The feature event of the first day of Indian Racing Carnival at RWITC’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse on April 5th, the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Juvenile Multi Million more than lived up to its billing, delivering a pulsating finish that had racegoers on the edge of their seats. Contested over 1200 meters, this prestigious juvenile sprint carried a hefty total purse of ₹30,00,000, with the winner standing to gain a princely ₹18,00,000. As expected, a high-quality line-up of promising young thoroughbreds faced the starter, each looking to make a mark in one of the season’s standout events.
Emerging as the star of the show was the lightly raced yet supremely talented BISHOP, who produced a polished and professional performance to clinch victory. Piloted with precision by jockey A Prakash and expertly prepared by trainer P Shroff, BISHOP stopped the clock at 1:10.432, asserting his superiority in the final strides despite being sent off at a relatively generous price of 8-to-1. The colt’s finishing burst was both swift and stylish, signaling bright prospects ahead.
Finishing a close second was the well-fancied VEGATHA, ridden by the in-form Antony Raj S and trained by P S Chouhan. Showing grit and acceleration, VEGATHA stayed right in contention until the wire, eventually going down narrowly in a tight finish. The runner-up’s time of 1:10.466 and starting odds of 2.60 underlined just how competitive this race was.
Rounding off the top three was MERLET, the tote favourite, carrying both public expectations and the skilled handling of Suraj Narredu, under the watchful eye of trainer S Waheed. Although unable to summon a late charge strong enough to topple the front-runners, MERLET posted a respectable time of 1:10.830, finishing third with odds of 4.25.
The finish was a testament to the high quality of this juvenile group, with fractions separating the top contenders in a race that delivered both excitement and promise for the future. This edition of the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Juvenile Multi–Million will surely be remembered for its intensity, depth of field, and the emergence of BISHOP as a colt of serious potential.
