Horse Racing kicks-off the season with style in Nuwara Eliya

The Turf Club of Sri Lanka is all ready to set ablaze the Nuwara Eliya Race Course tracks with its much-awaited Races this Avurudu Season.

 

 

With a grand history that dates back to 1840, horse-racing in Sri Lankahas been kept alive and kicking by the efforts of the Turf Club to make every year a resounding success. This year promises to be the best of them all with the participation of more thoroughbreds and passionate horse-owners. Over 45 thoroughbreds of excellent bloodlines will be ridden by local and Indian jockeys all vying for the glittering trophies awaiting the winners.

 

 

Roundly acknowledged as the ‘Epsom’ of Sri Lanka, the annual Nuwara Eliya Races presented by the Turf Club undoubtedly is the highlight and buzz-word for breathtaking excitement and thrills for not only sportsmen, but for all who throng Sri Lanka’s ‘Little

England’ during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holiday season.

 

 

This year’s Governor’s Cup competition promises to be a thrilling one. With last two years champion Double Eagle in good form aiming to make a hat trick of wins equalling the record set by “Sandy’s Queen” in 1994. He will however be put under severe pressure by the speedy “Sulanga” who is enjoying the best form of her career. Also in the hunt will be this year’s Independence Cup winner “Red Key Point” and Sri Lanka’s long distance expert “Aerobee”. “High & Mighty” will be the unknown quantity running in this race and many experts believe a powerful run by the Chestnut colt could upset the fovourites.

 

 

The “Queen’s Cup” featured on the 24th will have the cream of the Class II thoroughbreds vying for this prestigious cup over a distance of 10 furlongs and we feel that the two new Geldings “Strength to Succeed” and “Attorney” will battle this race out.

 

 

The “Sunquick Cup” too will be run in the Class I category and will be keenly contested by the thoroughbreds in that class. Amongst the trophies, the blue ribbon event will undoubtedly be the Governor’s Cup sponsored by DFCC & Vardhana Banks. This race will be the highlight on the 14th of April and the feature race on 24th will be the Queen’s cup sponsored by George Steuart & Company on the Company’s 175th Anniversary. The Sunquick Cup for Class I sponsored by Scan Industries will be held on 17th April followed by 5 other Cups also sponsored by CW Mackie & Company for the entire 17th.

 

 

Other Trophies on offer will be the “Mobitel Cup” (sponsored by Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd, “Mackwoods Labukelle Cup” (sponsored by Agalawatte Plantations PLC), “Sumathi Cup” (Sumathi Group), “Sporting Times Trophy” (E.W. Balasuriya & Co), “Lemonade

Trophy” (CeylonCold Stores), “Mannaperuma Cup (Mannaperuma Traders). The Turf Club themselves, will sponsor, as a special appreciation to the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya a trophy for the Hotel’s unstinted support in catering services and all round excellence in service to the club throughout the year. Other sponsors for the Races and events are as follows:

 

Special Sponsorships are given by Mr. Upali Jayasinghe and Wickramaratne Group of Companies. Multilac Paints sponsored the Club for the total requirement for the paints to repaint the club premises in Nuwara Eliya and would continue to supply us with paints as and when required, Premadasa Riding School is sponsoring the Giant TV screens with monitoring four cameras to cover every inch of the race.

 

 

The models for the fashion show will be sponsored by Mrs. Shanika Soza and the show itself will be conducted by Zsaid Images.

 

 

For the icing on the cake, the ‘Best Filly Contest (Ladies), ‘Best Stallion’ (Gents) and ‘Best Hat’ (Ladies) contest which will be held in international style on the l4th will walk away with handsome prizes from our sponsors.

 

 

With the season blossoming into its best, all roads will certainly lead to the Race Course in Nuwara Eliya this holiday season. So, reserve your dates for the races; jump the saddle and giddy-up for the action in ‘Little England’.