The Mumbai meeting at Mahalaxmi Racecourse will inaugurate February racing under the auspices of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), featuring a nine-race programme on Sunday, 1 February 2026. The city’s flat racing season will reach a peak as the prestigious Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby (Grade I) takes centre stage, serving as the marquee event of an afternoon that also includes graded contests, maiden races, and competitive handicaps across a variety of distances.
The Mumbai Race Cards 1 February will begin at 2:15 PM and will feature races from 1200 metres to the classic 2400 metres trip. The card will cater to all classes, from low-rated handicappers to elite four-year-old performers.
Race 1, The Tattersalls Million, will open proceedings at 2:15 PM over 1400 metres. The Class IV contest for Indian horses rated 20 to 46 will carry a total prize fund of Rs.12,00,000 and will set the competitive tone for the afternoon.
Race 2, The Keki D. Mehta Memorial Million, will be run at 2:45 PM over 1600 metres. Restricted to maiden Indian horses aged three years, the race will offer Rs.15,00,000 and will provide an early test of stamina for emerging middle-distance prospects.
Race 3, The Rusi Patel Trophy (Grade III), will follow at 3:15 PM. The 1600-metre graded contest for Indian horses aged four years and above will also be worth Rs.15,00,000 and will attract seasoned runners with proven form at the mile.
Race 4, The Sir Homi Mehta Million, will take place at 3:45 PM over 1200 metres. Another maiden race for three-year-old Indian horses, it will carry a purse of Rs.15,00,000 and will suit speed-oriented juveniles stepping out at sprint distance.
Race 5, The Thackers Eclipse Stakes of India (Grade II), will be staged at 4:30 PM over 2000 metres. Open to horses aged four years and above, the Grade II event will offer Rs.30,00,000 and will serve as a key middle-distance feature ahead of the Derby.
Race 6, The Rattonsey Multi-Million, will be run at 5:00 PM over 1400 metres. Restricted to three-year-old horses, the race will be worth Rs.25,00,000 and will provide a valuable measure of developing talent over a testing distance.
Race 7, The Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Derby (Grade I), will be run at 5:45 PM over the classic 2400 metres. Open exclusively to four-year-old Indian horses, the race will carry a total prize fund of Rs.3,92,00,000 and will represent the pinnacle of the Indian flat racing season.
Contenders – The Derby field includes BAYCHIMO, trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha and ridden by Suraj Narredu, and SOVEREIGN KING, also under Jodha’s training with Antony Raj S. in the saddle. RED BISHOP, ROSARIO, ZACHARIAS, and KINGS GAMBIT are all trained by P. Shroff, with their respective jockeys P. Trevor, Kirtish Bhagat, Vivek G., and Yash Narredu. STORMY SEA and DREAMER will carry the colours of trainer M. K. Jadhav, with Prashant P. Dhebe and N. S. Parmar riding. FYNBOS is prepared by P. Shroff and ridden by Tom Marquand, while KAVYA will be trained by M. K. Jadhav with David Allan aboard. Finally, PRISTINE GLORY pairs trainer Karthik Ganapathy with jockey C. S. Jodha.
Race 8, The Coromandel Gromor Million, powered by Coromandel International Ltd, will be run at 6:35 PM. The Class II sprint over 1200 metres for horses rated 60 to 86 will carry a purse of Rs.10,00,000.
Race 9, The Queen’s Necklace Million, will conclude the meeting at 7:15 PM. The Class V event over 1200 metres for Indian horses rated 1 to 26 will also offer Rs.10,00,000 and will bring the curtain down on a full Sunday programme.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz.