Chennai's historic Madras Race Course enters final lap

CHENNAI: The clang of the starting bell, the thunder of hooves racing down the track, the giant electronic screens displaying men in tailored coats sipping whiskey and placing bets—these were the sights and sounds that defined the experience at the Madras Race Course in Guindy.

That, however, is the past; the present is tense and future uncertain after the recent developments that culminated in the State government retrieving the land that it had leased out to the Madras Race Club. The HPSL Royal Arion Indian Turf Invitation Cup 2025 that is under way at the racecourse might well be the last ever racing event there.

This is the 63rd year of the Invitation Cup and the 13th time the storied venue has hosted the event. The total prize purse for the weekend is Rs 4.16 crore, with Rs 29.6 lakh allocated for the trophy event—making it the most lucrative race in the history of the Madras Race Club, the first racing club in India established in 1777.

The Invitation Cup weekend is showcasing some of the finest horses and jockeys from around the world. Comparable to Grand Slam tournaments in tennis or the Masters in golf, this is the pinnacle of equestrian sport in India.

“The Invitation weekend is the most exclusive event in the country. It brings together only the best, and it is always special,” said Cyrus Madan, former president of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.

Despite persistent speculation about the fate of the Guindy racecourse, those present preferred to focus on the positives. “I wouldn’t like to get into that, we still don’t know clearly what’s happening. It’s wonderful that the Madras Race Club is able to conduct the event against all odds, which is a big step forward,” said Cyrus.

He candidly addressed the larger issue at hand - one that has arguably played a role in the club’s current predicament.

Horse racing was introduced to the city by the British on an island in the Cooum river near Fort St George before changing the venue to Guindy. Initially dominated by the British elite, the sport later found favour with wealthy landlords and aristocrats of Madras. A few decades ago, it became a popular haunt for the working class and even the daily-wage earners looking to test their luck on the horses.

But eventually, the elites reclaimed the sport and therein lay the problem. As accessibility dwindled, so did interest, and horse racing began to lose momentum both in the city and the country. “If we want to sustain the sport, we need to bring in the younger generation, but that’s not happening right now,” Cyrus remarked.

“The world has moved on. In the past, entertainment options were limited. Now, there are countless choices, and they’re much faster-paced. Why would someone wait half an hour between races when they could play three games of poker at the same time?”

As the historic track prepares to host what could be its final major event, the future of horse racing in Chennai hangs in the balance. Whether it finds a way to gallop forward or fades into history remains to be seen.