Champ de Mars Racecourse

The Stables
In the 19th century when racing was in the early stages of its development, horses entered for an event were transferred from the owners’ stables to Port Louis the day before and sometimes even on the race day itself. For better control training facilities were built next to the racecourse. The stables officially registered with the Mauritius Turf Club could use these facilities for training purposes. Traditionally, the Stables were named after the nominators or managers. At the beginning of the 20th century, about five stables were in competition. The oldest in Mauritius is the Gujadhur Stable which has been in existence for more than a century. From the mid 1980s, eight to ten stables were in competition and seven freelance trainers competed throughout the whole racing season. Today there are twelve stables and about 400 thoroughbreds compete during the racing season. At the end of their racing career in Mauritius, the horses are transferred to riding schools.

The Track
The Champ de Mars track follows a very selective right hand oval path. It is 1298m in circumference and 11m to 13m wide - it is a relatively small track. Races are run on distances from 990m to 2400m. The Draper’s Mile (1500m), was named after the “father” of the club who actively promoted horse-racing on the island. The track has been constantly improved since 1812 to offer horses a better galloping surface.