100 YEARS OF HORSE RACING IN MYSORE
AND
MYSORE RACE CLUB LTD.

The benevolent Ruler H.H. Sri Chamaraja Wadiyar of Mysore State started the sport of horse racing in the then capital City of Mysore, near present Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, then known as Kebbe Katte Bungalow. The Races used to be held during the Birthday celeberations of the Ruler.

The patrons were H.H. The Maharaja of Mysore and Sir Oliver St. John.

The first Stewards appointed to conduct Races in 1891 were:

The Races were for 4 days.

The Racing continued till 1920 in the Kebbe Katte Bungalow. Then a new Race Course was built by H.H.Sri Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar who was a great sportsman and also lover of race horses and owned many race horses himself along with his brother H.H.Sri Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar. Several trainers like Sri Krishna Rao, Sri Poottannah were training horses for the Royal family. The present Race Course occupying nearly 152 acres with a magnificient Stand, Paddock Complex and the office building, first and second enclosures with a Polo ground in the center of the Race Course, the oval shaped Race Track (designed by an Australian Engineer) with unique features of drainage facilities was built by the ruler. Regular horse racing, Gymkhana Racing and Polo matches took place in the present Race Course. The races were held for 6 days which was affiliated to Royal Calcutta Turf Club. All the Race Clubs in Southern India were affiliated to Royal Calcutta Turf Club, which was in turn affiliated to Jockey Club of England. For Regular races Major Nabhi Khan, Sri A.N. Chennaraj Urs and Sri M.V. Anantharamaiah were the Secretaries and were looking   after running of races. For Gymkhana Races the following acted on the Committee of Management:

The main attraction during the 6 days racing was The Maharaja's Gold Cup Sweep race and the total Stake money paid for those six days actual racing was about Rs.90,000/-, There used to be two enclosures.

H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was a great lover of Golf. The present Golf Course is his creation and whenever he found time he used to play Golf regularly. H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was himself a good horse rider and encouraged the sports to improve the quality of riding. During those years Racing in Mysore was conducted by Department of Palace and the Secretary and Stewards were appointed by the then Rulers of Mysore.

In 1951 the Bangalore Race Club formed a 25 member Mysore-Race Club with Sri.H.L. Raje Urs as the Secretary. During this time Bangalore Race Club used to run Races in Mysore. The Association and contribution of late F.B. Sharma that walking encyclopardia of racing as Secretary of M.R.C. in its infancy is fondly remembered on this occasion of Centenary.

On 15th April 1968 the Mysore Race Club Limited was formed as a Limited Company with the following members as signatories for the Memorandum and Articles of Association:-

The first Chairman was Sri. S.V. Subramaniam who tried to revive both Horse Racing and Gymkhana Racing after the registration of the Club, but at that time, the finance and membership of the Club was very low. Then a few foresignated members enrolled the dynamic Sri Farrokh Irani, then Automobile King of Mysore, as the Committee unanimously and elected him as a Chairman in the year 1969. From that day onwards several members like: Sri J.K. Van Ingen, Sri W.T. Craig Jones, Mrs. Sheila Irani, Sowcar T.Thimmappa, Sardar K.B. Ramachandraraj Urs, Sri C.Srikantan, Sri Al. Rm. Ramanathan, Mrs. Naseema Sattar Sait, Sri. R.S. Irani, Sri. C. Seshachalam, Sri. Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, Sri. Athmanyadev, Sri M.R. Lakshmikantharaj Urs, Sri. M. Govindiappa, Sri. C.S. Mohanram and Sowcar T. Premanath came forward with financial help (which was returned later) which improved the economic position of the Club and this enabled Mysore Race Club to offer more attractive stakes amounts and better stabling facilities and other possible subsidies to the Owners and Professionals. We raced under B.T.C. Rules of Racing which we still continue. Bangalore Turf Club was good enough to send their officials to conduct our races. We race for 20 days during the three month period (August to October). The Mysore Race Club introduced Classic Races like Mysore 1000 Guineas (Grade II), Mysore 2000 Guineas (Grade II) and Mysore Derby (Grade I) since 1974 for which we have good competitive fields. With best of relationship with the parent Club B.T.C. and the racing officials, the Mysore Races picked up from strength to strength.

The Mysore Race Club conducts Intervenue Betting on almost all the centers of Racing in India - mainly Bangalore, Bombay and Pune, (Oaty, Madras, Hyderabad and Calcutta).

The present Race Course is leased to us from the Government of Karnataka in the year 1977. Sri Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar who owns Regency Stud participates very actively in racing with big string of racehorses in the Mysore races, continuing the Royal patronage.

We are proud to have one of the most modern Bookmakers Rings built by our own member (Mr. C.N.N. Murthy) in 1979. In 1982 MRC built the Club House offering facilities of recreations to Club members and also residential accommodation in the other Turf Clubs with regard to both Club House facilities as well as Racing.

We have formed a separate Mysore Race Club Charitable Trust in 1983 with a Trust Deed. The first Trustees being :-

Out of the Intervenue Betting admission ticket purchased by the public, the contribution towards the Charitable Trust is Rs. 1/50 per ticket. The Charitable Trust has acquired an acre of land at Siddartha Layout, Mysore. The Charitable Trust has decided to build a hospital complex in stages. The first stage being, to treat general cases and second stage being, to take up specialized treatment facilities, in the field of opthalmology and kidney diseases.

The Race Club has built a Golf Hut and allowed the Members of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club and our own Members to play Golf. (This was one of the great wishes of the late Maharaja H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar to encourage playing Golf in Mysore City). Mysore Race Club with the help of Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club conducts the 'H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Golf Tournament' every year. This activity was formerly looked after by Mysore Sports Club.

The Mysore Race Club was the first Race Club in India to engage a Lady Veterinary Office - Dr. (Miss) Vasanthi Ishwaraiah - as an official in the year 1981 and also it is unique in allowing a lady trainer Miss. Diana Craig Jones, the first lady trainer, as a Professional in Racing. It also provides CCTV facilities to the public as well as to its members.

The proposed improvements to the present facilities offered to the patrons and members of the Club are to build Public Stand with modern toilet facility, Canteen facility, Computerisation of Toke linking the pools with Bangalore Turf Club and better seating arrangements for the trainers and owners.

This, in short, is one hundred years of this Royal Sport - Horse Racing. Nothing is certain in racing till the white cone is HOISTED. Patience is the key word and hope you all will continue to enjoy this sport in the true spirit and relax.

Long Live M.R.C. Ltd.