Delhi Race Club demolition begins, ending horse racing at 53-acre venue

Demolition began at the Delhi Race Club hours after the Centre took possession of its premises. The move signals the end of horse racing at the historic venue even as the club's eviction appeal remains pending.दिल्ली के मशहूर रेस क्लब पर गुरुवार को बुलडोजर चल गया. (Photo-PTI)Demolition work began at the Delhi Race Club on Thursday morning, shortly after the Centre took possession of its 53-acre premises on Lok Kalyan Marg, bringing horse racing at the century-old institution to an end. Club officials said several key racing structures, including the stables and bookmakers' ring, were pulled down.The action followed a Patiala House Court order on Tuesday dismissing the club's plea for an interim stay on the August 11 eviction order passed by an estate officer under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. The club's main appeal against the eviction order is due to come up for final disposal on September 26.A club official said bulldozers brought down several structures at the venue, including the stables, winning post, photo finish camera, saddling enclosure and other facilities linked to horse racing in Delhi. "It was a deeply disturbing sight for anyone who has been associated with the club and racing," a source associated with the club said.The official said the club had more than 250 horses, of which around 200 had been taken back by their owners, while about 50 were still at the club. "We have been given time till September 14 to sort everything out. We are planning to send the remaining horses to their owners in the next one or two weeks," he said. Renovated in the 1940s, the club's stables were designed to protect horses from Delhi's summer conditions. "This place was built very meticulously to shield the horses from the heat and keep the stables ventilated," the official said. Sources told PTI that every few days, a horse float leaves the racecourse carrying racehorses to new homes at racing centres across the country. The thoroughbreds are valued between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, depending on pedigree and racing record.The legal dispute started in March, when the Land and Development Office asked the club to vacate the government land within 15 days, saying it was needed for public purposes. The club challenged the order in the Delhi High Court. On May 26, a division bench set aside an interim order that had stayed the show-cause proceedings, allowing the eviction process to continue. On August 11, the estate officer ordered the club to vacate the 53.24-acre premises within 15 days, holding that the lease had expired on December 31, 1994, and had not been renewed. The Centre said the lease, executed on March 8, 1926, was temporary and remained valid through periodic extensions till December 31, 1994, after which the club stayed on the land in unauthorised occupation from January 1, 1995.With demolition under way, horses being moved out and the legal challenge still pending, the Delhi Race Club's long association with horse racing has entered its final stage.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 27, 2026 23:16 IST