Racegoers have a chance to step into the pages of history when they visit the library and museum in the Paddock Complex of the Members Enclosure. Open to public on all race days at Hyderabad, this institution’s entrance is distinguished by the visual of horses fighting out a finish.

The Hyderabad Race Club is the only Turf Club in India to have established a racing museum almost two decades ago. The Museum has on display plenty of interesting artifacts, photographs and books connected to Indian as well as International racing, including trophies and tack of certain famous jockeys

The Hyderabad Race Club is privileged to have a signed pair of racing goggles that belonged to the greatest icon of racing, Lester Piggott. He was kind enough to send it with a personal letter along with a copy of his autobiography. There is also an autographed race card from the 1961 St. Leger which he won on Aurelius, along with a few copies of Martini and Rossi certificates presented to him for riding a Treble at various racing centres

The museum has on display a signed pair of goggles belonging to jockey Ron Turcotte, who was a regular rider of the American Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat, and rode more than 3,000 winners until he had a racing accident which unfortunately ended his racing career. Also on display is a signed pair of goggles of American jockey Javier Castellano who has ridden almost 60,000 winners still going strong, and retired American Female jockey Julie Krone who rode nearly 4,000 winners in the United States. She was the FIRST female jockey to win a Triple Crown Race when she captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair.

That’s not all! There are badges of old Members and Stewards on display, along with a whip belonging to Brian Foy, the Australian jockey who at the age of 20 was awarded the Champion Jockey at Malakpet in 1969 and Champion in Bangalore in 1970. He was branded as the "glamour boy" and rode in India for only two seasons, besides riding in eight other countries including England with great success. He initiated the formation of the Jockeys Association of India and was a Founder Member. The whips of M. Jagdish and Aslam Kader are also on display.

What’s more, the saddle used by the famous British jockey Sandy Barclay, on which he won all his 24 Indian Classics, is part of the museum. Sandy Barclay was branded the boy wonder of British Racing and was widely regarded as the most promising jockey after Lester Piggott. He was awarded the Champion Apprentice Jockey in England at the age of 18 and was only 19 when appointed stable jockey in 1968 to champion trainer Sir Noel Murless, for whom he won that year’s Eclipse and King George on Royal Palace. He enjoyed great success in India, as well. Besides winning over 20 Indian Classics, he won most of the major races at all the racing centres. There are also saddles belonging to Sinclair Marshall and Robin Corner, and Richard Alford's trophy that was presented to him when he won the Invitation Cup on Midnight Cowboy.

Racing helmets of the two Indian legends Vasant Shinde and Shamu Chavan are on display, plus a hat of Mr. MA Chidambaram, former Chairman of the Madras Race Club and a very distinguished owner; and a pair of binoculars used by Suresh Mahindra, apart from the racing plates of Desert God which he had on when he won the Indian Derby. There are also Racing Colours of leading owners on display, a cap worn by the famous British Trainer Sir Henry Cecil and the Indian legend RR Byramji.

There are several interesting photographs on display too. Most of the leading-in pictures of winners trained by Z. Darashah and RR Byramji during their career are within the walls of the museum. The two trainers were very kind to have presented their collection of photographs as an addition to our archives. There are also some rare and historic photographs, including one of Lester Piggott against the skeleton of the great racehorse Eclipse.

Breeches and boots of the world's top ranked jockey Christophe Lemaire are also on display. Lemaire moved to Japan after being chosen by the Aga Khan as first jockey. He has been the leading jockey in Japan since 2014 and is branded as a "super star" in the country. He was a sensation when he rode in India, and won the Indian Turf Invitation Cup in Bangalore

It is an honour to have the polo boots of the Sixth Nizam, HH Mir Mehbub Ali Khan on display. The Malakpet Racecourse was his private property, and the only racecourse in the world in a ruler’s own house which was the Mehbub Mansion. The Seventh Nizam, HEH Sir Osman Ali Khan was generous and kind enough to have agreed to part with the racecourse for a very nominal amount and today the Hyderabad Race Club is the only Turf Club in India which owns the property it stands on.

There are some old race cards on display, along with a copy of the Prospectus of the 1886 Hyderabad Racing Season. The Invitation Cup Trophy, an old weighing machine, and a 170 year-old horse measuring scale is also on display.

The museum is a treasure trove of an invaluable collection and a must for racing aficionados to put on their itinerary.

Library:

The library of the Hyderabad Race Club has a number of books on racing, breeding, equestrian sports, books on veterinary science, and racing magazines, all of which have been collected over a number of years.

Books on famous racehorses, jockeys, well-known personalities of racing, autobiographies of some distinguished jockeys and trainers, copies of Bloodstock Breeders Review, Register of Thoroughbred Stallions, volumes of books on famous horses of the British Turf in the 20s and 30s, copies of the British and European Racehorses, Stud and Stable, Blood Horse, Pacemaker, Tattersalls Auction Sale Catalogues, the RWITC, BTC, HRC, MRC Auction Sale Catalogues, the old Fonn and Co's and Original Vel's Racing Records, as well French Racing Journals are all part of the library