizes were presented for the Most Elegant Filly, Most Debonair Gentleman and the Most Creative Hat.

A superbly presented fashion show, backed by good music was a highlight of the day. It was back to bygone days based on the musical 'Thoroughly Modern Millie', now running in London. Dancers from 'With My Feet', kept one’s feet tapping. The costumes and choreography for this entertaining show were by Lou Chin Wong.

Then came the main event, the Governor's Cup, which many a thoroughbred horse owner dreams of winning. There was great excitement as the spectators watched the horses racing, seemingly neck to neck, round the track.

Finally the coveted Sri Lankan Airlines trophy was won by Crowning Star, owned by Gamini Jayaratna and ridden by jockey Sharat Kumar. The trophy was presented to the proud winner by CEO SriLankan Airlines Peter Hil.

"Since last year, we have used the Governor's Cup sponsorship to introduce foreign media to Sri Lanka," said Ruvini Jayasinghe, Media Relations Manager, Sri Lankan Airlines. " By inviting them to events sponsored by SriLankan Airlines, we are trying to give them an opportunity of seeing the country and enjoying Sri Lankan hospitality. It is an indirect promotion of the country."

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