Saturday’s racing at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) will be staged through a compact seven-race afternoon programme, with the opening contest scheduled for 1:30 PM and the final race set for 4:30 PM. The Kolkata Race Cards 17 January will outline a card spanning Classes V to II, anchored by a Grade III sprint and supported by a sequence of competitive handicaps across varying distances.
The programme will open at 1:30 PM with The Cavalry Cup, a Class V contest for horses rated 1–26 over 2000 metres. RIGHTEOUS, DUBAI PRINCE, HERMES, BORN TO BE SPOILT and SCHWARZENEGGER will be expected to line up in the staying event, which will carry total prize money of Rs.3,00,000.
At 2:00 PM, attention will turn to The Bengal Area Cup, a Class III sprint over 1100 metres for horses rated 41–66. VICTORIA CROSS, DONA SIENNA, LORD VADER, AARINI and RESPLENDENCE will contest the race, which will be run for Rs.5,00,000 and is set to place emphasis on early speed and track position.
The afternoon will continue at 2:30 PM with The Army Service Corps (ASC) Cup, another Class III contest, this time over 1400 metres. MADRAS CHEQUE, BLUE GOD, DUBAI RULER, FABLE and INTO THE STORM will feature in a race carrying total prize money of Rs.5,00,000, where tactical versatility is likely to be rewarded.
A rise in class will follow at 3:00 PM with The Eastern Command Cup, a Class II handicap over 1400 metres for horses rated 61–86. PANTAZI, LA DOMINATE, GHIRARDELLI, DIVINE ART and CASHA will compete for a purse of Rs.5,50,000 in one of the stronger supporting races on the card.
The feature event of the afternoon will be staged at 3:30 PM with The Calcutta Champions’ Sprint Trophy (Grade III). Open to four-year-olds and above and run over 1200 metres, the sprint will offer Rs.17,10,000 in prize money. CLIFFORD, BLACK EAGLE, MEROPI and PLUTO will bring established sprinting credentials to the highest-profile contest of the day.
The programme will conclude with two divisions of The Lt Gen Jameel Mahmood Memorial Cup, both Class IV races over 1200 metres for horses rated 21–46. Division I, scheduled for 4:00 PM, will feature BUNDLE OF CHARM, CASHMERE SILK, PRICELESS PRINCE, RUDRA and MARCOLINI and will be run for Rs.4,00,000. Division II at 4:30 PM will include MOST AND MORE, MI ARION, TRES BIEN, MEHRA and SPIRIT BAY, also carrying total prize money of Rs.4,00,000.
Overall, the seven-race card will offer a balanced blend of handicaps and graded racing, with opportunities spread across sprint and middle-distance divisions. With a clear progression through the classes and a Grade III sprint at its core, the Saturday fixture will form a notable part of the winter racing calendar in Kolkata.
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