The Royal Turf Club’s Xmas races concludes 2016’s racing season on a high

The world will celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December as always, but the sleepy little town of Nuwara Eliya began their celebrations on the 11th of December with a Christmas Party at the Race Course - the home of The Royal Turf Club. And what a party it turned out to be. Flying in to grace the occasion was the Minister for Sport The Honourable Dayasiri Jayasekara, and the sporting gent that he is, he readily agreed to come on stage and regale the appreciative audience with two superbly sung songs.

The Yuletide decor simply took your breath away as the Race Course wore a beautiful festive look. The only thing missing was the snow to give it that White Christmas effect!

There was something there for everyone and even the Weather Gods blew the rain and clouds away and the Sun peeked out to provide the perfect setting.

For the Sports buff there were a total of seven races with the feature being the Christmas Gold Cup for horses in the highest class. The bonus was the chance to watch a talented young lady named Rupa who was flown in from India to ride against the boys. She’s a Chennai based professional jockey who has been doing remarkably well in a profession that is dominated by men. For children the interaction with Santa Claus dishing out presents must surely have been the highlight, while for those seeking High Fashion, the Deepthika Jayakody selection more thasn wowed the crowd with models sashaying down the ramp.

On the entertainment side you had Corrine Almeida belting out one number after another to keep the crowds on their feet and as active as the horses on the Track.

But the Christmas spirit at RTC was not just a cosmetic. It went much deeper, touching the very essence and the core of what this festival is all about. It’s about giving, and here leading owners Mr. And Mrs. Edwards committed to the cause by donating the entire Prize Money earned by them on the day to the Cancer Society. Their horses ran their hearts out for this generous and gracious cause and won three races for the Red and Green Sash silks of the Edwards family. RTC joined in by hosting a Christmas Meal for their entire staff and their families making it a day to remember for all.