Full GALLOP: At the races. A Telegraph picture

This weekend, raise a toast to the country’s finest thoroughbreds in full gallop — on home turf.

The Indian Turf Invitation Cup Weekend Races, “the Grand Slam” of the country’s horse-racing calendar, is back at the Calcutta race course after a 12-year break, this weekend.

Started in 1963 to identify champion runners over specific distances, the Invitation Cup trots around five racing centres — Mumbai (Royal Western India Turf Club), Bangalore (Bangalore Turf Club), Chennai (Madras Race Club), Hyderabad (Hyderabad Race Club) and Calcutta (Royal Calcutta Turf Club).

The last edition independently hosted by the RCTC was way back in 1995. “We had to co-host the event with Bangalore in 2000 because of industrial relations problems at our club. We are glad to have it back exclusively this year. This is a rare opportunity to catch some of India’s best horses scorching the Calcutta turf,” says RCTC secretary Boman Parakh.

The showpiece race of the 45th edition (March 10-11), the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, will be run on Sunday over the traditional Derby distance of 2,400 metres, for four-year-olds only.

“The Invitation weekend is the most distinguished weekend on the Indian racing calendar, since only a proven horse can take part. It’s very much like the Masters in golf or the Champions League in soccer,” observes Cyrus Madan, racing expert and steward, RCTC.

Revelation in 1985, Desert Warrior in 1990, Elusive Pimpernel in 1995… Who’ll canter to the crown in Invitation Cup 2007?

For the diehards, there’s the added zing of watching Mystical, last year’s winner in Bangalore and needing just one more victory to make the cut for this year’s Dubai World Cup.

The Sprinters’ Cup, featuring the champion sprinters of the country, will be run on Saturday over 1,200 metres. The Stayers’ Cup — the marathon over 3,000 metres for four-year-olds and above — and the Japan Trophy, an exchange race over 1,400 metres between India and Japan (for three-year-olds only), will also be run on Saturday. The Super Mile Cup, a race over 1,600 metres, is scheduled for Sunday.

“We will have an Awards Function, to recognise the efforts of the champion owner, jockey, trainer, breeder and horse over the 12-month period ending on October 31, 2006. A Hall of Fame Award for outstanding contribution to the sport will be given to Deepak Khaitan,” declares Parakh.

The gala weekend, featuring a guest list of 1,000-plus, with around 400 outstation delegates, including two from Japan, is also being used as an opportunity by RCTC to hold a joint meeting of the turf authorities, besides conclaves of the various committees.