The best four-year-old horses in the land line up for Sunday's prestigious Indian Derby
RWITC chairman Khushroo Dhunjibhoy (centre) with marketing head Ram Shroff (left) and Prashant Patwardhan of UBL. Pic/Ashish Raje
It is horses for courses as Mumbai revs up for the 76th running of the Indian Derby, the most prestigious race in the country, traditionally held on the first Sunday of February.
ADVERTISEMENT
12 contenders
At a conference held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse yesterday, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) chairman Khushroo Dhunjibhoy claimed that, "this Sunday, February 4 we hope to see a very exciting race. There are two top contenders but what should make the Derby edge of the seat are a couple of dark horses in the fray." There are 12 contenders for the big ticket event. Dhunjibhoy hoped the crowds and excitement, the RWITC is marketing this as the Derby weekend with races and entertainment clubbed together, "will make this as good as or even better than it has been in the past."
Dr Ram Shroff, head of RWITC's marketing committee stressed on the entertainment factor like, "food and flea market including a Ducati bike for the winner of the contest of skill." Prashant Patwardhan, GM marketing, UBL, said: "It's the blend of tradition with modernity that makes us continue our association with the race."
Derby talk
The conference wrapped up with Derby excitement rippling, as expected. For some, favoured Prevalent Force may be upstaged by Lady in Lace, while another gent said he'd put his money on Aggregated to be ridden by Sylvester De Sousa. The stake money for the Derby weekend is Rs 3.5 crore, with the Derby winner taking home Rs 1.13 crore. The Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby will be held at 5.30 pm this Sunday. Races begin at 2.30 pm. Tickets: Rs 300 for members, Rs 1,000 for non-members.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here
Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
