After several years of debate and resistance, the Gr 1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup has finally been thrown open to four year olds and over. The Invitation Cup race has always been one of the premier events of Indian racing calendar and enjoyed the pride of place though often it ended up as a repeat running of the Indian Derby. After 50 years, the Turf Authorities of India have finally decided to make it a weight for age without penalties race.
We should not judge whether the decision is right or wrong by the running of this year’s ace alone. The race is sure to evolve over the next few years. The turf authorities also could try and promote this event in a bigger way by making the stake money even more attractive so there is temptation to keep the champions of previous year in racing. A top class performing filly is usual retired at the end of the Invitation Cup or campaigned abroad in the hope of greater glory. The other thing that the turf authorities of India could do is to allow international horses to compete in this race to boost the level of competition and to increase the value of this race in every aspect.
We have often heard the statement that this year’s crop is inferior to the previous years. This statement is being made year after year giving one the belief that we are deteriorating in our standards! It is not so. Horses are attaining their physical maturity over a period of time. Unlike in the past when conditions were different and possibly due to widespread use of medication, horses outperformed their physical maturity. Since there are greater restrictions in place and possibly may the reason why one gets this feeling that the previous year’s horses were superior. We have heard this statement even in the year when the great Jacqueline and Becket raced. The same was repeated when In The Spotlight, Smashing and Toroloco raced.
Internationally, horses make their debut as two year olds as early as April but in India, we have races for two year olds from November onwards. The RWITC has been conducting races for juveniles in the month of October for the last couple of years though the response hasn’t been great. In Bangalore two year olds races are held from December onwards only and we rarely see division of races meant for juveniles. The races for juveniles pick up momentum only during the summer months. We have set a new trend of having races meant for three year old maidens at a time when they are about turn into four years of age!
There are several reasons for the retarded growth of these horses. For one, they reach the stables of trainers very late and they come as raw products. In Bangalore, the stabling problem and the need to accommodate outstation horses to participate in the summer season had resulted in two year olds coming in as late as August and hence their progress was compromised. However, this year things have changed slightly with about 50 per cent of total number of two year olds that would be accommodated in Bangalore being allowed to enter now. Still is not a happy situation.
The stud farms haven’t helped matters because they don’t break in the two year olds. Only a few stud farms like Hazara Stud Farm and Kunigal Stud Farm have the two year olds go through their pace and even have exposure to the gate as well. As such, we have seen the two year olds races are dominated by the produce of these stud farms. The other stud farms also have facility of a training track but the juveniles are rarely put in training for fear of any setback before the sale.
The time has come for the stud farms to set up training facilities, have their yearlings start their training programme and get them ready to race by the time they reach the stables of the trainers. This way we can ensure that two year olds make their debut early and don’t have wait for November or beyond. Their racing career also thus becomes an extended one. Horses are meant to run and to be stabled all the time. We have seen horses make their debut as late as five and more than 50 per cent of them will turn into four or five without winning a single race.
The Invitation Cup will see older and younger horses race together for the first time. However, they will not be competing at level weights as is the case with races of this nature internationally. The four year olds will enjoy a pull of four kgs in the Invitation Cup. The difference of weights between older and younger horses in the other invitational races is different. It is 2.5 kgs in Sprinters Cup, 3 kgs in Super Mile and 5 kgs in the Stayers Cup. It is believed that one kg of weight will make a difference of a length among horses of equal merit over trips beyond a mile.
With In the Spotlight being campaigned at Dubai and Smashing rendered hors de combat, Toroloco who was the best of his generation is sure to enjoy a clear advantage for the simple reason that the four year olds, though not lacking in talent, may take a while before reach their best level of performance achievable through their physical maturity. The Dubai World Cup has seen horses which would have placed in the previous year coming back and winning next time out. This may well become the trend in the Invitation Cup as well.
The two day racing at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club premises on Saturday and Sunday promises plenty of exciting action. The turf club which was struggling a decade ago has turned the corner and has done a fantastic job in the last few years. The heritage structure has been given a face left and the club has been able to attract race goers back to the race course with the average attendance, according to Robin Corner, the man at the helm of racing matters, putting it at 5000.
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