The Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC), one of India’s oldest horse racing clubs, is currently hosting its Summer Meeting at the Kolkata Racecourse. Over the past two days, the competition has been exhilarating, with standout performances lighting up the track.
On March 6, WHIRLWIND, a maiden horse piloted by R. Vaibhav and trained by Sanjay Kolse, triumphed in The JSK1 Champions Cup. DON’T STOP THE MUSIC, ridden by Sonu Mishra and trained by Patrick Quinn, claimed victory in The Gridiron Handicap.
On March 7, SIR BAFFERT, guided by Imran Chisty and trained by Rutherford Alford, won The Azureus Handicap, while GOOD DEEDS, ridden by Suraj Narredu and trained by Rajesh Narredu, secured The Beat The Distance Handicap.
As the action heats up, RCTC is gearing up for another thrilling race day on March 13, 2025, featuring six exciting contests. The scheduled races include The Tambourine Man Handicap (1400m, horses rated 41-66 & 21-46), The Grand Madame Handicap (1200m, horses rated 41-66 & 21-46), The Tokaido Express Handicap (1400m, horses rated 21-46 & 1-26), The Little Beaut Handicap (1200m, horses rated 1-26), The Indian Gold Vase (1400m, 4-year-olds and over), and The Ich Dien Plate (1400m, 3-year-old maiden horses).
One of the most anticipated races of the day is The Indian Gold Vase, open to horses aged 4 years and over, running over a 1400-meter track. The total prize purse for this race is ₹18,72,000, and some of the notable contenders include A STAR IS BORN (Jockey: Suraj Narredu | Trainer: Rajesh Narredu), BLACKSTONE (Jockey: P. Trevor | Trainer: Patrick Quinn), COOL RIDER (Jockey: Arul J.H | Trainer: Neil Darashah), VINCENT VAN GOGH (Jockey: Vishal N. Bunde | Trainer: B. Rajender Reddy), CHOPIN (Jockey: P. Tejeshwar | Trainer: Patrick Quinn), and KING’S RETREAT (Jockey: R. Vaibhav | Trainer: B. Rajender Reddy).
Another highly anticipated contest is The Ich Dien Plate, a maiden race for 3-year-old horses covering 1400 meters with a prize fund of ₹10,00,000. The competing horses in this race include CORTADO (Jockey: Yash Narredu | Trainer: Aashay Doctor), MULTI SUCCESS (Jockey: Suraj Narredu | Trainer: Rajesh Narredu), SHELLACKING (Jockey: R. Vaibhav | Trainer: B. Mahesh), and KEITARO (Jockey: Imran Chisty | Trainer: Rutherford Alford).
Among the other major races, The Tambourine Man Handicap (₹5,00,000 prize money) will see contenders such as CASHA (Jockey: P. Trevor | Trainer: Patrick Quinn), ALDILA (Jockey: Imran Chisty | Trainer: Rutherford Alford), INTO THE STORM (Jockey: H. Rahul | Trainer: B. Mahesh), LAVISH GIRL (Jockey: R. Vaibhav | Trainer: Shyam S. Habbu), and ASAGIRI (Jockey: Suraj Narredu | Trainer: Rajesh Narredu) battle for victory.
In The Grand Madame Handicap, offering a total prize of ₹5,00,000, the participating horses include SUPERLATIVE (Jockey: P. Trevor | Trainer: Patrick Quinn), BLACK COFFEE (Jockey: Imran Chisty | Trainer: Rutherford Alford), MIGHTY ZO (Jockey: Arman Khan | Trainer: Rutherford Alford), CLEVER HANS (Jockey: Arul J.H | Trainer: Vikash Jaiswal), GIMMLER (Jockey: Kirtish Bhagat | Trainer: Rutherford Alford), GO FOR THE MOON (Jockey: Yash Narredu | Trainer: Aashay Narredu), HIGH OPINION (Jockey: P. Tejeshwar | Trainer: B. Rajender Reddy), and SEA OF CHARM (Jockey: R. Manish | Trainer: B. Rajender Reddy).
The Tokaido Express Handicap will feature horses rated 21-26 competing over 1400 meters, with a total prize purse of ₹4,00,000. Some of the competing horses include SUPER SAPPHIRE (Jockey: Suraj Narredu | Trainer: Rajesh Narredu), MULTISTARRER (Jockey: Abhishek Mhatre | Trainer: Rutherford Alford), ZAMBEZI (Jockey: P. Trevor | Trainer: Vikash Jaiswal), and RHAPSODY IN GREEN (Jockey: Ankush | Trainer: Dr. Anil Kumar).
The Little Beaut Handicap, covering 1200 meters, is open to horses rated 1-26, with a total prize money of ₹3,00,000. Some of the horses set to compete include I SMELL THE DANGER (Jockey: P. Tejeshwar | Trainer: Sabeel Shariff), INTENSE BELIEF (Jockey: Shezad Khan | Trainer: Vikash Jaiswal), MOGAMBO (Jockey: Md. Sameer | Trainer: Shafiq Khan), and LAHINA (Jockey: Vishal N. Bunde | Trainer: Sabeel Shariff).
The race day is expected to be sunny, with temperatures reaching 34°C and winds at 13 km/h. Fans can anticipate a thrilling day of competition, as the best horses and jockeys battle for glory at the historic RCTC track.
