The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) will stage the opening meeting of the Pune racing season on Friday, 17 July, with a competitive seven-race programme scheduled from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. More than ₹50 lakh in prize money will be offered across the afternoon, with contests ranging from Class I features to Class IV handicaps and a valuable maiden event for three-year-olds. The card will provide an early opportunity for trainers, jockeys and owners to begin the new Pune campaign on a positive note.
Pune Race Cards 17 July
The meeting will begin with The Season Opener Plate Div I at 2:00 PM over 1000 metres for Class IV Indian horses rated between 20 and 46. The ₹5,50,000 contest will feature ENSKY, ZALIA, MARCUS, VIENNOISE, ALLEZ L’ETOILE, ARBITRAGE, ABSOLUTE EMPEROR, KEY WEST and PALOMA, offering an open start to the afternoon.
The feature event will follow with The Dr. S. R. Captain Salver at 2:30 PM. Run over 1400 metres for Class I horses rated 80 and above, the ₹10,00,000 contest will bring together WESTERN STAR, MARKET KING, IRISH GOLD, KAVYA and SOVEREIGN KING in one of the strongest fields on the programme.
The action will continue with The Season Opener Plate Div II at 3:00 PM over 1000 metres. The ₹5,50,000 Class IV event will include STARIA, SILVER STRIKE, LUCKY DIAMOND, KAJO, CRIMSON PIRATE, MAJESTIC WARRIOR, FLASHMAN and PRECIOSO, giving another competitive sprint to the day’s schedule.
Attention will then shift to The Columbia Plate at 3:30 PM. The Class III contest over 1200 metres, carrying prize money of ₹6,50,000, will feature NEUTRALIST, STORMY SEA, MANOR HOUSE, STORM CLOUD, ASHWA GYPSY, EL MORAN, ASHWA BRAZIL, LADY SCARLET, CINDERELLA’S DREAM, SKANDHA and HEAVEN’S RHYTHM, making it one of the largest fields of the meeting.
The programme will move on to The D. K. Ashish Salver at 4:00 PM over 1400 metres. Worth ₹5,50,000, the Class IV contest will see BEAST MODE, ALGONQUIN, COME SEPTEMBER, MOONLIGHT KISS, BELIEVE, MARIUS, MINISTRY OF TIME and AGATHA line up.
One of the highlights of the afternoon will arrive with The Certainty Plate at 4:30 PM. The ₹12,00,000 maiden event for three-year-old Indian horses over 1200 metres will feature GONZALO, INVINCIBLE FORCE, YINSIRUK, AVANTE, CHAKAR VIEW, HIRANYAMAYEE, MAGENTA, RED LIGHTNING and STAR DREAMS, making it the richest race on the card.
The meeting will conclude with The Elegance Plate at 5:00 PM over 1200 metres for horses aged four years and above. Racing for ₹5,00,000, the final contest will include ADONIS, AEON FLUX, WHISPER, PHANTASMIQUE, TRAIL BLAZER, WE STILL BELIEVE, MA CHERIE, HIGHGROUND and LEO THE LION.
The opening fixture will offer a balanced programme featuring experienced performers, promising handicap runners and lightly raced maidens. With competitive fields across every division, the first meeting of the Pune season will provide an important early benchmark for horses and connections as the campaign gets underway.
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