The Mahalaxmi Racecourse is a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

track in

Mahalaxmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with ...

neighbourhood of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. The track is oval shaped with straight chute, spread over approximately of open land in the heart of Mumbai city. It was created out of a marshy land known as Mahalakshmi Flats. It was built in 1883 and the stands were modelled on the

Randwick Racecourse Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney r ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1922 by Sydney architect and racing administrator Theodore John Marks. It is spread over land facing the sea. The racecourse was originally donated by Sir Cusrow N Wadia and today it is on lease from the

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), or the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. Salman Khan Is Now Brand Ambassador of BMC from 2016. The BMC is India ...

(MCGM) to Royal Western India Turf Club which runs the racecourse. The

Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators, typically at sports stadiums and including both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium i ...

, off the course, is a designated heritage structure. The racecourse is the only helipad open for civilian use in

South Mumbai South Mumbai, colloquially SoBo from South Bombay in Indian English, administratively the Mumbai City District, is the city centre and the southernmost precinct of Greater Bombay. It extends from Colaba to Mahalaxmi (Western side), Byculla ...

Overview

The horse racing season starts in mid-November and ends in the last week of April. On the first Sunday in February, the Indian Derby is conducted annually and is attended by many of the city's glitterati. Between 1984 and 2022, the Derby was sponsored by liquor baron Vijay Mallya's UB Group under the name of flagship company McDowells Co. Ltd. as The McDowell's Indian Derby. The common Mumbaikar has access to the racecourse in the mornings and evenings during specified timings for exercising, walking or jogging in the inner lane of the main horse race track. The racecourse has also transformed many common Mumbaikars to Marathoners. Yoga sessions akin to

tai chi is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...

are conducted in the garden situated within the race-track during the common permissible timings, akin to "

Happy Valley Racecourse The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road. The capacit ...

" in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Lessons for

horse-riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...

are also provided by Amateurs Riders Club. In the evenings, dogs are also allowed to be walked, but one has to check the permissibility. On weekends it is common to find Aero-Modelling hobbyists flying planes on the polo ground, performing aerial acrobats with motorized radio-controlled planes during non-racing days. The ground is also used as a heli-pad. Lately, they have even started with providing newspapers in the morning to the joggers.

99-year lease debate

The land on which the racetrack sits was leased to the Royal Western India Turf Club for 99 years, ended in 31 May 2013. Some people feel the land should be converted into a public park. Others are sceptical about the park plan and feel it will become full of slums and encroachments. The state government favors leasing out the racecourse for another 30 years. It is currently leased for Rs 56 lakh/year. The new rates will be Rs 42 crore/year and increase every 5 years.

Arguments for maintaining the racecourse

* It currently employs 5000 people. * The state government collects Rs. 50 crore/year in betting tax from the 43 race days. *The Turf club maintains entire land including the walking and jogging track at no cost to the BMC or state government. * The lawns are rented out for weddings and other outdoor events.

References

External links

Mahalaxmi Racecourse, webpage
at '' Royal Western India Turf Club'' {{Tourist attractions in Mumbai Horse racing venues in India Sports venues in Mumbai 1883 establishments in India Tourist attractions in Mumbai