RTC dedicates Memorial Cup for late Ranjit Dahanayake on 31 March Race Day

The RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup will be held on 31 March 

The Royal Turf Club (RTC) has decided to dedicate its Thoroughbred Class II race to the late Ranjit Dahanayake, who was one of its active Committee Members as well as a horseracing devotee. The decision was taken unanimously to name the second-best event of the RTC Spring and Summer Race Cup, which falls on 31 March at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya, as the Ranjit Dahanayake Memorial Cup, where a total of 11 horses are expected battle it out to clinch the prestigious silverware. 

The late Ranjit Dahanayake

Dahanayake, who had a keen interest in horses and horseracing, became an avid horse rider during his teenage. He went on to become a business magnate and was a top diplomat and a keen negotiator, which helped him develop a successful business entity during the early 1980s. Despite his busy schedule, Dahanayake participated in many gentlemen rider’s events and races in Sri Lanka. Dahanayake later became the President of the Equestrian Association of Sri Lanka, during his peak and also was a Life Member of Sri Lanka Turf Club. 

“Mr. Dahanayake was invited to be a part of RTC as a Committee Member, and he was really active up to the time of his demise. He did an active role as a Committee Member in RTC activities and was a great influence to all colleagues,” RTC Treasurer Nishitha Rupasinghe said.

With the Ranjit Dahanayake Memorial Cup race of Thoroughbreds Class II horses as the third event of the day, the RTC will run a total of five races on 31 March, Sunday. The main race, the Thoroughbred Class I, where 11 horses are expected to run, will be held as the fourth event of the day. The other three races will be scheduled after final confirmation from the stables. 

The period of closer to a year, has been an inactive time for RTC as well as the horses, who will be making their official appearance in races after a long lapse. However, a highly concerned RTC officials made arrangements to conduct a Mock Race on the 16 March in Nuwara Eliya with the intention of testing a horse’s tractability in the starting gates, soundness and suitability to race or continue to race.

“We conducted a Mock Race last week in Nuwara Eliya, at a distance of 1400metres, where 22 horses participated from the yard of six trainers. The Mock Race is an official trail held as an aid to training as well as other aspects. The horses stabled in Nuwara Eliya have not raced for almost a year and we are quite relieved of the behaviour of the horses. We experienced a Mock Race for the first time and there were three such races on the same day. The trainers were overwhelmed with the performances of their horses and that takes our confidence level higher on the performances of horses for next Sunday,” Rupasinghe added.

Following the race day on 31 March, which acts as a forerunner to the season, RTC will conduct its two remaining mega events during the April Holidays -- the RTC Governor’s Cup and the RTC Magic Million Cup. On 15 April, a day after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, RTC will hold the ever popular 148th Governor’s Cup and Queen’s Cup on the same day, followed by the RTC Magic Million on the 21 April.

The RTC events for the Holiday Season are sponsored by Colombo Hilton, Blackpool Hotel Nuwara Eliya, Alpine Hotel, Real Radio, Kiss FM and Mosh.