The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) will stage an eight-race Pune meeting on Saturday, August 29, with the programme set to begin at 1:30pm and conclude at 5:00pm. The card will cover distances from 1000 metres to 2400 metres and will feature total prize money ranging from Rs.5,00,000 to Rs.15,00,000. The principal attractions will include The Noshir & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million (Grade III) and The Idar Gold Trophy, both carrying Rs.15,00,000.
Pune Racecards 29 August
The afternoon will begin with The Azzurro Plate, scheduled for 1:30pm, over 1200 metres, with Rs.7,50,000 in total prize money. The Class II handicap will feature AZURE, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, LIBAN, SON OF A GUN and MANOR HOUSE. The opening contest will provide a sharp sprinting test and will set the early tempo for the meeting. The five-runner field will provide the first opportunity of the afternoon for the runners to negotiate the 1200-metre trip.
The second race will be The J. E. Hughes Trophy, due at 2:00pm, over 1600 metres, with Rs.12,00,000 on offer. The Class I handicap will bring together REGINA MEMORABILIS, MOJITO, SOVEREIGN KING, CHAGALL and FIGHTON. The mile event will provide a longer test than the opening contest, with the runners required to maintain their rhythm over the full distance. The compact field will make this one of the notable middle-distance races on the card.
The programme will continue with The Evaldo Plate, scheduled for 2:30pm, over 1600 metres, for Rs.6,50,000. The Class III handicap will feature DESTROYER, ASHWA GYPSY, SPANISH EYES, SENECA, DON JULIO and MANSA MUSA. The six-runner contest will provide another test over a mile, with the field expected to settle into position before making its move towards the concluding stages. The event will maintain the middle-distance character of the early part of the programme.
A shorter contest will follow with The Star Trainer Plate, scheduled for 3:00pm, over 1000 metres, carrying Rs.6,50,000. The Class III field will comprise GUNFIRE, VILLANELLE, EL MORAN, STORM CLOUD, EASTERN MONARCH and DARCY. The 1000-metre distance will make early pace and positioning particularly important, as the runners will have limited ground in which to settle. The race will provide a change of pace before the afternoon’s principal sprint feature.
The main sprint event will take place with The Noshir & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million (Grade III) at 3:30pm, over 1200 metres, carrying Rs.15,00,000 in prize money. The race for Indian horses aged four years and over will feature ENCINO, MARKET KING, SHAMBALA and SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. The Grade III contest will be one of the major highlights of the Pune meeting, with the four-runner field set to compete over a distance that will demand speed and the ability to sustain the effort through the final stages.
The longest race of the afternoon will follow with The Idar Gold Trophy, scheduled for 4:00pm, over 2400 metres, with Rs.15,00,000 in total prize money. The contest for horses aged four years and over will feature DUKE OF TUSCANY, FYNBOS, ARRIVED, KINGS GAMBIT, DREAM ALLIANCE and RED BISHOP. The extended journey will provide a substantial contrast to the preceding sprint and will place greater emphasis on stamina and pace management. The six-runner field will make this the principal staying test of the programme.
The seventh race will be The Fourth Estate Trophy, which will start at 4:30pm, over 1400 metres, with Rs.5,50,000 in prize money. The Class IV handicap will feature SEMURG, ESTEBAN, STARSEED, TREASURE GOLD, BELIEVE, ROCK ARMOUR and MINISTRY OF TIME. The 1400-metre contest will offer an intermediate-distance test after the extended Idar Gold Trophy, with seven runners set to compete as the meeting moves towards its final event.
The programme will conclude with The Capitulate Plate, scheduled for 5:00pm, over 2000 metres, carrying Rs.5,00,000 in total prize money. The Class V handicap for Indian horses aged four years and over will feature MAI TAI, EXOTIC STAR, OKINAYUME, WHISPER and MA CHERIE. The 2000-metre contest will provide a final staying test and will bring the eight-race Saturday programme to its scheduled conclusion.
The Pune Racecards 29 August will feature an eight-race Pune meeting, with the Grade III Noshir & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million and the Idar Gold Trophy forming the principal highlights.
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