Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby on February 1
By Vinayak Zodge
MUMBAI
The 84th edition of the blue-riband of Indian Turf, the Indian Derby (Gr.1), has been rechristened Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby (Gr.1), with Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla assuming the mantle of sponsorship. The Indian Derby, which occupies the pride of place as the mother of all Derbies in the country, is scheduled to be run on Sunday, February 1, at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.
In a continuation of their support, seen with the Pune Derby and the Indian Oaks this year, it marks the Poonawalla family’s first association in many years with this prestigious event. The stakes money for this mega-event stands at around ₹4 crore. The race has been named in honour of late Villoo C. Poonawalla, wife of Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla.
The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) has planned an exciting weekend carnival featuring a variety of activities curated by Poona Cartel on both days —Saturday (January 31) and Sunday (February 1) — at the Members’ Enclosure.
“The Indian Derby is the biggest race on the Indian racing calendar for the entire racing fraternity, and it is heartening to have Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla sponsoring this prestigious event. I thank them for their support and look forward to welcoming a large number of racing enthusiasts,” Mr. Ram Shroff, Chairman, Stewards of the Club, RWITC, told The Hindu.
