Royal Turf Club constructs new saddling paddock on Nuwara Eliya Racecourse

As the time approaches for the next race season which kicks off or rather gallops off on 6 August, the Royal Turf club is currently erecting a new saddling area.

The site selected is behind the current Jockey and Steward rooms on an area that had no visual appeal as it was a dumping ground for refuse. There will be 14 stalls and an additional four in an adjoining area for the collection of samples for drug testing by the Sri Lankan Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA). As per the April racing season SLADA will be in attendance at all race meetings conducted by the RTC. 

There are several advantages in relocating the saddling area to this position. First and foremost is that the racehorses once saddled will no longer be required to negotiate the narrow bridge over the stream running through the stable area. As in any high performance athlete, adrenalin starts to kick in once they know they are soon to compete. This is when a racehorse becomes excited and can be flighty.

“For the safety of patrons and the welfare of the horses they will now have direct access to the mounting paddock from the saddling area, avoiding any public space. This nullifies the risk of a horse getting away and endangering the lives of the public or injuring themselves,” said RTC CEO Wayne Wood.

The close proximity of the saddling area to the weighing room will further assist in the RTC running the races at the scheduled time. This is important as all races will be telecast live via Channel eye again this season commencing on Saturday 6 August.