The Ghostly Legend of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club

In the misty mornings on Saturday, some talk about seeing the ghost of one of the former horses of the The Royal Calcutta Turf Club, still racing, long after losing the title of being the Queen of Track.

The club is a horse racing organization founded back during the British Raj in 1847. It became the forefront runner for all horses racing on the subcontinent that decided the rules of the game as well as hosting polo matches. The races at Royal Calcutta Turf Club were seen as the most important events to socialize and always opened by the Viceroy of India.

Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India

Today, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club is still in operation as a private club and holds races in Kolkata Race Course in Maidan with most races held on Saturdays.

The Ghost Haunting the Royal Calcutta Turf Club

Legend has it that within the grounds of the Turf Club, there is a ghost roaming the old tracks. The ghost is not human though, but rather a white horse that was once known as the Queen of Tracks.

The tale traces back to the heyday of George Williams in the 1930s when there were high stakes and a lot of money to be made at the races at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.

In the misty mornings on Saturday, some talk about seeing the ghost of one of the former horses of the The Royal Calcutta Turf Club, still racing, long after losing the title of being the Queen of Track. — **The Royal Calcutta Turf Club:** Royal Calcutta Turf Club Race Stands on Viceroy’s Cup Day in 1910.// Wikimedia

Williams was a man consumed by an insatiable passion for horse racing. Williams, a regular patron of the Turf Club and owner of several horses, was known for his prized possession: a magnificent white stallion named Pride. Or was Pride really a stallion, sources varies, calling the horse she as well at times.

Pride was no ordinary horse; he was a symbol of Williams’ glory days at the racetrack, winning him race after race with unmatched speed and grace. According to the legend, Williams loved his horse more than anything, including his own family and spent all of his time in the stables.

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However, as time wore on, Pride’s once-mighty strides faltered, and he began to show signs of age and weakness. Despite his diminishing prowess, Williams remained fiercely loyal to his equine companion, refusing to retire him from the track. It is said that in the final match of the Annual Calcutta Derby, the horse lost and Williams also lost a fortune that day.

Tragedy struck one fateful day when Pride was discovered lifeless on the racecourse. According to the story, the horse was found with bullet wounds in the head and it was believed that Williams had killed the horse as it was no longer winning races, as the tradition was. Some even said the horse was killed in drunken frustration by Williams when he lost his money.

Sir William’s White Horse Haunting the Track

It was not the last race for Pride though if we are to believe the stories. Locals whispered of seeing a ghostly apparition – a glowing white horse – galloping across the racecourse on moonlit Saturday nights, its ethereal presence a haunting reminder of Pride’s untimely demise.

The locals know of this spirit as “William Saheb er Sada Ghora” – or “Sir William’s white horse.”