Zavaray Poonawalla, chairman, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) said that in a historic first, closed-door racing has been slated to commence at the Pune race course on August 23, 2020 subject to clearances from the Government of Maharashtra. He added, "Every effort is being made to obtain those." Closed door racing means that horse racing will take place, as usual on the track, but there will be no spectators. The races will be relayed on the turf club website, www.rwitc.com, where people can watch the day's action. This is akin to other sporting tourneys that are being played at sporting grounds during the COVID-19 season, but without spectators.

The plan is to have a 'dress rehearsal' on August 15, to gauge the feasibility and technicalities and make tweaks if needed. This will ensure absolute preparedness for August 23, the first day of the Pune season.