The Mahalaxmi Racecourse is a horse racing track in

Mahalaxmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

neighbourhood of

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

. 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. Built in 1883 and modelled on the Caulfield Racecourse in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, 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 (MCGM) to Royal Western India Turf Club which runs the racecourse. The Grandstand, off the course, is a designated heritage structure. The racecourse is the only helipad open for civilian use in South Mumbai.

Overview

The horse racing season starts in mid-November and ends in the last week of April. On the first Sunday in February, the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

is conducted annually and is attended by many of the city's glitterati. Since the year 1986 till date

McDowell's Indian Derby The Indian Derby is an annual Thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred horse race. It is run over 2,400-metres and held on the first Sunday of February at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. History The "Indian Derby" is the premier horse racin ...

has been 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 are conducted in the garden situated within the race-track during the common permissible timings, akin to " Happy Valley Racecourse" in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

. Lessons for horse-riding 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, ending 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 public is allowed to walk and run on the track 6 months per year, when there are no horse races *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