NUWARA ELIYA RACECOURSE
The racecourse is situated in one of the coolest areas of Sri Lanka at Nuwara Eliya and is run by the Sri Lanka Turf Club. Racing was brought to the island by the British Colonials. Records show that racing took place in Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, as early as the mid-1800's. English thoroughbreds were imported and a racecourse established in the capital Colombo.
By 1866 the Ceylon Turf Club was firmly established and began to keep accurate records of events. The Club were the one of the first to make use of the Automatic Totalisor system and were certainly doing so by the mid 1920's. Its principal race is the Governor's Cup, run each April, which can boast a history dating back more than 130 years.
I am grateful to Rob Blakeman for the scans of the Nuwara Eliya Governor's Cup from 1890. The race was run over 9 furlongs and was won by Rescue.
Other feature races include the Grand Hotel Cup, the Mount Lavinia Cup and the Sri Lanka Printers Cup.
Recently a feature race has been sponsored by the Browns Group and has as its principal race the Browns Cup which is held in August.
If you have badges, racecards, pictures of the racecourse or further details about the course, including your memories, then email johnslusar@fsmail.net