The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) will conduct an eight-race horse racing programme at Pune Racecourse on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The meeting will begin at 1:30 PM and conclude at 5:00 PM, featuring a mix of handicap races and contests for three-year-old horses over distances ranging from 1,000 metres to 2,000 metres. The highlight will be the Mayor Baburao Sanas Memorial Million powered by SRS Group, scheduled for 4:00 PM, offering a total prize allocation of ₹15,00,000.
The highlight of the afternoon will be The Mayor Baburao Sanas Memorial Million powered by SRS Group, scheduled for 4:00 PM. The contest is exclusively for three-year-old horses and carries a total prize allocation of ₹15,00,000, the highest of the day. The 1,200-metre race will bring together four entries, including Lady Scarlet, Zayyan, Red Lightning and Ashwa Tazbeez.
The meeting will begin with The Nationalistic Plate at 1:30 PM, a Class V handicap for horses aged four years and older, rated from 1 to 26. The race will cover 1,600 metres and has a total prize allocation of ₹5,00,000. Seven horses are listed for the opening contest: Beyond Stars, Baleno, Okinayume, Marlboro Man, Meadow Springs, Highground and Leo The Lion. A. Sandesh will ride Beyond Stars, while Bhawani Singh is booked for Baleno. Neeraj Rawal will partner Okinayume, and Ramswarup will take the ride on Marlboro Man. The field includes horses with varying ratings and racing experience, making the mile-long contest an interesting start to the programme.
At 2:00 PM, The Great Secret Plate will bring together four runners in a Class II handicap over 2,000 metres. The race is open to horses rated from 60 to 86, with those rated between 40 and 59 also eligible. The total prize allocation is ₹9,00,000. Rosario, rated 76, will be ridden by S. Siddharth and trained by P. Shroff. Bhairava, with a rating of 72, will have P. Trevor in the saddle and is trained by Sangramsinh N. Joshi. The remaining entries are Exuma, partnered by Prashant P. Dhebe, and Little John, who will be ridden by Neeraj Rawal. The extended distance will place emphasis on stamina and race management.
The third race, The Secret Romeo Plate, is scheduled for 2:30 PM and is reserved for three-year-old horses. The 1,200-metre contest carries a total prize allocation of ₹12,00,000 and features seven entries. The field includes Muqaddar, Absolute Honour, Crown Flame, Jumanah, Lumineer, Star Dream and Tempo. S. G. Prasad will ride Muqaddar, while N. B. Kuldeep is listed for Absolute Honour. Crown Flame will be partnered by D. R. Shubham, and Antony Raj S. will ride Jumanah. Lumineer will have Yash Narredu in the saddle, while S. J. Sunil is booked for Star Dream. Shrikant Kamble will partner Tempo. With the race restricted to younger horses, the contest will provide an opportunity to follow the progress of emerging runners.
At 3:00 PM, The Dakshin Maharashtra & Goa Sub-Area Trophy will feature six four-year-old horses in a Class IV handicap over 1,200 metres. The race is for horses rated between 20 and 46, with those rated from 0 to 19 also eligible. The total prize allocation stands at ₹5,50,000. Golden Heart and Zephyr share the highest listed rating of 33. Saurav Rawat will ride Golden Heart, trained by M. Narredu, while S. Siddharth is booked for Zephyr, trained by P. S. Chouhan. The other participants are Appalachian, Phantasmiqe, Regal Warrior and Commanchero. P. Trevor will partner Appalachian, J. Chinoy will ride Phantasmiqe, C. Umesh will take the ride on Regal Warrior, and Haridas Gore is listed for Commanchero.
The fifth race, The Regal Equity Plate, is set for 3:30 PM. This Class IV handicap will cover 1,000 metres and carries a total prize allocation of ₹5,50,000. Eight horses are entered, including Viennoise, Moonlight Kiss, Rafael, Aries, Desert Diamond, Lion King, Majestic Warrior and Tranquila. Viennoise has the highest rating in the field at 41 and will be ridden by A. Omkar for trainer Bezan Chenoy. Moonlight Kiss, rated 38, will have S. Siddharth in the saddle. A. Sandesh will partner Rafael, while J. Chinoy will ride Aries. C. Umesh is booked for Desert Diamond, Aditya Waydande for Lion King, Avinash Paswan for Majestic Warrior and Neeraj Rawal for Tranquila. The short sprint distance will make an early start and sustained speed important factors in the contest.
At 4:00 PM, the programme will reach its principal event, The Mayor Baburao Sanas Memorial Million powered by SRS Group. Restricted to three-year-old horses, the race will be run over 1,200 metres and offers ₹15,00,000 in total prize money. Four runners are listed for the contest. Lady Scarlet, rated 66, will be ridden by Antony Raj S. and trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha. Zayyan, with a rating of 59, will have Vivek G. as jockey and P. Shroff as trainer. Red Lightning, rated 38, will be partnered by A. Sandesh and is trained by Narendra Lagad. Ashwa Tazbeez completes the field, with Haridas Gore booked to ride for trainer Sanjay Kolse. The race will be a central feature of the afternoon’s programme, bringing together four young runners over a sprint distance.
The seventh race, The Alexandress Plate, is scheduled for 4:30 PM and will cover 1,400 metres. This Class III handicap is open to horses rated between 40 and 66, with those rated from 20 to 39 also eligible. The contest carries a total prize allocation of ₹6,50,000 and features seven entries. Alpine Star and Ashwa Gypsy head the field with ratings of 59. Avinash Paswan will ride Alpine Star for trainer Narendra Lagad, while S. Siddharth is booked for Ashwa Gypsy, trained by Sanjay Kolse. American Eagle, rated 56, will have S. Mosin in the saddle. Akshay Kumar will partner Minari, while P. Trevor is booked for Queen of Beauties. H. Zeeshan will ride Rambler, and A. Sandesh will partner Diego Garcia. The 1,400-metre distance will test the runners’ ability to combine pace with stamina.
The day’s final contest, The Dancing Phoenix Plate, will start at 5:00 PM. The Class IV handicap will be run over 1,600 metres and carries a total prize allocation of ₹5,50,000. The field comprises 13 horses: Black Thunder, Brasilier, Starseed, Savage Peacock, Majesticus, Ekatarina, Treasure Gold, Acropolis, Luke The Nuke, Magical Star, Bezalel, Britannia and Rainbow Connection. Black Thunder, rated 36, will be ridden by S. Siddharth for trainer Rehanullah Khan. Brasilier and Starseed both carry ratings of 35, with C. S. Jodha and A. Omkar booked as their respective jockeys. A. Sandesh will partner Savage Peacock, while J. Chinoy is listed for Majesticus. Neeraj Rawal will ride Ekatarina, and S. J. Sunil will partner Treasure Gold. The remaining runners add depth to the largest field of the day, with several horses bringing different levels of experience to the mile-long contest.
With eight races scheduled across distances ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 metres, the Pune meeting on October 18 promises a varied afternoon of racing. The programme will feature established runners, developing three-year-olds and competitive handicap fields, with the Mayor Baburao Sanas Memorial Million standing out as the day’s richest race.
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