Champ de Mars Racecourse

Champ de Mars

Maiden Cup 2006 - To The Line, winner of the race
Location	Port Louis, Mauritius
Coordinates	20°10′09″S 57°30′36″E / 20.169159°S 57.510089°E / -20.169159; 57.510089Coordinates: 20°10′09″S 57°30′36″E / 20.169159°S 57.510089°E / -20.169159; 57.510089
Owned by	Mauritius Turf Club
Date opened	1812
Race type	Flat
Notable races	Maiden Cup
Official website

Champ de Mars Port Louis 1880

The Champ de Mars Racecourse is a race track in Port Louis, Mauritius, for thoroughbred horse races located close to the center of the city, at the Mauritius Turf Club (M.T.C).

The Mauritius Turf Club was founded in 1812, making it the oldest horse-racing club in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the oldest in the world. ^[1][2] On 25 June of the same year, the Champ de Mars racecourse was inaugurated and the first organized race meeting in the history of the island was held. The Champ de Mars track follows a very selective right hand oval path and is relatively small in size, with a circumference of 1,298 meters (4,258.5 ft) and width between 12 and 14 meters (39 and 46 feet). The home-straight extends uphill and is 225 meters (738 ft) long.

Thoroughbred racing is the most popular sport on the island and the electrifying ambiance on race days, notably during the Maiden Cup.

References

1. ^ Mauritius - Not Only Stamps
2. ^ The Mauritius Turf Club