The Euphoria and the Enthusiasm continues this Sunday with the running of the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Championship - By Gitanjali Gurbaxani
Posted on - 09 Feb 2019
The Euphoria and the Enthusiasm continues this Sunday with the running of the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Championship
By Gitanjali Gurbaxani
Last Sunday, we witnessed three Excellent Art sired equines produce the desired acceleration at the right moment, to get the better of their formidable opponents to take home the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby (Gr.1), the Padmini and Gobind Jhangiani Million and the Dr. MAM Ramaswamy Million. The Rajesh Narredu trained Indian Derby winner Star Superior carved out a sizzling win with a brilliant finish and announced himself as one of the best horses in the country. It was the best day for the Poonawalla Family as their stud farm had six winners of a eight race card.
The euphoria and the enthusiasm continues this Sunday as the well-heeled and illustrious names of the city celebrate the sport and soak into the spirit of the game and witness the twenty sixth running of the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Championship (Gr.2) run over a distance of six furlongs for thoroughbreds who are four years and older. Dr S C Jain, a living legend, has served as the Chairman of the Royal Western India Turf Club Ltd., for thirteen years during the 1980s – ’90s. Mrs Amruta Fadnavis will grace the occasion and join the Jain family in giving away the trophy to the winning connections. In a contest of skill in this race, they will give away a voucher that entitles the winner to a three nights stay for a couple in a deluxe valley view room at the Ananda Spa in the Himalayas, with breakfast and spa treatments included. An added bonanza is the “Speed your way to the Salon” contest, vouchers from the Jean Claude Biguine Salon, being given away by the family.
An added attraction is the Tapped Craft Beer Festival that comes to the Mahalaxmi racecourse this Sunday. The microbreweries have simply put a better product at an accessible price and people have really taken to these craft beers. Tapped is a chance to show off the collective strength of all the small players on the local beer scene and reach out to a larger audience now. With a kids play area to keep the little ones busy with games and art, the food street area will create dishes that will surprise your palate with a burst of flavours - the tenderness of meat, the thrill of the special sauces and the crispy deliciousness of the stir fry veggies in various cuisines. At every food stall, every dish has a story to tell, one that will have you yearning for more. All this and more for those who love binging on gourmet food and staying hydrated with some local beer in between the races. Several live bands will form through the day, from a group of exciting and energetic drummers who play the traditional rhythms from West Africa to some who will take you through a jazz journey and more in between the races.
Other important races include the Sonny Brar trophy, named after late AKS Brar, a well-known breeder and horse owner, the Tapped Trophy, the Jagjit Singh Trophy named after the late ghazal singer who was passionate about horses and owned some equines during his lifetime, and the N M Irani Trophy, named after a late beer baron who was an ardent lover of the sport and was a race horse owner, who’s filly “Revelation” won the first McDowell Indian Derby race in 1985. Excellent Art sired mare Ruffina looks well-groomed amongst the eight contenders to win the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Trophy. Will the filly with all the potential pulverize the opposition and cruise home in an effortless victory to take home this trophy, a second time? This Sunday at the races is an interesting affair for several reasons. The chill is in the air and it is a festive aura which has sheer joy mixed with super action on and off the racetrack. There are seven races and the first one begins at 2:30 pm. Do come and witness the excitement on the racetracks as the jockeys position their equines at the mouth of the home stretch, rush to the front, grab and respond magnificently from the front runners in the lead, to take home the winning trophies.
Ms. Gitanjali Gurbaxani is a former member of the Media and Marketing Committee at RWITC Ltd.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
