In races of this nature, they have designated race days which are put into the calendar, one for the Army, one for the Air Force and one for the Navy, and that has continued for many years. The bond between armed forces and the RCTC has grown and become strong at the moment, and I hope the bond will become stronger,” said president of RCTC, Enrico Pierno.

He is also a former tennis player, six-time National Hard Court Champion, silver medallist at Asian Games, 1982 and Coach of both -Indian Davis Cup team (1990-2000) and Fed Cup team (2001-2014).

S P Dharkar – Air Marshal, Air office Commander in Chief, was in charge of distribution of the prizes. He said, “The Air Force uses this as a good outreach mechanism so we both have the IAF cup and EAC cup. The race is not so much a race itself, this is also promoting some kind of outreach, having a wonderful afternoon with so many people and the bright winter mornings adds so much to the fun.”

Air Vice Marshal Rahul Bhasin shared his second-time experience in organising the race on behalf of the Indian Air Force. “Every year, these two races are conducted and since 1996 it’s been held at RCTC,” he said.

Established during the British Raj, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club has held the pivotal role of overseeing every facet of horse racing in Kolkata since its inception. The club occupies a sprawling 200-acre land with well-defined boundaries. With a rich history spanning more than 175 years, it remains a venerable institution in the realm of Indian horse racing.

(The reporter is an intern with The Indian Express, Kolkata)