Villoo C. Poonawalla Pune Derby to be run on October 12
- By Vinayak M. Zodge
This year’s 41st edition of the Grade 1 Pune Derby, sponsored by Mr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla in memory of his late wife Villoo C. Poonawalla and titled as the Villoo C. Poonawalla Pune Derby, is scheduled on Sunday, October 12, at the Pune Racecourse.
This flagship event of the Pune racing season carries a total prize purse exceeding ₹6 million, with the winner’s share amounting to ₹3.7 million.
Over the weekend, there will be 14 races in total — six on Saturday (Oct. 11) and eight on Sunday (Oct. 12).
The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) has lined up a vibrant Derby Weekend Carnival in association with the Poona Cartel, featuring the Cartel Sundowner event with handcrafted cocktails, gourmet food courts and live acts.
Among the nine contenders vying for top honours, trainer Prasanna Kumar’s well-bred colt Prokofiev will look to make amends after a narrow defeat in the Hyderabad Colts Championship last month. He has been shaping well in his morning trials and appears set to make a strong bid for the coveted title.
Zacharias, trained by Pesi Shroff, who finished a close second to Baychimo in his last start, has been moving nicely in his recent workouts. He seems to be in good condition and is expected to run a bold race this time.
Baychimo, trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, the winner of the prestigious S.A. Poonawalla Million, continues to maintain his form and may repeat.
The lone filly in this star-studded field, Golden Dancer, trained by Dallas Todywalla, is an eye-catching contender. She registered an emphatic victory in her last start and has been showing tremendous promise in her recent workouts.
With her fluent action and fighting spirit, she looks capable of taking on her male rivals with confidence.
Gunsmoke, who hails from Malesh Narredu’s yard, ran a game third in his previous start. The colt has been moving impressively in his morning workouts and appears to have improved further. He could be the dark horse of the race and may well turn the tables if things go his way.
