Royal Turf Club to hold Sri Lanka’s first-ever horse auction

Sixteen beautiful thoroughbreds are going to walk the ramp on 6 August in Nuwara Eliya following the usual race day program, in what is going to be Sri Lanka’s first-ever horse auction. 

RTC has taken the importation of Horses to another level by assisting to upgrade the Chennai quarantine facilities, as well as building transit stables in Tuticorin for horses to rest until they are loaded onto three specially built padded Containers for shipment to Sri Lanka, ensuring that the horses are safe and comfortable on their way here.

Specific internationally recognised rules are currently being drawn up by RTC CEO and Chief Stipendiary Steward Wayne Wood to ensure the humane treatment of the horses after they are purchased by their new owners. 

CEO Wood said: “Though everyone can participate in the horse auction, we will first screen the prospective owners to ensure that they have proper stabling facilities and the where with all to give the best treatment to the horses. We will also ensure that the horses are purchased for racing purposes only and will be maintained under RTC rules and RTC supervision at all times. Persons who have been accused of abusing animals or mistreating horses in the past will not be allowed to purchase horses.”

Woods also said that up to 10 persons will be allowed to own a share in each horse.

All horses auctioned will be screened before the sale to ensure they are in a sound state for racing by Dr. Mirza prior to purchase and he will inspect them again on the day of the sale along with RTC Resident Veterinarian Dr Thangaraj.

The RTC Veterinary Hospital which is being built under the expert guidance of Dr. Hasneyn Mirza will have complex machinery such as portable equine X-rays and ultrasound scanning facilities, the likes of which are new to Sri Lanka. 

The horse population of the race course and the pony population of Nuwara Eliya are expected to be registered at the RTC Veterinary Hospital in the near future to ensure that they get into a routine health screening program to ensure the equine population in the area are in the best of health.

Starting at about Rs. 1.5 million to Rs. 2 million, excellent horses such as four-year-old, Captain Haddock, trained by Trainer Manvendra Singh, and four-year-old Stormont, trained by the Champion Trainer Suleiman Attollahi, are also expected to grace the ramp in Nuwara Eliya. Both were bred at the Kuningal stud farm out of Admiral of the fleet and have won a stake in each and every race they have ever run in India. These two amazing horses are expected to perform extremely well in Sri Lanka as well.

The 6 August event which will probably be graced by a Hollywood celebrity is dedicated to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. Appropriately called the Cancer Hospital Charity Race Day, all takings on 6 August will go to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital with 5% of all horse sales also going to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. RTC hopes to replace most of the important pieces of equipment at the cancer hospital with modern equipment.