STABLES
In the yesteryears, Trainers at Calcutta made their own arrangements for stabling. The stables were either on their self-owned premises or on rented land spread over from Ballygunge to Alipore. The present day stables at No. 2 Bakery Road, came into existence only in the year 1934 when the Club built its own stables at Hastings. The stables are spread over an area of 7 acres 12 cottahs approximately. Originally, 250 stables divided into yards of approximately 20 stalls each with their own rolling rings, fodder and tack rooms were built.
Over the years a lot of changes have taken place. The number of stables has gone upto 361 with the introduction of the Griffin Block, which was built and named after the famous Griffin Schemes which were intended to assist the small Owners who might not have had any contact in England or Australia to import horses. As such, the Club would through its London Office, place orders with the Bloodstock Agents for three/four year olds at an average price which would then be shipped to Calcutta. These were then stabled at the Griffin Block till such time they were auctioned or ballotted out to Owners interested in purchase of horses. Today, Hastings Stables accommodate 361 horses split into 16 yards with their own rolling rings, fodder and tack rooms. The average size of the stalls is 12” x 11”. Apart from the accommodation for horses, the stables also provide living accommodation to Apprentice Jockeys, riding boys and Syces. The living accommodation for the Apprentice Jockeys is located on the first floor of the Griffin Block. About 92 rooms are provided for the Syces on a sharing basis. The R.C.T.C. also runs a Dispensary at the stables which is operational everyday after morning track work. The Veterinary Hospital is also located within the premises of the stables and is looked after by a competent Senior Veterinary Officer assisted by other Veterinary Officers. Apart from the routine treatment and minor surgeries, blood samples are also taken and sent to the Ranbaxy Laboratory in the city for various types of analysis. There is a lounge for race horse Owners where they can come with their families and spend a pleasant evening, watching the horses they own.
The Security of the stables
is maintained by a highly professionally acclaimed Security
Agency.
RULES GOVERNING THE ADMITTANCE OF
1.
Visiting Hours :
Monsoon 7.30 a.m. to
9.30 a.m.
4.00
p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Winter
7.30
a.m. to 10.00 a.m.
4.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Cars and visitors must enter Hastings Stables by the
Bakery Road gate. Speed limit inside
the Stables for all mechanically propelled vehicles 15 K.P.H.
2.
Owners with passes and
pass-holders
Owners
with passes and pass-holders will be admitted during visiting hours on
production of their passes issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C. These are valid from 1st May to
30 April in the following year.
Admission to R.C.T.C. Stables will only be granted to those in
possession of Stable passes. Any
visitor who wishes to enter R.C.T.C. Stables and who is not in possession of a
Stable Pass, must be signed in by an Official, Owner, Trainer and in his
absence by his Jemadar or Jockey. In
exceptional circumstances, if an Owner has not brought his pass with him, he
may be allowed to enter the Stables provided the Stable Security Staff at the
gate recognize him; the Stable Register, in such circumstances, will be signed
by the trainer immediately after. The
names of Visitors should be entered in block capitals in addition to the
signatures.
Note :
From 8 a.m. on the day preceding a race day to the end of the race day
in question, no visitors will be allowed to be signed in.
3.
Visitors
Under no other
circumstances are visitors (other than owners) to be admitted to R.C.T.C. Stables
until they have been signed in at the Entrance gate by the Trainer
concerned. It is not permitted for
the visitors to enter the Stables and to be signed in after his entry.
If an owner wishes to visit a stable at any time outside the visiting hours, he may do so if accompanied by his trainer.
If an owner wishes to take his family or friends to the stables during visiting hours, he must accompany them and legibly enter his own and their names in the visitors book which is kept at the entrance gate.
Owners passes will only be issued to persons who own or part-own a horse stabled with a licensed trainer at the R.C.T.C. stables.
4.
Trainers
A trainer will be admitted at any time on production of his licence issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C.
A trainer is expected to be present at his stable during visiting hours. In circumstances which may prevent him from being present, he must arrange for his Jemadar or such other responsible employee to be left in charge of his stables in his absence.
A trainer’s wife will be admitted during visiting hours on production of a pass issued by the General Manager Racing R.C.T.C. These passes are valid from 1st May to 30th April in the following year.
A trainer may, however, take his wife and children into the stables at any time provided that he accompanied them and legibly enters his own and their names in the visitors book.
A trainer may take guests to the stables during visiting hours, provided that he accompanies them and legibly enters his own and their names in the visitors book.
5.
Jockeys
A jockey will be admitted at any time on production of his licence issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C.
A jockey’s wife will be admitted during visiting hours on production of a pass issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C. These passes are valid from 1st May to 30th April in the following year.
A jockey may take his children to the stables during visiting hours provided that he legibly enters his own and their names in the visitors’ book.
6.
Riding Boys and
Jemadars.
A Riding Boy or Jemadar will be admitted at any time on production of his record book issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C. Wives and families of Riding Boys or Jemadars cannot be admitted to or accommodated in the stables.
7.
Syces.
Syces will be admitted at any time on production of their upto date identification cards. Syces leading horses will not be required to produce their identification cards. New syces and those arriving from outside Calcutta who are not in possession of identification cards will be issued with a temporary disc by the Authorities until such time as identification cards are issued. No one will be allowed to enter the stables area if they cannot produce their identification card/disc. Wives and families of Syces cannot be admitted to or accommodated in the Stables.
8.
Fodder merchants
etc.
A merchant will be admitted during visiting hours to communicate with trainers on production of his pass issued by the General Manager Racing, R.C.T.C./TAC. These passes are valid from 1st May to 30th April in the following year.
Deliveries of fodder etc., must be made between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3.oo p.m. The merchant must be present when deliveries are made and for this purpose will be admitted between the above hours on production of his pass.
No deliveries of fodder etc., will be permitted on a race day.
Merchants are reminded that their passes are issued so that they may communicate with trainers and be present when deliveries are made.
Any merchant found loitering in the stables will be liable to have his pass withdrawn. Families and friend of merchants will not be admitted.
9.
Employees of fodder
merchants etc.
The Trainers’ Association of Calcutta will issue each merchant with a number of special Admit passes which will be transferable. These passes will admit employees of a pass-holders when accompanied by the merchant from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily, except as specified in Note in Para 2.
The merchant will be responsible for the passes and will only issued them to persons employed by him to bring fodder etc., to the stables.
The merchant will be responsible that his employees leave the stable immediately a delivery has been completed.
The merchant will be liable to have his pass withdrawn if these regulations are not strictly reserved or if the passes issued to him are found to have been used by unauthorized persons.
A pass once revoked or withdrawn will not be re-issued.
10.
Barbers, Moochis,
etc.
Barbers and Moochis etc., will be admitted between the hours of 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. on production of an identification card issued by The Trainers’ Association of Calcutta (Except as specified in note in Para 2).
11.
R.C.T.C. Officials
and employees.
R.C.T.C. Officials and employees of the Club will be admitted at any time. If an Official or employees is not known to the durwans at the entrance, he should enter his name and designation in the visitors’ book.
12. For reasons of security, all stable passes issued with validity upto 30th April, 2005 must be produced at this office for revalidation stamps after 13th October, 2004. It is expressly emphasized that no admission to the R.C.T.C. Stables will be permitted after 15th October, 2004 unless the holders have their passes duly revalidated for the Winter Races 2004/2005.