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Race Course

Racing was known in Hyderabad even  during the mid 19th century, thought  not at the present trace course  at Malakpet. The Malakpet Race Course in the country.Horse racing in the United States and on the North American continent dates back to the establishment of another course named Newmarket -- on the Salisbury Plains section of what is now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York in 1665. This first racing meet in North America was supervised by New York's colonial governor,Richard Nicolls. The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New York region of Greater Westbury and East Garden City. The South Westbury section is also (appropriately) known as Salisbury.Horse-racing consists of flat racing or jumping, ‘over the sticks’. Racing became popular during the 16th cent. and the first race-course with an annual fixture was established on the Roodee at Chester in 1540. Racing received support from successive monarchs. James I established a hunting stable at Newmarket and Charles II made it fashionable. Racing expanded with courses springing up at Doncaster (1595), York (1709), Ascot (1711), Epsom (1730), Goodwood (1801), and Aintree (1827). In 1750 the Jockey Club was founded to regulate the sport. Lord George Bentinck (1802-48) devised the flag start, race card, paddock parade, and much of modern race-course practice. Highlights of the flat season include the Derby, Oaks, and St Leger.

Steeple-chasing derived from horses racing each other cross-country to the nearest church steeple. The concept of a course with artificial fences originated at the Newmarket Craven meeting in 1794. A Grand Annual Steeplechase began at Cheltenham around 1815. In 1866 the Grand National Hunt Steeplechase Committee was formed to establish rules and the first Calendar appeared in 1867. It became the National Hunt Committee in 1889. Highlights include the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

    The Hyderabad Race Club though an infant amongst Indian Turf Authorities has a tradition for racing of over a hundred years. Records and history tell us that racing and wagering existed in this fabled land of Nizams as far back as 1868. In those days, racing was conducted at Moula Ali race course, a few miles from the city and it was known as the Hyderabad (Deccan) races. As per reports the racing was rated on par with any other centre in India.

    In 1886 the scene shifted from Moula Ali to Malakpet. This change was necessiated as the ruler H.H Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, Nizam VI wanted the race course to be near his place. In fact, the race course was constructed in the palace premises. The racing was conducted under the auspicies and rules of the royal Calcutta Turf Club. The season in Hyderabad was always conducted in the Monsoon and the Nizams Cup was the focal point. Later a regular race course was constructed on the land belonging to the cantonment at Secundrabad. The Nizam as a gesture sold to the Hyderabad race club 126 acres of land at a nominal price.

    GRAND STAND: Conceptualised in 1989, HRC's 70million rupees, dream project of having a grand stand realised in 1993. The grand stand in the first enclouser at HRC is the largest and most modern in India and compares to the best anywhere in the world.

    RACE TRACKS: The race course at Malakpet is a sharp right-handed course which is testing to the best of Jockeys. Taking into consideration the climatic conditions of Hyderabad, where the rainfall is heavy during the monsoon and scant in the winter, Malakpet has two different race tracks adjacent to each other for respective seasons. The monsoon race track is used for monsoon racing from July to October and the winter race track is used for winter racing for November to February.