A midnight race to the finish

Billionaire and prominent horse breeder Zavaray Poonawalla is on a mission to put India on the world racing map. And his latest effort to bring his aim to fruition is re-kindling the tradition of evening racing at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi racecourse. A fiesta that is replete with all the pomp and extravagance usually associated with racing, the Zavaray Poonawalla RWITC Evening Racing season, which kick-starts today, is aimed at not only giving Mumbai’s racing patrons a reason to rejoice, but also to bring many more from the younger generation into its fold of followers.

While horse racing in its modern format may be a Western import into India, the tradition of evening racing, says Zavaray, is purely Asian. “The idea came in the eighties and was adopted more in Asia than in Europe. The most important factor for its success was the weather, since the organisers found it to be much more favourable to conduct races in the evening rather than in the sweltering heat of afternoons in the region.” And while it incorporates all the vigour and sporting excitement of serious horse racing, what sets apart evening racing is its entertainment factor, says Zavaray. “Racing has infinitely improved, especially in the region and now it is associated with much more than just the sport itself. In this season, we’ve gone a step ahead in ensuring a great time for our guests, with a lot of restaurants, food stalls, entertainment, music and all the elements associated with a festivity,” he adds.

But the most eye-catching detail about this year’s season is the prize money. With a winning purse of Rs 3 million and a trophy worth Rs 1 million, Zavaray says that this could well turn out to be one of the costliest prize-purse in Indian sporting world. Telling us about the idea behind such a high winning purse, Zavaray says, “My philosophy in whatever I do has always been to do it in such a way that it becomes a spectacle. But having such high prize money is also symbolic of the racing world in a way. Either ways, when the owners who’ve put a lot of effort into breeding and training their horses pick up the prize money it gives a satisfying turn to the event.”

With dinner, dance and much more planned for the season, which will last till April this year, Zavaray says that the plan is to make it a social occasion more than a sporting event. “In the recent years, interest in racing has stagnated. Not a lot of young people are taking a liking to the sport. So we want to make it appealing not only for the existing patrons but also the younger generation. Watching a spectacle such as racing seated in AC and under the stars is satisfying in itself, but we’ve planned it to be a festive occasion and also a social event.”

While it is a remarkable occasion for the sport in India, the start of the evening racing also marks the culmination of a 25-year long dream for Zavaray. He adds, “When I started out I wanted to accomplish three things— first was to be a champion breeder, which I accomplished in the 90s. The second was to make Indian horses acclaimed world-wide. This was realised when our indigenously bred champion horse Astonish wowed racing enthusiasts worldwide during an international racing event in Hong Kong. Some of our other horses such as Mystical and Saddle-Up have also acquired worldwide renown. The third dream was to organise an evening racing event in the country, which is seeing fruition now with the RWITC season.”

This year’s season will be kick started with a grand opening ceremony on Saturday evening, which will also witness a special opening race. Highlights of the season, according to Zavaray will be the numerous restaurant pop ups and exotic cocktails that will ensure merriment and will be in free flow during the event.

Opening ceremony- On January 9, 4.30 pm; First opening race- On January 9, 7.30 pm At the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mahalaxmi Website: www.rwitc.com Contact: 022-23071441/1407/1401