Coveted RTC Governor’s Cup to illuminate Nuwara Eliya on Wednesday
View(s):The 2026 edition of RTC Governor’s Cup will get underway on April 15, the day following Sinhala and Tamil New Year, at the picturesque Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya. With new partnerships and exciting rivalry on the course, the century-old horseracing event will be rebranded as BetSS RTC Governor’s Cup 2026, with the assurance of an exciting raceday as anticipated annually during the holiday season since 1910.
Organised and conducted by the Royal Turf Club (RTC), with the expertise of overseas horseracing officials and local talent and support staff, the BetSS RTC Governor’s Cup will include a card of five races, with the first set to flag off at 11:00am. Out of the list, the most followed and eagerly anticipated races of the day will be the BetSS Governor’s Cup, and the BetSS Queen’s Cup.
The excitement of Governor's Cup will fill Nuwara Eliya on April 15
“The Royal Turf Club remains committed to advancing horseracing in Sri Lanka, not only as a sport but as a powerful platform to promote tourism and economic vitality in the hill country. With five thrilling races on the card, we are proud to offer an unforgettable experience that blends excitement, tradition, and national pride. We are grateful to our sponsors, participants, and supporters whose trust and generosity continue to drive this vision forward,” Nisitha Rupasinghe, the Treasurer of RTC said.
The Governor’s Cup, the main race of the day, will be run over 1800 metres with the country’s leading Class I thoroughbred horses set to compete for glory. In the 2025 edition, when the RTC Governor’s Cup was sponsored by Edwards Collections Luxury Villas, the main cup was claimed by Eddie the Eagle of Jayaratne’s Stables, who was steered cleverly by Indian jockey M.S. Deora, against Deepthika Jayakody’s Cosmic Feeling, ridden by P.S. Kaviraj. The Queen’s Cup, the country’s lengthiest race run with a distance of 2000 metres, was won by a fresh import then, Square the Circle, owned by Hasanga and Paba Jayaratne with M.S. Deora sweeping the board in 2025.