RTC to offer two new features during April horseracing season

A jockey bursts into the lead in action from a past race

The Royal Turf Club (RTC) expects to introduce two features which will benefit horseracing in the long run as it hopes to come out with the best-ever April horseracing season when its holiday month races begin on 2 April  at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya. 

The RTC’s Selvaratnam Challenge Trophy will be first of the three races lined up for Sunday, 2 April, with two more race days - the Magic Million Cup and the RTC Governor’s Cup – slated to take place on Sunday, 16 April and Saturday, 29 April.  

In addition to these three races, the RTC will come out with two new features to its setup - a Pony Welfare Raffle Draw and the much-looked-forward to Equine Ambulance - which is being held at the Nuwara Eliya Racecourse. RTC President Panduka Keerthinanda stated that the additions and improvements were highly anticipated at a time when the sport was striving to regain its past glory with an important place afforded to animal welfare.

“We are always highly concerned about the welfare of the horses. That’s the very reason why we have kept the doors open for the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) to conduct doping tests on the horses. That has been a regular practice since the RTC was formed a couple of years ago. The RTC is pleased that its energetic set of officials has worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of the horses. We have an equine hospital within the premises of the racecourse and for immediate treatment the RTC has finally managed to bring down the much-awaited Equine Ambulance, which is a first-ever in Sri Lanka,” Keerthinanda stated.

The Equine Ambulance will be active from 2 April to attend to horses which may sustain injuries during races. To assist in the process, the RTC has obtained the services of Dr. Jayachandra Balaji, a well-known veterinarian from India. In addition to the continuous projects to uplift the health and living standards of the horses, the RTC has come out with another plan to see to the welfare of the ponies. 

“The RTC is of the view that not only the rich and able but the poor and striving too can play a major role in making this holiday season a memorable one for those who visit Nuwara Eliya. There are around 200 ponies in the area and most of them are used in and around the vicinity of the racecourse to provide rides for visitors. A lot of families remain dependant on ponies, but these animals are not well-treated. The idea of the Pony Welfare Raffle Draw is to generate funds in order to help these animals and their owners when it comes to nutrition and medical treatment. We consider this as our duty too,” Keerthinanda added. 

Action from the races

The Equine Ambulance

The Pony Welfare Raffle and the Equine Ambulance will make their debut on 2 April  at the Selvaratnam Challenge Trophy, which will be the main race come Sunday. The 1,600-metre race is a Class I handicap battle with most of the top thoroughbred horses on the local circuit expected to battle it out. According to Keerthinanda, the Selvaratnam Challenge Trophy will be an annual race sponsored by the Selvaratnam family, now domiciled in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Selvaratnam Trophy is dedicated to renowned jockey turned trainer Renga Selvaratnam. 

“One of Renga’s (Selvaratnam) family members Chavez contacted the RTC stating that they were keen about getting involved with Sri Lanka horseracing. Renga was a well-respected jockey and trainer way back in the 1970s and early 1980s before he took off to Pakistan in the mid-1980s. From there he moved to the UAE and became a top trainer and his family continues to dominate the Dubai horseracing circuit at different levels in the equine field. RTC is really pleased to oblige to their request of sponsoring a trophy,” he stated. 

On 2 April, the Selvaratnams - Gopi, Dhruba, Karthi and Chavez - are expected to be present at the racecourse in Nuwara Eliya to present the Challenge Trophy. From the foursome, Dhruba is reputed among trainers in Dubai and is one of the trainers appointed by the renowned Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the youngest son of the ruler of the UAE. 

Over the years Dhruba has worked with many famous horseracing legends including the likes of Lester Piggot, Bret Doyle, Jonny Murtagh and Willie Supple. He has had numerous successes including winning six out of seven races at a single meeting - with jockey Willie Supple riding five of them - and holds the record of being the trainer with the most number of wins at the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The Selvaratnam Challenge Trophy, a race that promises handsome cash awards for winners, will be followed by the Magic Million race day on 16 April and the RTC Governors’ Cup on 29 April.