High quality action expected over the weekend
The Indian Turf Invitation Cup weekend races are the most eagerly looked forward to event in the Indian Racing Calendar. The best horses in the country are invited to participate in the race to decide the champion of champions. While the Indian Derby has unrivalled glamour, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup has held its own fascination for race horse owners and the professionals as well. The winner of this race also used to get the additional tag of being declared the Horse of the Year by the Turf Authorities of India which has since been changed. The award is now given based on points and Icebreaker who was owned by Capt Jamshed J Appoo in partnership with the Poonawallas is the first horse to win under the new system.
The Indian Turf Invitation Cup was first run in 1963 at Mahalaxmi. Designed as a championship event over the classic distance of 2400 metres, the race was programmed to rotate annually among the three turf authorities of India that were existing when this race was first run. With Bangalore and Hyderabad also becoming independent turf authorities soon after, the race is now rotated annually to be held at five different venues and as such, every centre gets to host the event once in five years. As such there is great enthusiasm on the part of each turf authority to better the other in terms of the way the races are conducted as also the social get-togethers that go with it. RWITC will be hosting the event after a gap of six years and the weekend racing (March 6 & &) will see record prize being distributed. The title sponsor for the weekend is racing the Vandrevala Foundation.
In the initial years, the race was sponsored by the makers of cigarettes but following the government mandated ban on sponsorship from these companies, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup is now jointly sponsored by the five Turf Authorities of India. Over the years, the Invitation Cup expanded into two-day Racing Carnival with a number of races added to make it the best sporting action in India. Since the Invitation Cup is for four year olds only, no horse can hope to win it more than once unlike the other three Grade I events of the week where there is no such restriction. In recent years there has been a clamor to make the Indian Turf Invitation Cup as a weight for age race so that the best of each generation compete against each other. However, the proposal has not found favour and the Indian Turf Invitation Cup continues to be restricted to four year olds only.
Trainer Rashid Byramji has dominated the Invitation Cup with a dozen wins to his credit including three hat-tricks. Imtiaz Sait won this event on three consecutive occasions at Mumbai through Charon, Exhilaration and Super Brave. Ganapathy is another who has won this race four years in a row through Southern Regent, Mystical, Southern Empire and Sweeping Success. Aris David and S Padmanabhan have won this event twice. Padmanabhan is the only trainer to have won this event as an owner as well through Running Flame. Among the jockeys Pesi Shroff has won this event seven times and is now bidding to win as a trainer through his wonder filly Jacqueline .who has won four Indian classics in a row. Wally Swinburn and Sandy Barclay, both foreign jockeys, and B Prakash have won this race on three occasions while Val Faggotter, M Jagdish, Vasant Shinde and Lloyd Marshall have won this race twice.
Since the Invitation Cup comes in March by which time the fillies would have had a taxing campaign, just nine fillies have won this race since its inception. Interestingly, Own Beauty, Forest Flame, Running Flame and Sweeping Success were the fillies who have won this race in the last 20 odd years. Red Rufus, Bright Hanovar, Prince Khartoum, Topmost, Comanche, Squanderer, Manitou, Track Lightning, Almanac, Revelation, Chaitanya Chakram, Exhilaration, Desert Warrior, Elusive Pimpernel, Smart Chieftain, Storm Again and Southern Regent are the Indian Derby winners who followed up with an Invitation Cup victory.
The Invitation Cup weekend has been embellished by the running of Gr 1 Sprinters Cup, Gr 1 Stayers Cup and Gr 1 Super Mile besides several multi-million races. While racing holds centre stage, the mandatory parties and cultural shows have also gained importance with every turf club vying to outdo the other in terms of hospitality and entertainment. The Racing Awards are also given during the Invitation Cup weekend to champion stud farm, champion race horse owner, champion jockey and champion trainer. Racing administrators who have made immense contribution to the sport are also inducted into Hall of Fame.
The Indian Turf Invitation Cup was first run in 1963 at Mahalaxmi. Designed as a championship event over the classic distance of 2400 metres, the race was programmed to rotate annually among the three turf authorities of India that were existing when this race was first run. With Bangalore and Hyderabad also becoming independent turf authorities soon after, the race is now rotated annually to be held at five different venues and as such, every centre gets to host the event once in five years. As such there is great enthusiasm on the part of each turf authority to better the other in terms of the way the races are conducted as also the social get-togethers that go with it. RWITC will be hosting the event after a gap of six years and the weekend racing (March 6 & &) will see record prize being distributed. The title sponsor for the weekend is racing the Vandrevala Foundation.
In the initial years, the race was sponsored by the makers of cigarettes but following the government mandated ban on sponsorship from these companies, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup is now jointly sponsored by the five Turf Authorities of India. Over the years, the Invitation Cup expanded into two-day Racing Carnival with a number of races added to make it the best sporting action in India. Since the Invitation Cup is for four year olds only, no horse can hope to win it more than once unlike the other three Grade I events of the week where there is no such restriction. In recent years there has been a clamor to make the Indian Turf Invitation Cup as a weight for age race so that the best of each generation compete against each other. However, the proposal has not found favour and the Indian Turf Invitation Cup continues to be restricted to four year olds only.
Trainer Rashid Byramji has dominated the Invitation Cup with a dozen wins to his credit including three hat-tricks. Imtiaz Sait won this event on three consecutive occasions at Mumbai through Charon, Exhilaration and Super Brave. Ganapathy is another who has won this race four years in a row through Southern Regent, Mystical, Southern Empire and Sweeping Success. Aris David and S Padmanabhan have won this event twice. Padmanabhan is the only trainer to have won this event as an owner as well through Running Flame. Among the jockeys Pesi Shroff has won this event seven times and is now bidding to win as a trainer through his wonder filly Jacqueline .who has won four Indian classics in a row. Wally Swinburn and Sandy Barclay, both foreign jockeys, and B Prakash have won this race on three occasions while Val Faggotter, M Jagdish, Vasant Shinde and Lloyd Marshall have won this race twice.
Since the Invitation Cup comes in March by which time the fillies would have had a taxing campaign, just nine fillies have won this race since its inception. Interestingly, Own Beauty, Forest Flame, Running Flame and Sweeping Success were the fillies who have won this race in the last 20 odd years. Red Rufus, Bright Hanovar, Prince Khartoum, Topmost, Comanche, Squanderer, Manitou, Track Lightning, Almanac, Revelation, Chaitanya Chakram, Exhilaration, Desert Warrior, Elusive Pimpernel, Smart Chieftain, Storm Again and Southern Regent are the Indian Derby winners who followed up with an Invitation Cup victory.
The Invitation Cup weekend has been embellished by the running of Gr 1 Sprinters Cup, Gr 1 Stayers Cup and Gr 1 Super Mile besides several multi-million races. While racing holds centre stage, the mandatory parties and cultural shows have also gained importance with every turf club vying to outdo the other in terms of hospitality and entertainment. The Racing Awards are also given during the Invitation Cup weekend to champion stud farm, champion race horse owner, champion jockey and champion trainer. Racing administrators who have made immense contribution to the sport are also inducted into Hall of Fame.
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