As the horses round the last bend, the crowd starts shouting, their cries crescendoing into deafening cheers as the jockeys bear down on the finish line.
"The Deacon" noses across the line in first place and a man leaps in the air, frantically waving his arms, clutching in his hand the winning betting slip.
Horse racing is a virtual religion in Mauritius and the Champ de Mars racecourse its temple.
The 200-year-old track in the centre of the capital Port Louis has long been a lure for people from across the island's hotchpotch of cultures: Hindus, Muslims, Tamils, Chinese, Creoles and descendants of British and French settlers.
In many ways, the history of horse racing in Mauritius reflects the multi-ethnic history of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation from the colonial era to today.
Horse racing was introduced by British colonialists in 1812 and turned out to be a rare example of "equine diplomacy" -- and one in which the results far exceeded expectations.
Known as "Isle de France" during its 95 years as a French protectorate, Mauritius was surrendered to the British in 1810 after a long battle for control over the Indian Ocean trade routes.
The new British governor, Robert Farquhar, had a French wife and was eager to maintain good relations with the Franco-Mauritian settlers who ran the island's economy.
Farquhar decided to organise the first horse races in Port Louis on a former French military training ground "to bring the English and French together on neutral ground, to improve the mood in the country," said Khalid Rawat, deputy manage of the Mauritius Turf Club.
The track's opening was announced to the white settlers on June 15, 1812, but when the first three races were held 10 days later, organisers were amazed to find "the entire population of the island" attending.
"It wasn't just the French and the English who were there," Rawat said.
"All the different communities on the island were given the opportunity to visit the Champ de Mars and witness this new spectacle."
With this, the Mauritius Turf Club was born, believed to be the third oldest racing club in the world.
Two centuries later, the passion is undimmed. The four major races of the year such as the Maiden Cup -- the Mauritian equivalent of England's prestigious Epsom Derby -- still attract tens of thousands of spectators.
