Thoroughbreds gear up for RTC Magic Million Cup

File photo of the RTC Magic Million Cup winner HERE AND NOW with local jockey L. Ravi Kumar

The RTC Magic Million Cup 2025, scheduled to take place at the iconic Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya on April 27 will be the final and curtain-lower raceday of Royal Turf Club’s (RTC) April Horseracing Festival 2025.

The RTC Magic Million Cup, the main race of the day, is the most thrilling and exciting race with a strong lineup of runners. 

The RTC Magic Million Cup 2025 will consist of five races, with the first, The Supreme Dominator Trophy, a 1,070 metres handicap race, set to flag off at 11:00 a.m. with a field of five runners. 

The second race of the day, The Alcazaba Trophy, named after the famed chestnut mare Queen of Nuwara Eliya, will follow next at 11:30 a.m. with a card of four runners who will vie for glory on a 1,400 metres course. 

The Multifaceted Trophy, a handicap race run over a distance of 1,400 metres at 12:00 noon, will be a battle among three famed runners. 

The Racing Academy Trophy, a handicap race run over 1,600 metres, will include five contenders and will flag off at 12:30 p.m. prior to the main race of the day, the RTC Magic Million Cup.  

The RTC Magic Million Cup Raceday 2025 includes a card of five races with well-known and seasoned thoroughbred horses in action. The main event, the RTC Magic Million Cup, run over 1,800 metres, will be the cynosure of the day. With a field of six runners, namely ‘Here and Now’, ‘Eddie the Eagle’, ‘Square the Circle, ‘Crack of Dawn’, ‘Cosmic Feeling’ and ‘Pink Jasmine’, the season culmination is expected to be far more exciting than anticipated.

All eyes will be on the title holder, ‘Here and Now’, but coming out fresh after winning the prestigious RTC Governor’s Cup on April 15, the combination of ‘Eddie the Eagle’ with Indian jockey M.S. Deora up could be a deadly threat. With local jockey L. Ravi Kumar expected to navigate ‘Here and Now’, the rest of the field could anticipate nothing but sheer competition. 

Another top contender will be ‘Cosmic Feeling’, who finished second behind ‘Eddie the Eagle’ at the RTC Governor’s Cup with Indian jockey P.S. Kaviraj up. ‘Square the Circle’, who won the RTC Queen’s Cup a fortnight ago, will be another challenger, this time combined with Indian jockey P. Vikram taking the saddle. ‘Pink Jasmine’, who placed third in the Governor’s Cup as ‘Pink Lotus’ and ‘Crack of Dawn’, who also claimed a third-place finish at the Queen’s Cup, are the two remaining runners that could spark a surprise.

The RTC Magic Million Cup 2025, the third and final raceday of RTC’s April Horseracing Festival 2025, comes after two successful events that were held previously, also as part of the annual Nuwara Eliya holiday season. With the commitment to promote professional horseracing and sports tourism in Sri Lanka, the RTC annually plans over 10 high-scale racedays annually. 

RTC’s April Horseracing Festival kicked off with the Sport Tourism Raceday on March 28, followed by the hallowed RTC Governor’s Cup Raceday on April 15. The entire RTC April Horseracing Festival 2025 was proudly sponsored by Edwards Collection Luxury Villas, one of Sri Lanka’s top-end luxury boutiques and villas chains.