On this day the first horse races were held in India, at Akra near Kolkata.
The city being a base of the British army, hunting, polo and racing were in demand.
The races at Akra were held on an uneven, narrow course that was temporary. Races would also be held in Garden Reach and Barasat later.
Horse racing in the city was interrupted by the appointment of Lord Wellesley as the Governor-General of Bengal, who did not approve of horse racing and banned it. But in 1803, the Bengal Jockey Club was formed and racing was resumed at Akra.
From 1809, the races began to be held at the Maidan, where they are held still.
The club built a new course and a grandstand. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club was subsequently founded in 1847.
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