On February 16th, Sunday, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai is set to host another thrilling day of eight competitive races, featuring a mix of endurance tests and high-speed sprints.
The highlight of the Mumbai races on February 16, 2025, will undoubtedly be the prestigious Homi Mody Trophy, featuring elite Class 1 horses rated 80 and above. With a total prize pool of ₹12,00,000, this 2400-meter contest promises to be a battle of endurance and strategy. Among the contenders, RASPUTIN, trained by Imtiaz A Sait and ridden by Neeraj Rawal, is expected to put up a strong fight. GOLDEN KINGDOM, trained by Adhiraj S Jodha and partnered with C S Jodha, also commands attention, while REGAL COMMAND, under the guidance of Karthik Ganapathy with jockey N S Parmar, adds to the intensity of this high-stakes race. The record for this race stands at 2:26.72, set by JULIETTE in 2023, and it remains to be seen if any of the competitors can challenge this benchmark.
Following this marquee event, the racing action continues with The M D Mehta Trophy (Div-1 and Div-2), maiden races exclusively for three-year-olds, both carrying the same lucrative prize money of ₹12,00,000. The first division will witness a thrilling sprint over 1000 meters, featuring DELSTAR, trained by Adhiraj S Jodha and ridden by C S Jodha, alongside DON JULIO under trainer Rehanullah Khan with jockey Haridas Gore, and EMBER TOWER, trained by B Prithviraj with P P Dhebe in the saddle. The second division of the race, closing the day’s card, will see promising young horses like BEAT THE HEAT, trained by H J Antia with Haridas Gore, BEE MAGICAL, trained by Imtiaz A Sait with Neeraj Rawal, and MINISTRY OF TIME, trained by Aman A Hussain with jockey A Sandesh, looking to make their mark.
The race day kicks off with The P D Bolton Trophy, a 1400-meter contest for Class 2 horses rated 60 to 86, offering a total prize of ₹7,50,000. SINGER SARGENT, trained by Faisal A Abbas and ridden by P Trevor, will be among the top contenders, while RAMBLER, under trainer Shazaan Shah and jockey P Vinod, and SPLENDIDO, trained by S Padmanabhan with Bhawani Singh in the saddle, will also look to dominate. Another exciting race to watch is The Grand Passion Plate, a 2000-meter event for Class 5 horses rated 1 to 26, featuring UZI, trained by Behram Cama with T S Jodha aboard, DAIANNE, trained by Karthik Ganapathy with jockey Bhawani Singh, and MAJOR SAAB, trained by Faisal A Abbas with Amyn Merchant.
The Municipal Commissioner’s Trophy over 1200 meters for Class 4 horses carries a prize of ₹5,50,000 and will see MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, trained by S S Shah with N S Parmar, aiming for victory against strong competition from GHIRARDELLI, trained by Adhiraj S Jodha with jockey P Trevor, and LORD MURPHY, trained by Shazaan Shah with jockey S Siddharth. Meanwhile, The Amateur Riders’ Club Trophy, another sprint over 1000 meters for Class 3 horses rated 40 to 66, features the likes of MISTY, trained by Hosidar Daji with P Trevor, APEROL, trained by Adhiraj S Jodha with C S Jodha, and QUICKER, trained by M Narredu with Aditya Waydande.
The final race of the day, The M M T Pandole Plate, is a 1400-meter contest for five-year-old horses rated 1 to 26, with a total prize pool of ₹5,00,000. PRECIOSO, trained by Nazak Chenoy with jockey S Siddharth, will be looking for a strong finish, while WALTER, trained by P S Chouhan and ridden by A Sandesh, and OH KAY, trained by Faisal A Abbas with jockey Amyn Merchant, will also be in contention.
With a mix of long-distance endurance races and high-speed sprints, the Mumbai Racecourse promises an electrifying day of racing, where top horses, experienced trainers, and skilled jockeys will battle it out for glory. As the excitement builds, all eyes will be on the contenders to see who can cross the finish line first and etch their names into the record books.
