The season of horse racing continued its grandeur as Day 4 unveiled with a series of yet another nail biting races. While ‘Flame’ set the crowd ablaze amidst the chilling climate, another segment of scintillating fashion made the event all the more glamorous. The designers for the event were Amilani Perera, Vathsala Gunasekara, Anushika Perera and Zudhora. The main highlight of the event was the Sports Ministry Spring Trophy which was won by Alcazaba owned by Deepthika Jayakody. 

Speaking to the Daily Mirror Life, Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekara expressed his views about horse racing and the efforts taken by the Royal Turf Club to upgrade the standards of the sport. 

“Horse racing has been a sport that has gained worldwide fame and it is an honour for us to have this sport in Sri Lanka as well. I think the new management has done a great deal of work in revamping the entire setup so as to fit the standards. We can now invite more people to participate and have more races at the venue. Also the President and the Prime Minister is very keen on improving the standards of the sport.” 

In response to a question raised regarding the ban of cart races and the situation on horse racing the Minister further stated that animal rights activists should understand that the sport is being done according to a framework. “Cart races have been in existence from the good old days but I do not understand why they are trying to stop them this time.” 

Also present at the venue was Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka Jean-Marin Schuh who also expressed his views about the event. 

“It is a very attractive sport and it is directly related to tourism. Nuwara Eliya has always been a glamorous setting for people to start up new businesses etc., and with this sport gaining momentum; I believe that Nuwara Eliya will once again become an international destination. It is very important to develop these events and the facilities given to the people. Also it would be better if one could easily travel to Nuwara Eliya in 3 hours instead of 5 because the journey is a tad bit exhausting.” 

Many race lovers pooled in to the RTC premises to witness the action on Day 4. Speaking to the Daily Mirror Life, some of them had this to say; 

“It is quite a privilege for me to witness the races. This is not the first time that I am here and I believe that this time the events were well organised.” – Praboda 

“This is the first time that I am witnessing races in Sri Lanka. Quite interesting when compared to those in Australia.” – Tracy 

“These are more of country races and there is no betting involved; but in Australia it’s the total opposite. However I love the climate and the entertainment.” – Janice 

“I enjoyed the races and people seem to be quite in to the sport here.” – Nugget 

“The event was fantastic.” – Robert 

“The RTC has done a great job to meet the demands of the international standards. Hats off to them. However I also like to add that there are not enough races and we would like to see more of them in future.” – John 

“I loved the atmosphere and the entertainment.” – Anushka 

“This is the first time that I am here for the races. I enjoyed every bit of it.” – Wanpen 

“I just came to Nuwara Eliya for a vacation and thought I should visit the races. I loved the climate, the entertainment and the entire event.” – Bertha 

“I love racing and as kids we have come to witness the sport. I think the RTC has done a good job in revamping the turf to bring the sport back to its former glory.” – Teruni 

Horse owners, jockeys and trainers are the centre of attraction at this prestigious event. Some horse owners had this to say; 

“We have been involved in racing for 10 long years. Yet this is the first time that I saw some good races and a grand event in all forms. I very much appreciate the efforts put forth by the RTC to make it a success.” – Samadhie Ferdinando 

Deepthika Jayakody, winner of the Sports Ministry Spring Trophy was acknowledged for her passion for the sport and her active involvement in encouraging anti-doping regulations. Speaking to the Daily Mirror Life, she shared her views with us; 

“It is important in any sport to have some ethical guidelines and do things the right way. I am extremely privileged to be a part of the RTC because they have strict guidelines to regulate anti-doping procedures. Also there are certain parties who would say that this sport is unethical and is another example of animal harassment. I would like to cordially invite them to visit the stables and see how we take care of the horses. I love my horses and I make sure that they are always healthy. Also RTC doesn’t encourage betting and that too is to encourage more people to enjoy the sport as it is.” 

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe 
Photographs by Kithsiri De Mel