Local ‘Epsom’ of ‘Little England’ on April 13,18

Richard Dwight

The horses will enter the paddock to trot around and, then move over to be under starters orders, and will be out in a flash to keep speeding along to round the bend onto the homestretch and into the straight, to head for the winning post.

Exciting and thrilling as the prospects are, undoubtedly this will be the normal form, when the thoroughbred horses set ablaze the nine furlong N’Eliya Race Course track on April 13 and 18 with there being eight races on each of the two days.

However, the Nuwara Eliya horse racing season commenced on April 4, and served as a forerunner to the races scheduled for April 13 and 18.

Horse racing in that Ceylonese age had a proud history of its own and, has now however come to be established in Sri Lanka, through the annual holding of horse racing at Nuwara Eliya, during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holiday season in April.

Through the years the races have been so well arranged, planned and conducted to always be an improvement on the previous year. So much so, that it has with time, earned the sobriquet ‘Epsom’ of Sri Lanka’s little England (N’Eliya).

The sport of Kings, horse racing, will be one among other events being organized for the holiday season in N’Eliya and many there would be from down south getting away from the hustle and bustle, the heat and madding crowd to be in salubrious, chilly climes of the hills, to take in all the fun, frolic and entertainment and, watch as well as the pounding hoofs of the horses as they keep galloping away to win races.

Much therefore is being done by the new elected committee headed by this year’s President, Gamini Jayaratne, the Secretary, Raj Weeraratne, Treasurer, Anuka Soza and the Chairman Board of Stewards, Rajan Sellamuttu.

Jayaratne, addressing the media at a briefing held at the ‘Capri’ on Tuesday evening on the forthcoming horse races, gave a brief narrative of the history of horse racing in Sri Lanka and emphasised that the exercise is not so much a gambling occasion, but a much looked forward to social that goes to promote tourism.

Sellamuttu was of the view that the N’Eliya races get better each yer and, this year promises to be the best of them all.

There will in addition be another competition of sorts to lend colour and glamour when gifts will be awarded to the well dressed lady (Best Filly) the well dressed Gent (Best Stallion) and the Best Hat worn by a lady.

The races on both days April 13 and 18 will commence at 10.00 a.m. and close around 3.00 p.m. with a card of eight races each. There is a wide array of trophies, some of the large sized handsome trophies have been specially got down from Dubai. The blue ribbon event will undoubtedly be the Governor’s Cup sponsored by Mobitel.

This race will be the highlight on April 13, which will also feature the Queen’s Cup sponsored by George Steuarts. The Sunquick Cup for Class I sponsored by Scan Industries will be held on April 18, the entire day’s arrangements and proceedings will be sponsored by Scan Brands.

The other trophies on offer will be Mackwoods, Labukelle Cup sponsored by Agalawatte Plantations, Sumathi Cup (Sumathi Group) Sporting Times Trophy (E.W. Balasuriya and Co) the SAC Shums Cup (Shums and Company Ltd) and as well the Assistance of Kingfisher.

This year’s special feature is the new Grand Hotel Cup, which is being sponsored by the Turf Club as a special appreciation to the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya for its unstinted support in catering services and all round excellence in service to the Club throughout the year.