The Mauritius Turf Club

Soon after the conquest of the island by the British in 1810, British Army Colonel, Edward Alured Draper, arrived in Mauritius which had been under French occupation for about one century. Edward Draper aimed at earning the esteem and cooperation of the French population, and it is, with this goal in mind, that he thought of organising horse racing in Mauritius. He believed that a cooperative spirit could be developed if both parties, which were traditionally rivals, were brought together in such an atmosphere of leisure. The initiative was backed by Sir Robert Farquhar, the Governor of the island and The Mauritius Turf Club was founded in 1812. On the 25th June of the same year, the Champ de Mars racecourse was inaugurated and, on that day, was held the first organised race meeting in the history of the island.

Well situated at the end of a prestigious avenue in Port Louis, the capital city, which, in racing circles, is still called “La rue du Gouvernement”, the Champ de Mars racecourse is ensconced in a natural depression at the foot of charming hills. Today, the M.T.C rightly prides itself as being the oldest horse-racing club in the Southern Hemisphere, and among the oldest in the world.

In line with the spirit that guided its foundation, the Mauritius Turf Club has greatly contributed to the social life of the country over the years. Its meetings are highly praised by the various social classes as it is an opportunity for everyone to get together in a relaxed ambiance. Moreover, special meetings are organised traditionally to commemorate marked events in the country. For example, such meetings were organised in 1927 for the visit to the island of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, while they were still Duke and Duchess of York, for the Bicentenary of the city of Port Louis and for the celebration of both victories in the two world wars. Other distinguished visitors, namely Mrs. Indhira Gandhi, Mr. Léopold Sedar Senghor, officially attended race meetings during their visit to Mauritius.

In the IXth century there were no permanent stands at the racecourse. Each year, temporary boxes were built and they were hired “on the spot” for the race meetings, except for the ones that were reserved for the Governor of the island, the Mayor of Port Louis and the Club’s officials. Early in the XXth century the infrastructure of the Club started to develop. In 1906, the Club bought a colonial house situated at the 26, Pope Hennessy Street, Port Louis and the Mauritius Turf Club Hotel was born. This elegant house served as the Club’s headquarters for almost forty years. In 1909 there was another major development at the racecourse – permanent stands were built. Owing to a growing attendance, the stands were upgraded in 1927 for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York and again in 1939 and 1954. In 1986 new stands were built on the hillside, in order to accommodate larger crowds.

The Mauritius Turf Club’s history would not be complete without mentioning The Mauritius Jockey Club. Founded in 1904 by Raoul Gufflet, George Rougier Lagane and Willy Dawson, the Mauritius Jockey Club did contribute to the promotion of racing in the island. From 1906 to 1943, the Mauritius Jockey Club organised races at the Mangalkan track in Floréal. In 1943, the stands in Mangalkan were requisitioned by the Admiralty and from then on the Mauritius Jockey Club organised its races at the Champ de Mars track. The collaboration between the two Clubs ended up in their merger in 1958 and with that important happening, the Mauritius Turf Club gathered more momentum to develop racing in Mauritius.

Racehorses coming to Mauritius to continue their racing careers are from various origins. Long ago, import facilities were not developed in the island and importing racehorses was quite an “enterprise” in itself. In 1836, for the first time, some thoroughbreds were imported from Britain and South Africa by the Club. In the following year, two thoroughbreds from France and the famous Faugaballah joined them to enhance the level of competition. From then on, the number of horses imported annually by the Club kept increasing constantly and by the 1980’s about eighty horses were imported each year. Usually, two months or so before the start of the season, a special draw was organised with a view to distributing the horses to the stables, but to-day, importation of racehorses is fully “private” and each stable, via its members, imports its own string of newcomers for the season. South Africa, Australia, France and Britain are among the most common origins with a big majority though coming from all the provinces of South Africa.

Undeniably, racing is the most popular sport on the island and a high level of professionalism has been attained in the organisation of races over the last decades, thereby boosting competition levels, with a view to preserving the unique electrifying ambiance prevailing on racedays at The Champ de Mars.