HRC - Racing Portal

The Hyderabad Race Club, although an infant amongst Indian Turf Authorities, has a rich tradition of racing dating back to over a hundred years ago. Records and history tell us that racing and wagering existed in this fabled land of fabulous Nizams as early as 1868. In days past, racing was conducted at Moula Ali Racecourse, a few miles from the city and was known as the Hyderabad (Deccan) Races.

According to the archives, the racing was rated on par with any other centre in India. Even though the sport was conducted by resident Englishmen, it was run systematically and stiff competition prevailed amongst them. The Oriental Sports Magazine talks frequently of parimutuels and in 1873, quoted the winner of the previous year’s "Melbourne Cup" - The Quack, taking part in the Hyderabad Gold Cup and getting beaten into second place.

In 1886, the scene shifted from Moula Ali to Malakpet. This change was necessitated as then ruler H.H.Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, Nizam VI wanted the racecourse closer to his place. In fact, the racecourse was constructed within the premises of his home. Under his patronage, racing flourished at Malakpet from 1886 to 1896, after which the racing was conducted under the auspices and rules of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. The season in Hyderabad was always conducted during the monsoon and the Nizam’s Cup was the focal point. In later years, a regular racecourse was built on the land belonging to the cantonment at Secunderabad.

Encouraged by the healthy state of affairs of the sport in the city, and the formation of the South India Turf Club in 1956, the later Nizam, as a gesture, sold to the Hyderabad Race Club, 126 acres of land at a nominal price. This land, where the current racecourse exists is in the Old City. It took the HRC five years to realise their dreams and racing started at the present Malakpet Course in 1968 on a course that was a mile and a half. In 1976, a second Winter Track was added on which the Hyderabad Winter Races are conducted.

HRC happens to be the one and only Turf Authority of India to own its entire race course premises that houses, besides the race course complex - the tracks, stands, professional quarters, stables, parking lot etcetera. HRC has been rendering yeomen service to members of the racing fraternity and is being led by the philosophy that no effort should be spared to do as much as possible to further improve this royal sport in the country.

In keeping abreast of the times and with other Turf Clubs in India, the HRC framed the President Of India Gold Cup in 1970, a weight-for-age race which has developed into one of the premier races in the country. In 1977, a monumental step was taken and the HRC became an independent Turf Authority, the fifth in India. A few months after which, HRC conducted, for the first time, the Invitational Races under their rules of racing in September 1978. Soon afterwards in 1979, the Winter Season was introduced and today, racing is conducted in Hyderabad from July to March.

Hyderabad Race Club is largely instrumental in helping to mould the Invitation Cup into the premier Classic of Indian Racing. Sponsorship was introduced to Indian Racing by the Hyderabad Race Club, which gave the Invitation Cup an added edge and turned it into the most prestigious race in the country.