Evening Racing to light up Mumbai racing on Saturday - By Vivek Jain
Posted on - 08 Jan 2016
Evening Racing to light up Mumbai racing on Saturday
By Vivek Jain
The glamour of evening racing, or racing under lights, returns to Mahalakshmi and how! With a media blitz and a mouth watering card, we debut with the return of “night” racing, the more popular name for it under the glare of the fraternity, on Saturday.
Thanks to the munificence of Zavaray Poonawalla, our apprehension of its financial viability gets addressed to a large extent. The evening racing group has not left a stone unturned to make it a big bang start. There is no doubt that it has the potential to be a huge crowd puller and bring the young to the Turf. The 19 days this season will be the true test of its long term potential for it to be the much touted game changer. We have planned sundowners, music performances, carnivals, fashion shows, et al, to complement action on the track. The opening day will feature the popular The Other People, one of Mumbai’s most loved retro bands and the presence of high end hospitality majors such as Royal China, Delhi Darbar and Elbow Room; will bring in the right ambience. Café Coffee Day, our new partner will be on ground with their delectable fare.
A glittering opening ceremony, at about 6.15pm will herald the start of evening racing. There will be firecrackers and horses parading with flags, models, and more music. Perhaps a laser display. The Poonawalla Triple Million Trophy itself boasts of a Rupees ONE Million value, and is king size of 21.5 kg of sterling silver, standing over 4 feet tall. The winner will need more than just one weight lifter to take home the prize! The race itself drew a record 19 acceptors but three had to be sadly balloted in view of the field restrictions. The track lighting lux is world standard and is expected to be 2x brighter than last year. The heritage structures and paddock will be lit up to highlight their beauty. The day features an all trophy eight race card, with packed fields and several sponsors, showing our racing at its best.
While the euphoria and PR overdrive will surely ensure a big opening day, the challenge will be to sustain it through the season and make the numbers work. The off track menu will be as important as the main spread under the stars. Youngsters will have to be convinced of making this their new destination. Of having a drink or two, enjoying the leisure options, having a flutter and taking in the unmatched ambience of our sprawling lawns.
Saddle up for an Ultra spectacular opener, pun intended, to our new Indian Derby sponsors!
