Founded in 1812, the Champ de Mars Racecourse is the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere and the second-oldest in the world. Located in Mauritius’ capital of Port Louis, the track held its first races in June 1812, the same year that British forces took over the island from the French.
In the 19th century, the only permanent boxes at the Champ de Mars were those reserved for the Governor, the Mayor of Port Louis and MTC officials. During the past decades, new facilities were added while retaining the colonial aspects of the racecourse.
