Brace up for an exciting weekend
Bangalore gets the privilege of hosting the Indian Turf Invitation Cup races over this weekend. The Indian Turf Invitation Cup weekend races are the most eagerly looked forward to event in the Indian Racing Calendar. The best performed horses in the country are nominated 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 professionals as well.
Great champions have enormous sense of pride. Horses and people who shape them to excel are driven to show the world and prove to themselves just how good they are. The tag that this race carries as being a champion of champions is what makes this race such a fascinating race. Each of the champions has his or her tale to tell of overcoming many a handicap in pursuit of glory. Champions are something special, with rare brilliance and last minute stamina, and an ability to be a little faster than the rest and a strong will to win.
There has been demand to change the Invitation Cup race into a weight for age race without penalties but the same has been resisted. Many compromises like having a separate race for four year olds and over was mooted to be held on December 25 last year but the plan is t yet to be executed though this has been accepted in principle. In the meanwhile, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club which will be hosting the next year’s Invitation Cup authorities have expressed that they would not like to be part of the Invitation Cup in the existing format after they host the event next year. With Madras Race Club not sending a single horse to participate in the meet, the Invitation Cup may see changes over the next cycle. The Invitation Cup weekend has provided an opportunity for enthusiastic race-goers from all over the country to congregate at different centres each year and they wish the existing format to be continued with acceptable changes.
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. The Invitation Cup weekend races are rotated annually to be held at five different venues and as such, every centre gets to host the event once in five years. 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. Bangalore Turf Club is all geared to host a grand spectacle despite the syces agitation very nearly threatening to play spoilsport. The situation, though tense, appears to be under control for the moment.
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.
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. S Padmanabhan have won this event thrice. Padmanabhan is the only trainer to have won this event as an owner as well through Running Flame. Wally Swinburn, Sandy Barclay and Richard Hughes, all 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. Epsom Derby winning jockey Martin Dwyer, who won this event on Zurbaran at Hyderabad, has an excellent chance of winning this race yet again on wonder filly In The Spotlight who has won three Derbys, including the success in Indian Derby in spectacular fashion. The local race goers get a chance to watch this filly in action as after winning her maiden success in July 31, the filly has travelled the length of the country, taking the plums in great style.
Since the Invitation Cup comes in March by which time the fillies would have had a taxing campaign, just ten fillies have won this race since its inception. Interestingly, Own Beauty, Forest Flame, Running Flame, Sweeping Success and Moonlight Dancer 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, Southern Regent and Moonlight Romance are the Indian Derby winners who followed it up with an Invitation Cup victory. Whether In The Spotlight joins this elite league remains to be seen.
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 people who have made immense contribution to the sport are also inducted into Hall of Fame. This year Vasant Shinde, India’s celebrated jockey, will get that honour. Dr M A M Ramaswamy is the leading race horse owner and his retained trainer gets the champion trainer award yet again. Poonawalla Stud Farm is the leading nursery while jockey Pradeep Chouhan who has enjoyed great success at Hyderabad and Bangalore is the champion jockey. Though the system of nominating the winners of these awards is flawed, the Turf Authorities of India don’t have the courage or conviction to ring in the changes to honour the real champions based on success all over India.
Great champions have enormous sense of pride. Horses and people who shape them to excel are driven to show the world and prove to themselves just how good they are. The tag that this race carries as being a champion of champions is what makes this race such a fascinating race. Each of the champions has his or her tale to tell of overcoming many a handicap in pursuit of glory. Champions are something special, with rare brilliance and last minute stamina, and an ability to be a little faster than the rest and a strong will to win.
There has been demand to change the Invitation Cup race into a weight for age race without penalties but the same has been resisted. Many compromises like having a separate race for four year olds and over was mooted to be held on December 25 last year but the plan is t yet to be executed though this has been accepted in principle. In the meanwhile, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club which will be hosting the next year’s Invitation Cup authorities have expressed that they would not like to be part of the Invitation Cup in the existing format after they host the event next year. With Madras Race Club not sending a single horse to participate in the meet, the Invitation Cup may see changes over the next cycle. The Invitation Cup weekend has provided an opportunity for enthusiastic race-goers from all over the country to congregate at different centres each year and they wish the existing format to be continued with acceptable changes.
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. The Invitation Cup weekend races are rotated annually to be held at five different venues and as such, every centre gets to host the event once in five years. 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. Bangalore Turf Club is all geared to host a grand spectacle despite the syces agitation very nearly threatening to play spoilsport. The situation, though tense, appears to be under control for the moment.
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.
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. S Padmanabhan have won this event thrice. Padmanabhan is the only trainer to have won this event as an owner as well through Running Flame. Wally Swinburn, Sandy Barclay and Richard Hughes, all 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. Epsom Derby winning jockey Martin Dwyer, who won this event on Zurbaran at Hyderabad, has an excellent chance of winning this race yet again on wonder filly In The Spotlight who has won three Derbys, including the success in Indian Derby in spectacular fashion. The local race goers get a chance to watch this filly in action as after winning her maiden success in July 31, the filly has travelled the length of the country, taking the plums in great style.
Since the Invitation Cup comes in March by which time the fillies would have had a taxing campaign, just ten fillies have won this race since its inception. Interestingly, Own Beauty, Forest Flame, Running Flame, Sweeping Success and Moonlight Dancer 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, Southern Regent and Moonlight Romance are the Indian Derby winners who followed it up with an Invitation Cup victory. Whether In The Spotlight joins this elite league remains to be seen.
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 people who have made immense contribution to the sport are also inducted into Hall of Fame. This year Vasant Shinde, India’s celebrated jockey, will get that honour. Dr M A M Ramaswamy is the leading race horse owner and his retained trainer gets the champion trainer award yet again. Poonawalla Stud Farm is the leading nursery while jockey Pradeep Chouhan who has enjoyed great success at Hyderabad and Bangalore is the champion jockey. Though the system of nominating the winners of these awards is flawed, the Turf Authorities of India don’t have the courage or conviction to ring in the changes to honour the real champions based on success all over India.
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