Prominent Tracks for India's Horse Racing Enthusiasts to Follow
Cricket is without a doubt the most popular sport in India. Hundreds of millions of fans watch the IPL each year, and many more play the game for fun with their peers. However, it is not the only popular sport, as India excels in many other disciplines.
One of them is horse racing, which has been popular in India for more than 200 years. While races are thought to have taken place before 1777, the first fixed racetrack in India was built in Madras.
Many aspects of Indian horse racing are replicated in other countries. The country has a national "studbook" that registers the pedigree of all thoroughbred racehorses in India, with only those horses whose genealogy is registered being authorized to compete. Most other countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, follow this approach.
Horse race betting popularity in India and worldwide has increased, with many betting enthusiasts looking for horse racing odds and opportunities to bet on several racing events. In addition, India boasts several high-quality racecourses with significant histories that stage major national races.
The Bangalore Turf Club
The Bangalore Turf Club, located on Race Course Road in Bangalore city, hosts races in summer (May to August) and winter (November to April). The club holds regular practice sessions for members and is regarded as one of India's premier horse racing clubs.
The Bangalore Race Course is widely known for its unique oval shape with the primary surface made of turf, with a minor dirt track on the inside ring. It's a right-handed course with some challenges to navigate. This route offers a variety of grades, including 13-meter downhill part followed by an 11.5-meter ascent. With four strong turns and a relatively short straight, this is one of India's most exhilarating race circuits.
Madras Race Club
In 1777, the Madras Race Club first opened its doors. It is located in Guindy, Chennai, India, under the ownership of MRC. India's oldest racetrack was forced to close following Hyder Ali's invasion, which happened near Madras. In 1837, the modern-day Madras Race Club was established. When it comes to the financial and geopolitical ups and downs that this club has experienced, it has a long and illustrious history.
Hyderabad Race Club
Hyderabad Race Club was founded in 1868 by the current owners HRC. It is located in Malakpet, Hyderabad, Telangana, and was inaugurated by the 6th Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan in 1968. The Deccan Derby, President of India Gold Club, and Nizam's Gold Cup are some of the prominent races held on the flat track.
Seasonal races are held here, with monsoon races from July to October and winter races from November to February. Nizam Asaf Jah VI rode the first horse in Hyderabad in 1868 at Moula-Ali. The races were formerly known as Deccan races before being renamed Hyderabad races. This club began operations in Secunderabad in 1961 and eventually relocated to Malakpet in 1968.
Royal Western India Turf Club
This club was the focal point for all horse racing in the then-province of modern-day Maharashtra. Founded in the year 1800, Royal Western India Turf Club now owns and operates the Mahalakshmi Race Course in Mumbai and the Pune Race Course. It has two seasons of racing. The Mahalakshmi Race Course in Mumbai, which also hosts the Indian Derby, is the first stop from November through April. In February, and again from July through October in the second phase in Pune.
The Royal Calcutta Turf Club
The Royal Calcutta Turf Club opened its doors on February 20, 1847, in British India's Calcutta (now Kolkata). It was considered the premier horse racing organization not only for British India, but also for the larger subcontinent. The club also doubled as a governing body that defined, commanded, and applied the rules for all horse racing that was being conducted as a sport at the time.
The club was beautified with an embedded grass course and gorgeous horses during its inauguration. Back in the day, the races held here were treated as a festival and were billed as one of the year's most significant social events. The Viceroy of India inaugurated the games, and the club hosted the world's greatest sweepstakes in the 1930s, the Calcutta Derby sweeps. It is now a private horse club that governs the Kolkata Race Course.
Delhi Turf Club
The Delhi Turf Club was opened in 1940. It caters to the horse-racing fans of Delhi and holds races on the city's racetrack. The racing events are usually held under the auspices of the Royal Western India Turf Club starting the second week of August all the way to the end of May annually. It is expected that the club will obtain its own regulatory body in the near future.