Sundown racings gets thumbs up - By Usman Rangeela I Mirror
Posted on - 21 Apr 2015
Sundown racings gets thumbs up
By Usman Rangeela
Mumbai Mirror
After lying in a state of inertia for years, the Royal Western India Turf Club literally created an incredible scene at the racecourse last weekend. Since India's premier turf institution had made public its ambitious plan to conduct horse-racing after the sunset for the first time in the country, the Mahalaxmi Race Course suddenly became the centre of attraction.
And when the moment of reckoning finally arrived and the floodlights were turned on, there was nothing but euphoria on the turf lawns. Unlike the crowd witnessed on the Indian Derby day, there were many first-timers seen rubbing shoulders with the usual racegoers who had come with their families including children to attend this historic event.
Once the RWITC's top brass was done with the formalities of flagging off the event, there was nothing but festivity and celebrations on the lawns as a feisty crowd got treated with an awesome display of equine competition under floodlights. Needless to say that the party went on till late in the night.
WILLING SPONSORS
Such was the response to the inaugural night racing event that it would be an understatement to say that the Khushroo Dhunjibhoy led RWITC administration was just elated and it took some time for this feeling to sink in.
The media coverage and the public's positive reaction have helped the RWITC realise the unlimited possibilities night racing offers them to take the game to a different level. There was more surprise in store for the turf club even on the sponsorship front. After a prolonged period of in-house support mostly from race-horse and stud-farm owners plus some one off sponsorships, Cambay Tigers, a seafood chain, were thrilled at the prospect of associating with a historic event in the city. Soon after the club finalised the first two day's sponsorship, they were beseeched by other corporate entities too. The club found itself in a piquant situation as they had planned the two-day fiesta as trials only.
Audi, the German car-maker, found merit in being associated with this marquee event and eventually forced RWITC to extend its night-racing programme to the concluding weekend.
Earlier, despite a lot of hardselling, no corporate was willing to take a chance of sponsoring horseracing. But one stunning event has changed RWITC's course.
SLEEPING GIANT
The thrills of night-racing were not only enjoyed by Mumbaikars, it excited the taste buds of race-goers from Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mysore who experienced the thrilling sport too.
Back home, now that the fear of night-racing being rejected is over, the RWITC wants to keep the momentum going. Hence, despite an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the club scheduled for Saturday evening, the RWITC's managing committee has given its consent to have another round of sundown racing.
Kudos to Ram Shroff and his team for executing this project while Bajaj Electricals deserve a mention for providing end-to-end solutions in lightening up the racecourse.
Now that a new chapter has been written in its history, it's time for the RWITC committee members to keep their political differences aside for the sake of the institution and the sport.
For, the sleeping giant has just woken up.
