Colombo Racecourse ( si, කොළඹ තුරඟ තරඟ පිටිය) is a historical

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

course in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. During the Second World War, it was used as a temporary airfield. In 2012, it was redeveloped as the Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex to become the first International Rugby Union ground in Sri Lanka to host all the national rugby union side's home matches. In 2014, the ground went through a major renovation, which included installation of floodlights and the conversion of a substantial part of the grandstand into a shopping and dining complex. The ground hosted the

2022 SAFF U-17 Championship The 2022 SAFF U-17 Championship was the 7th edition of the SAFF U-17 Championship, an international football competition for men's under-17 national teams organized by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The tournament was took place in Sri ...

History

Horse racing

Officially opened for horse racing in 1893 after it was moved from the Colpitty Race Course, as one of the best in terms of design, facilities, and size in the East. In 1922 a totalisator was installed becoming the first race course in the East to have one. The Colombo Turf Club was based here with its own pavilion and club house next to the grand stand.

Airstrip

Bristol Blenheim - Colombo - Royal Air Force Operations in the Far East, 1941-1945

In late 1941, World War II began in the East. After the fall of Singapore the Royal Navy's East Indies Station was moved to Colombo and then to Trincomalee.

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed

Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon The Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon was a military post created during World War II to form a unified command for all British military, naval and air units in Ceylon. The first to be appointed to this post was Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, whose powers ...

with

Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

John D'Albiac as air officer commanding,

No. 222 Group RAF No. 222 Group was a group of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Formed on 1 September 1941, based at Ceylon. Squadrons were stationed around the Indian Ocean. The group undertook long-range bombing and mine-laying operations that too ...

which was based in Ceylon. The order was given to construct an airfield at the Colombo Racecourse. D S Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture and Lands (later the 1st Prime Minister of Ceylon) was given the task of its construction. Consisting only of a single runway, station headquarters and the officers mess were set up in the bungalows in Cinnamon Gardens and was serviced by a newly established military hospital in the premises of Royal College Colombo. Two squadrons of the Royal Air Force where based at the racecourse. They were

No. 258 Squadron RAF No. 258 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during the First and Second World Wars. History First World War No. 258 Squadron was first formed 25 July 1918 from 523, 525 and 529 Special Duties Flights at Luce Bay near Stranraer, Scotland und ...

with

Hawker Hurricanes The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

and

No. 11 Squadron RAF No. 11 or XI Squadron (sometimes featuring an 'F' to represent its historic fighter role (No. 11(F) or XI(F) Squadron)), is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit" and continues the traditions established by the similarly numbered Royal Fly ...

with Bristol Blenheims. When the Easter Sunday Raid occurred the Japanese bombed the RAF units at RAF Ratmalana yet passed over the Racecourse Airstrip without knowing it existed. This allowed the Hurricanes of No. 11 Squadron to deploy and intercept the Japanese raiders. The Royal Navy also established a Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) here during the duration of the war with the name HMS Bherunda.

882 Naval Air Squadron 882 Naval Air Squadron (882 NAS) was a List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons, Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed as a carrier based fighter squadron in July 1941 and served through the rest of the Second World ...

was based here.

Decline

Following the end of the war the airfield was dismantled, racecourse was reconverted back to a horse racing track. This was greatly affected after gambling and betting was banned in the country in 1956. This resulted in horse racing stopping completely in Colombo thereafter along with Nuwara Eliya Racecourse (which re-opened in 1981). The Colombo Racecourse, the Colombo Turf Club and its grounds were taken over by the government and its large land extent was segmented and distributed to government entities. Southern parts went to the University of Colombo, the northern portion to the

Department of National Archives The Department of National Archives ( Sinhala: ජාතික ලේඛනාරක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව ''jāthika lēkhanārakshana depārthamēnthuwa'') is a government department in Sri Lanka which is the repo ...

while others to the Royal College Sports Complex, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club and sporting bodies. The Grandstand and the Colombo Turf Club building were neglected and used for different purposes. The Sri Lanka Army used it as a temporary garrison from time to time as well as the

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...

used what was left racecourse grounds for landing transport helicopters.

Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex

In 2011 the Urban Development Authority commenced the renovation of the Grand stand and the Colombo Turf Club building. The structures were renovated by the 6th Engineer Services Regiment and Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau. The remaining grounds were redeveloped into Sri Lanka's first international grade Rugby Union grounds.

References

External links

1941-1945 Eastern Travels Part 4
Buildings and structures in Colombo Sports venues in Colombo Military of British Ceylon Airports in Sri Lanka Defunct horse racing venues in Sri Lanka Shopping malls in Sri Lanka Tourist attractions in Colombo World War II sites in Sri Lanka 1893 establishments in Ceylon {{SriLanka-sports-venue-stub