 The Mauritius Turf
Champ de Mars,
Port-Louis,
Phone: 211 2147
Fax: 208 3211
Website: http://www.mauritiusturfclub.com/
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Soon after the conquest of the island by the British in 1810, British Army Colonel, Edward Alured Draper, arrived in Mauritius which had been under French occupation for about one century. Edward Draper aimed at earning the esteem and cooperation of the French population, and it is, with this goal in mind, that he thought of organising horse racing in Mauritius. He believed that a cooperative spirit could be developed if both parties, which were traditionally rivals, were brought together in such an atmosphere of leisure. The initiative was backed by Sir Robert Farquhar, the Governor of the island and The Mauritius Turf Club was founded in 1812. On the 25th June of the same year, the Champ de Mars racecourse was inaugurated and, on that day, was held the first organised race meeting in the history of the island.
Well situated at the end of a prestigious avenue in Port Louis, the capital city, which, in racing circles, is still called “La rue du Gouvernement”, the Champ de Mars racecourse is ensconced in a natural depression at the foot of charming hills. Today, the M.T.C rightly prides itself as being the oldest horse-racing club in the Southern Hemisphere, and among the oldest in the world.
In line with the spirit that guided its foundation, the Mauritius Turf Club has greatly contributed to the social life of the country over the years. Its meetings are highly praised by the various social classes as it is an opportunity for everyone to get together in a relaxed ambiance. Moreover, special meetings are organised traditionally to commemorate marked events in the country. For example, such meetings were organised in 1927 for the visit to the island of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, while they were still Duke and Duchess of York, for the Bicentenary of the city of Port Louis and for the celebration of both victories in the two world wars. Other distinguished visitors, namely Mrs. Indhira Gandhi, Mr. Léopold Sedar Senghor, officially attended race meetings during their visit to Mauritius.
In the IXth century there were no permanent stands at the racecourse. Each year, temporary boxes were built and they were hired “on the spot” for the race meetings, except for the ones that were reserved for the Governor of the island, the Mayor of Port Louis and the Club’s officials. Early in the XXth century the infrastructure of the Club started to develop. In 1906, the Club bought a colonial house situated at the 26, Pope Hennessy Street, Port Louis and the Mauritius Turf Club Hotel was born. This elegant house served as the Club’s headquarters for almost forty years. In 1909 there was another major development at the racecourse – permanent stands were built. Owing to a growing attendance, the stands were upgraded in 1927 for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York and again in 1939 and 1954. In 1986 new stands were built on the hillside, in order to accommodate larger crowds.
The Mauritius Turf Club’s history would not be complete without mentioning The Mauritius Jockey Club. Founded in 1904 by Raoul Gufflet, George Rougier Lagane and Willy Dawson, the Mauritius Jockey Club did contribute to the promotion of racing in the island. From 1906 to 1943, the Mauritius Jockey Club organised races at the Mangalkan track in Floréal. In 1943, the stands in Mangalkan were requisitioned by the Admiralty and from then on the Mauritius Jockey Club organised its races at the Champ de Mars track. The collaboration between the two Clubs ended up in their merger in 1958 and with that important happening, the Mauritius Turf Club gathered more momentum to develop racing in Mauritius.
Racehorses coming to Mauritius to continue their racing careers are from various origins. Long ago, import facilities were not developed in the island and importing racehorses was quite an “enterprise” in itself. In 1836, for the first time, some thoroughbreds were imported from Britain and South Africa by the Club. In the following year, two thoroughbreds from France and the famous Faugaballah joined them to enhance the level of competition. From then on, the number of horses imported annually by the Club kept increasing constantly and by the 1980’s about eighty horses were imported each year. Usually, two months or so before the start of the season, a special draw was organised with a view to distributing the horses to the stables, but to-day, importation of racehorses is fully “private” and each stable, via its members, imports its own string of newcomers for the season. South Africa, Australia, France and Britain are among the most common origins with a big majority though coming from all the provinces of South Africa.
Undeniably, racing is the most popular sport on the island and a high level of professionalism has been attained in the organisation of races over the last decades, thereby boosting competition levels, with a view to preserving the unique electrifying ambiance prevailing on racedays at The Champ de Mars.
THE RACING ORGANISATION & ITS DEVELOPMENT
The Stables
In the 1Xth century when racing was in its early stages of development, the horses entered for racing events were transferred from the owners’ stables to Port Louis one day before and even on the raceday itself. For better control and to facilitate training, stabling facilities were built next to the racecourse and the stables officially registered with the Mauritius Turf Club could use these facilities for their horses permanently. Traditionally, the stables were named in accordance with the family name of their nominators (managers) and since the beginning of the century, about five stables were taking part in the racing events. The oldest stable operating in Mauritius is the Gujadhur stable whose Stable Manager is Mr. Gunness Gujadhur. From the mid-1980’s, eight to ten stables were in competition and seven freelance trainers competed throughout the whole racing season. An average number of 350 horses were in competition during the season and on an average, there were 22 horses per stable and 9 horses per race. After their racing careers in Mauritius, the horses go to the two main Riding Schools or to other private stables all around the island, including resort hotels, for leisure riding.
The Track
The Champ de Mars track follows a very selective right hand oval path and with its 1298m circumference and 12 to 14 metres wide, it is relatively small in size. The home-straight extends uphill and is 225 m long. Three shoots were added to the initial circular path to allow sufficient straight portions for the 1600m, the 1800m and the 2200m starting points. Races are run on distances from 1365m to 2400m with the 1365m situated in front of the mast where was raised the flag in commemoration of the independence day, and the Draper’s Mile (1500m), was named after the founder of the club.
Since it was first built in 1812, the track has been constantly improved so as to offer a better galloping surface to the horses. Among other things, rails were installed on each side of the track and along the exit alleys; in 1986, false rails were added on the inside portion of the track along the home-turn section. In order to improve the turning ability of the horses, the parts of the track along the turns were slanted and the drains upgraded. Presently, even in periods of heavy rainfall, water retention is minimal. To provide racegoers with adequate information about the track, a probe metering unit (Penetrometer) gives the exact state of the track before and on the raceday itself.
The Training Tracks
To offer training facilities in Port Louis, a sand exercise track and a trotting track were built on the inside of the racing track. During the racing season, and even during the break, the trainers can use the training facilities to work their horses. Traditionally, the training sessions in Port Louis start at 5.00 a.m. and end up around 7.30 a.m. and training being so localised an attendance of up to 300 people regularly follow the training sessions. So as to accommodate a rapidly expanding racehorse population, the Guy Desmarais Training Centre was created in 1968 at Floréal. Nowadays, this training centre where there exists a much cooler climate than Port Louis, offers 140 boxes and trainers benefit from a training track and a trotting track to prepare their horses for the racing events held at Champ de Mars.
Attendance
Four classic and six semi-classic races are run each year during the racing season which lasts from May to early December. The most popular event remains The Maiden Cup, run over 2400 metres and The Gold Cup, run over 1600 metres. The first classic race of the season, the Duchess of York Cup, is held on the opening day and is reserved to newly imported horses. Every year, the classic races draw bigger and bigger crowds to the Champ de Mars racecourse and up to 50,000 people attend the meetings for these feature races. To accommodate such crowds (on an average : 9,000 people in the grand stand, 3,500 in the hillside stand and 12,000 in the free access centre of the track), all facilities and amenities were developed and, up to date, any expansion project of the Champ de Mars racecourse faces space limitation constraints; there is however currently a special study being carried out so as to find out how improvements may be brought about.
Race Monitoring In 1949, a photo-finish system was installed at the winning post to help the judge and his colleagues in their task and, in 1994, a new camera was used to support the old system.
In order to improve on the flag start system, starting stalls were first used in 1962 to accommodate 8 runners and, since then, they have been upgraded to accommodate 11 runners. In 1985, an electronic weighing scale was introduced for better accuracy and reliability in terms of handicap weights. With a view to making the racing organisation more professional, security and control have been our “leitmotiv” over the past two decades. Urine samples are taken from horses prior to and after their participation in a race. Analysed by the M.T.C laboratory facilities, some samples are sent abroad by the Club for cross-check analysis. The laboratory facilities have last year been further improved with new equipment. So as to make the anti-doping control measures more efficient, the horses are locked in their respective stables one week before race day and a most carefully selected surveillance team controls all the feeding, nursing and training activities of the horses. The supervision by Corner judges positioned at strategic points on the track was not sufficient and, in 1979, cameras were installed at all these strategic spots so as to allow a close monitoring of the race. Presently, they offer multi-angle recordings of the race to enable the stewards to analyse each section of the race.
Note: As regards the photo-finish, it is important to note that our first camera was built locally in 1949 by a very well known Mauritian photographer of the time, and that we were among the very few in the world to possess such a special camera.
Horse’s Classification and Handicap
As soon as the racehorse’s population in Mauritius was big enough to allow some form of classification that would group horses of approximately the same calibre in one category, a Division Classification System was established. After taking part in races in Mauritius and depending upon their performances, the horses can change categories and thus be upgraded or downgraded, in accordance with the handicapper’s established criteria.
Handicapping has been practised in Mauritius as from the early 19th century. In 1981, to follow international standards, the measuring of the handicap and that of distances were done according to the Metric System and some racegoers are still nostalgic about the old terminology, i.e. Kilos instead of stones.
Internal Organisation of the M.T.C
Only three horses in the Maiden 1984 and yet there were over 100,000 people aroung the track
As from the merge of the Mauritius Turf Clubwith the Mauritius Jockey Club in 1958, the membership base of the Club gathered a new dimension and since then, the number of ordinary members has been regularly increasing up to 450. The membership structure is made up of five categories of members namely Life Members, Ordinary Members, Non-Active Members and Members Residing Abroad. The total number of members amount to around 650. Each year, at the Members general assembly, an election for the Stewards’ panel is carried out among the voting Members. There are six Stewards normally elected by rotation, at the rate of two per year, for a period of three years. The Stewards vote for a Chairman among themselves and they are responsible for the Club’s administration and the entire racing organisation. The Stewards’ executive power and prerogatives are defined by the Club’s Constitution and the Rules of Racing.
Regarding the organisation itself, the Mauritius Turf Club employs actually some 250 people and the employment linked directly or indirectly to the racing industry is estimated at about 2000. The organisation of racing events relies upon an approved set of Rules of Racing which can be amended via a predetermined procedure only. The Stewards decide on a racing Stewards’ panel which is responsible for the application of the Rules of Racing in relation to any meeting. This panel is composed of five racing Stewards including one or two Stipendiary Stewards. On the administrative side, the Stewards appoint a Secretary, an Assistant-Secretary, a Treasurer and any other attached personnel and they make all the decisions concerning the planning and development of the organisation. The constitution also provides for a Board of Appeal against decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with the provisions of the Rules of Racing. The Board of Appeal is constituted of five persons nominated from a panel approved by the General Assembly. The Chairman of the Board must be a legally qualified person and member of the Club.
International Relations
The Mauritius Turf Club has always been recognized on the international scene as the Horse-Racing Authority of Mauritius and its decisions are complied with internationally. As such, the Club has been and is still a member of the International Conference of Horse-Racing Authorities which is held in Paris annually during the month of October. In 1993, the Conference decided that, apart from the conference, all the recognized Horse-Racing Authorities should also be internationally consolidated as a Federation of such authorities.
The Mauritius Turf Club is a full member of this international Federation of Horse-Racing Authorities which also meets in Paris in October at the same time as the Conference.
The M.T.C is also a member of the Asian Conference of Horse-Racing Authorities. Together with the South African Jockey Club, the M.T.C is a copromoter of an African area meeting of Horse-Racing Authorities which very soon will be known as the African Conference, the founder members of which, apart from South Africa and Mauritius, will be composed of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Senegal. Madagascar and Namibia have also applied for membership.
The Racing Industry and its Economic Environment
Mediatic Coverage
As from its early stages of development, Racing in Mauritius has always been largely covered by the Media. But over the past decades, the racing mediatic impact has been more and more important: all racing events are programmed live on the radio and since 1996 on T.V as well. Two special T.V programs are devoted to the weekly race meetings and the demand for more pragmatic information is constantly expanding. In the Press, special magazines have been developed to feed racegoers with more and more detailed rational information. In 1991, the Club developed its own weekly specialised publication called “RACETIME” to present an objective approach to racing in general, and to help racegoers in their analysis of the various factors influencing the chances of a horse.
Betting
Somehow, in its cultural heritage, the Mauritian population is characterised by widespread gambling habits. Over the years, betting at the races became more and more important. Traditionally, betting was organised through the Bookmakers who offer win bets only. They had total freedom in the calculation and determination of the odds. Next to betting at the bookies, the public had access to various lotteries (Merven, Poupard and the 10 cents Lottery) based on the races’ result. Since 1991, the Tote System operates in parallel with the Bookies. Betting facilities at the racecourse are now well diversified to meet the public demand and with the numerous betting counters, all forms of betting have been made readily accessible. Following the publication of the race card on Thursdays for Saturday meetings, effervescence starts to build up and though betting is carried out on course only-from a Government’s decision – the more enthusiastic racegoers still come at the bookmakers’ counters, to study the odds up to two days before a racemeeting. Telephone betting was introduced on the Tote in 1994 and through Bookmaker companies in 2002.
Improved quality of the horses in competition
Local racing is characterised by a relatively low prize-money level but the stables are highly subsidised for the maintenance of their stables. As horseracing kept drawing bigger and bigger crowds, sponsors showed more interest for racing events and the Stakes Money significantly increased. As a result, the stables’ financial situation improved and though some stables are still relying on betting for funds, the situation is less problematic. The M.T.C would accordingly welcome more race meetings (now 29 per year) so as to be able to significantly increase the prize money. In the past few years, the financial evolution trend has been positive.
On the other hand, the pressure on the jockeys to produce results has been building up as the stables’ investments became more and more important. In parallel with the horses’ origin, the majority of foreign jockeys riding in Mauritius come from the different provinces of South Africa while Australia, France and Britain remain other potential sources for stables to recruit jockeys. In fact, for the first International Jockeys’ Day, organised in 1984, foreign jockeys were coming from these four countries.
Growing Influence of the Mauritian Jockeys and bigger Apprentices.
In the early 1980’s, the schooling of Mauritian riders was developed by the Club and at the end of the 1980’s, two professional jockeys and a homogeneous group of apprentices were riding in competition. The gap separating the Mauritian jockeys and the foreign riders is significantly narrowing. The M.T.C is justly proud of its achievements in the schooling of our local horse riders, who, with the cooperation of the Jockey Club of the South Africa’s Jockeys Academy have been admitted therein for special 3 months’ courses. Some of our jockeys and apprentice jockeys have had the occasion to ride in South Africa, England, Zimbabwe, Macau, Australia and in India and have been quite successful. The M.T.C intends to pursue in this field and thus give an opening to some of our deserving riders.
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