In the beginning of the British Raj, Bengal was the principle focal point of intensity in India. Frontier armed force officials held the principal horse races in this piece of the nation as right on time as the last part of the 1700s in the city rural areas of Akra. When the new century rolled over, Viceroy Wellesley forced a brief prohibition on the game in India. In any case, by 1809, the game was back going all out, with the arrangement of the popular Bengal Jockeys Club and the moving of the race track to Maiden in Calcutta legitimate. Established in 1847, the two-mile Calcutta Derby Stakes was the greatest race around then. It inevitably advanced into the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Before the finish of the 1800s, the Calcutta Turf Club had become so lofty that it was considered the pre-famous establishment for horse hustling in the whole Indian subcontinent. This is excepting the western district, which went under the Bombay Turf Club. The club was formally given the "Regal" label when King George visited it for the second time in 1912-1913. During the 1920s and 30s, the Calcutta Derby was one of the greatest on the planet, with its all-out sweepstakes pool worth nearly £1 million in 1930. Around that equivalent time, the club emptied the Maiden grounds and moved to another office in Barrackpore. In any case, that move end up being a money related disappointment in the next decades and the RCTC at long last moved back to its Maiden home in 1954.
The Royal Calcutta Turf Club is situated in the city of Kolkata (some time ago Calcutta) in the territory of West Bengal. With a populace of 4.6 million, Kolkata is the greatest focal point of exchange, industry, and culture in the eastern piece of India. It is the capital of West Bengal and a significant riverine port on the Hooghly River. The noteworthy Maiden locale of Kolkata has been the home of horse hustling in the city for well more than 200 years. Situated on the banks of the stream Hooghly, the Maiden and the Turf Club is in the focal point of Kolkata. Russell Street interfaces the club to the remainder of the city. Milestones like the Eden Gardens cricket arena and the Victoria Memorial are near to the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club works the 153-section of land Maiden racecourse under a long-standing lease concurrence with the legislature. The Defense Ministry of India subsequently claims the grounds. The club offices are situated in the glorious Apcar House, a Palladian-style chateau from the mid nineteenth century. One of the fundamental attractions of the Royal Calcutta Club is its straightforward entry: the primary stand is available to all individuals from people in general. The club has likewise redesigned its offices as of late. The quantity of corrals has been nearly multiplied from 350 to 780. Different offices incorporate a veterinary medical clinic, preparing tracks and other hustling related foundation. The club is remarkable because of its noteworthy British Raj mood, with the Victoria Memorial noticeable right from the stands.
At 2800 meters, the race track at Royal Calcutta is among the longest in India. It has one of the most established rainstorm tracks laid in the nation, going back over 100 years. The track permits races to be held even after the heaviest downpours. Green turf is the surface utilized on the tracks in Calcutta. The race track is typically utilized for shorter 1000m to 1 mile long races. Significantly longer works of art are additionally held, yet just uniquely prepared pure breeds are permitted in those races. Like most turf clubs in India, the RCTC runs two hustling seasons in a schedule year. Because of the affinity for hefty storm downpours in the summers, the track has a uniquely planned rainstorm track with waste offices that can deal with up to 7 creeps of precipitation.
The two seasons for dashing in Calcutta are
Monsoon Season – It normally starts in July and closures at some point in the most recent seven day stretch of October.
Winter Season – The winter version of the races run from November to March.
It has 20 race days (with some extra days) spread more than four months. Conversely, the winter meeting is longer with 25 race days conceivable because of the expansion of an additional month. Somewhere in the range of 400 and 500 horses participate in the Calcutta races each season, joined by 40 odd authorized racers (half with "A" licenses and another half with "B" licenses). These incorporate popular Grade I occasions, just as the lesser positioned Grade II and III cup races. For example, the 2018 Monsoon Season highlights around 125 races of which 25 were evaluated cup occasions. The complete stake cash for the 2018 season was Rs 5.67 crores. For the progressing Cold Weather season 2018-19, the complete stakes are pegged at Rs 9.4 crores. Despite the fact that its height has to some degree decreased in ongoing decades, the horse hustling club is as yet home to a few acclaimed cups and trophies like the amazing Queens Cup held in winter. The trophy for that race originates from the workplace of the British Monarch herself. Other prominent races incorporate the Calcutta Derby, the Independence Cup, and the Monsoon Derby.
Other eminent Cups/races at the RCTC include:
Calcutta Oaks (Winter)
Calcutta Juvenile Sprint (Monsoon)
Colts Trial Stakes (Monsoon)
Stewards Cup (Monsoon)
Calcutta 2000 Guineas (Winter)
Calcutta 1000 Guineas (Winter)
Official Website:- https://www.rctconline.com/