Pune season to begin on Sunday

This picture has been used for representational purposes

After a long wait of over seven months, the sound racehorses' hooves will be heard in western India. The inaugural race card is framed at the Pune racetrack for Sunday (Oct 17). The weights for the opening day's races were published on the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) website on Tuesday. The Delhi Race Club Trophy is billed as the feature event.

With the financial health of the premier race club going from bad to worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators, horse owners and racing professionals have generously stepped forward to contribute to the stakes and other expenses; the club chairman, Zavaray Poonawalla topping the list of donors with R1 crore. Vijay Shirke, the Pune businessman who owns a string of horses, has contributed R50 lakh, leading to a total voluntary collection of R2.68 crore. Surendra Sanas and Mr & Mrs Mehenosh Deboo have, between them, donated 26 cups and trophies.

Due to the inordinately delayed start, this version of the Pune season will be a truncated one. The last day of racing, as per the published sheet prospectus, is Sunday, November 14.

After that, the race club is planning to immediately shift action to the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai where the Indian Turf Invitation Cup (Gr 1), which could not be held due to the Mumbai season being abruptly halted in March, will be an added attraction of the six-month long Mumbai racing season 2021-22.