The Indian Turf Invitation Cup may have lost its Classic status but it has grown in stature, in most respects, thanks to the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC). It is no secret that RCTC was the biggest driving force behind getting the format changed – from a Classic meant for four-year-olds only, to its present format – a weight for age race, without penalties. Memories about the stunning defeat of Prince Pradeep at the hands of Hovercraft are still alive and it will remain so until the brain`s hard disk does not get corrupted, or formatted. Equally precious are memories about the victories of Midnight Cowboy, Elusive Pimpernel, down to Southern Empire -- the champion galloper who swept the opposition in the last edition of the Invitation Cup at the RCTC`s race ground.

Memories are also precious about those old good days and also RCTC`s slide from the number one position, and climb back. Not long ago, the club was heading for degradation, which may have cost the premier and elite institution, the recognition as one of the five turf authorities in the country. In pre-independence era, RCTC is known to have controlled about 150 race clubs, including the ones in Pakistan, Burma and the other neighboring countries, ruled by Great Britain. It was mainly because of club`s poor finances, thanks to some corrupt administrators who cared for the self rather than anything else.

Old-timers still vouch for days when the thoroughbred racing in RCTC was at its zenith. Even some of us grew up watching champions like Pa Bear, Mossy Bear and the Queen`s visit as Galstauns, Goswells, Rylands, and hoard of natives schoolers like Hajees, Puttannas, Davids, Cracknells and Shri Charans played second fiddles to the big names even as Fownes were finding the going tough, in those years.

We also watched and admired the talents of Alfords, Reubens, Remedios and many more growing in stature across the country. We never even dreamt of fall from the grace, until most of names mentioned had finished playing their innings and retired, or migrated for greener pastures. Odds-on favourites going to the start would stir us all; leave alone the half-money favourutes who were few and far between.

Fownes took over in late 70` and prospered but they, too, used the RCTC as a platform for upswing and deserted RCTC, opening the gates of success for professionals like Corners, Davids, Rehamtullas, Inayathullas, Robins, Birds, Gowlis and lot more. All of them were a committed lot but lacked the magic of their predecessors.

The style of racing by then had also changed with the time. Favourites, odds-on, were abundant and the scoring rate was also high. The transition may have kept some big backers in high spirit but the spirit of the sport started a slide.
Simultaneously, followed the MAMs and Khaitans factor and their emergence as a big force that completely changed the complexion of the game. The healthy rivalry between the two did not ruin the sport but the sneaking entry of some unscrupulous professionals and owners paved way for the decline from which the RCTC failed to recover for about two decade.

The early 90`s and a bulk of next decade was a disaster. The club was left with a good number of ‘B` Grade trainers as Corners called it a day, and David, handed over the mantle to his next generation. The jockeys` front was also in shambles, as the second generation of Alfords was still to mature while Javeds and Johns were struggling to make their marks.

The entry Singh brothers – Vijay and Bharath, combined with crooked professionals suffering setbacks, was a welcome change. However, it took long for RCTC to improve it`s portfolio as the club became a battle ground for the two heavy-weights, causing an exodus of small owners. The factor did worry the club no end even as various schemes to recover the lost ground hardly worked.

To make the matters worse, the club also had to cope up with dreaded horse diseases like equine Anemia and followed it by another epidemic flu across the country, albeit much later.

The sales and development of prime properties, transformed RCTC`s fortunes. The cleaning up operation, taken up by a young and energetic team of stewards, headed by Cyrus Madan, not only arrested most of drainages of finances, it also managed to lure heavyweights of other turf clubs as the small owners also made a return to race their wards under the RCTC`s rules of racing. With significantly hike in stakes, which attracted big guns and trainers from the prospering turf centers, the pendulum started swinging, once again.

It is no secret that about 60 per cent of horse parked in the Hastings stables are imports from the western India and the southern centers, the quality of horse-flesh and racing is on the up. All classes are also strengthened and the regular visits of outstation jockeys has made the competition very tough. The momentum is expected to continue and the RCTC`s march towards a better future is on the cards.