HORSERACING IN CYPRUS – NICOSIA RACECOURSE
Horseracing is not something that immediately springs to mind when you think of Cyprus – an island more commonly associated with ancient ruins, watersports, sunbathing and clubbing in Agia Napa. However, Cyprus is a wonderful place of contrasts and genuinely has a wide variety of attractions and recreational pursuits to offer the tourist and permanent resident alike. An intriguing part of this menu of delights is the Nicosia Racecourse, once described by ‘The Sporting Life’ of London as “the most picturesque in the world”.
‘Sunjet‘, the magazine of Cyprus Airways, says that this may seem an exaggerated claim until you actually spend a day at the track. With the sun shining brilliantly (which is almost every day in Cyprus), illuminating the reds, blues and greens of the jockeys’ silks as they perch precariously over the glistening hides of the tawny mares, the black two year olds and the speckled longshots, the opinion seems less overstated. The powdery brown turf and the lush green of the date palms contrast strikingly with the dusty blues of the Kyrenia mountains, providing the perfect rugged backdrop beneath a cloudless sky ‘
The Nicosia Race Club is the only organisation in Cyprus authorized to organise horse races in Cyprus and accept bets on them. All races take place at the Nicosia Racecourse in Ayios Dometios, a suburb of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
Races are organised on Sundays and most Wednesdays in winter and spring and on Wednesdays and most Saturdays in the Summer and Autumn. Races are also organised on most major holidays. To check on the racing programme for the current and coming months visit www.nicosiaraceclub.com.cy. There are 10 races in each meeting.
Bets are accepted under the betting rules of the Club, up to the last second before the start of each race at the track or at one of the over 100 authorised betting agents.
All races are broadcast live by the Alpha TV-station. Probable pays are also broadcast live by the same station in the Teletext pages 701-706.
Racing in Cyprus is governed by the rules of racing of the Cyprus Turf Club, which are based on the Rules of Racing of the Jockey Club of Great Britain. The Nicosia Race Club is the owner of the Nicosia Racecourse and its buildings which underwent an extensive programme of renovation and upgrading in 1997. Recently a floodlighting system was installed to allow racing to continue into the early evening. Racing under floodlighting is a magnificent spectacle!
Visitors are welcome and special group visits in private facilities can be arranged upon telephone request.
Organised racing in Cyprus has a longer history than is generally known, some say since around 1878. At that time several government departments, such as the police, used horses extensively in their day-to-day work duties. It seemed natural that they might wish to organise competitions amongst themselves – so that is how organised racing started in Cyprus.
For a complete background on the horseracing scene in Cyprus you can visit the website www.nicosiaraceclub.com.cy
