Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) will stage an eight-race programme at its Pune Racecourse on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with racing beginning at 1:30 PM. The card features a mix of handicap contests, maiden races for three-year-olds and several races for older horses. The day includes races over distances ranging from 1200 metres to 2000 metres, with the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy standing out as the highest-value contest with a total prize allocation of Rs.15,00,000.
The opening race, the Atmosphere Plate, is scheduled for 1:30 PM and is a Class II Handicap for horses rated 60 to 86. The contest will be run over 1200 metres with Rs.7,50,000 available in total prize money. Challenge Accepted, rated 79, heads the field and will be ridden by Ramswarup for trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha. Ashwa Pathan and Scaramouche, both rated 78, also feature prominently in the seven-horse field. Ashwa Pathan will have Bhawani Singh aboard, while Scaramouche will be partnered by T. S. Jodha. Bhairava, Expedite, Son Of A Gun and Emperor Roderic complete the line-up.
At 2:00 PM, the Pune Times Mirror Trophy will bring four runners together over 1600 metres. The Class III Handicap is for horses rated 40 to 66 and carries a total prize allocation of Rs.6,50,000. Seneca, rated 60, will be ridden by Ramswarup and trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha. Wings Of Fury, with A. Sandesh in the saddle, is another runner in the contest. The field also includes Abhyankar, partnered by S. Siddharth and trained by M. Narredu, and Caradoc, who will be ridden by Neeraj Rawal for Dallas Todywalla.
The first maiden event of the afternoon, the Portrush Plate (Division II), is scheduled for 2:30 PM. The 1200-metre race is restricted to three-year-old horses and offers Rs.12,00,000 in total prize money. The ten-runner field includes Desert Diamond, Philatelist, Saint Sizzle, Umeed, Vermeer, Chakar View, Echo, Inheritance, Lumineer and Tempo. Desert Diamond will be ridden by Ankush, while C. Umesh takes the ride on Philatelist. Saint Sizzle has K. Pranil aboard, with Bhawani Singh partnering Umeed. The field also includes Akshay Kumar on Inheritance and Yash Narredu on Lumineer.
The P. Hadow Trophy follows at 3:00 PM and provides a Class I contest over 1400 metres. Open to horses rated 80 and upward, the race has a total prize allocation of Rs.10,00,000. Market King, carrying a rating of 106, is the highest-rated runner in the six-horse field. Ramswarup will ride the nine-year-old for trainer Imtiaz A. Sait. Shubankar, rated 102, will be partnered by Bhawani Singh and trained by Karthik Ganapathy. Other runners include Mojito, Irish Gold, Chagall and Fighton. Mojito will be ridden by S. J. Sunil, while Irish Gold has Haridas Gore aboard.
At 3:30 PM, the Portrush Plate (Division I) will feature another maiden contest for three-year-olds over 1200 metres. Like Division II, this race carries a total prize allocation of Rs.12,00,000. The 11-horse field includes Bravion, Ironheart, Kaiser, Satyavan, Sequential, Taaqath, Tonto, Irish Twist, Katame, Mandarin Milli and Pour Me A Peg. Bravion will have P. Trevor aboard, while Akshay Kumar partners Ironheart. Sequential, rated 33, will be ridden by A. Sandesh for trainer Narendra Lagad. Other notable runners include Satyavan, Taaqath and Irish Twist, adding depth to the three-year-old field.
The feature event of the afternoon, the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy, is scheduled for 4:00 PM. The 1200-metre contest is open to horses aged four years and over and carries the day’s highest total prize allocation of Rs.15,00,000, with Rs.9,00,000 going to the winner. Time And Tide, rated 128, heads the five-horse field and will be ridden by A. Sandesh for trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha. Dream Seller, rated 117, will have Antony Raj S. aboard for trainer P. S. Chouhan. Miss American Pie, rated 110, will be partnered by N. S. Parmar, while Ashwa Kangto and Social Butterfly complete the field. Ashwa Kangto will be ridden by Dashrath Singh, with Social Butterfly partnered by Neeraj Rawal.
The seventh race, the Royal Barbershop Trophy, is set for 4:30 PM and is a Class IV Handicap for horses aged four years and over rated 20 to 46. The 1400-metre race offers Rs.5,50,000 in total prize money and features 11 runners. Bohemian Rhapsody, rated 38, will be ridden by Aditya Waydande. Crimson Pirate, rated 36, has P. Trevor aboard, while Ekatarina will be partnered by Neeraj Rawal. The field also includes Ange Raphael, Eloquent, Savage Peacock, Luke The Nuke, Bezalel, Ekla Cholo, Tropical Paradise and Hagibis. A. Sandesh will ride Savage Peacock, while T. S. Jodha partners Luke The Nuke.
The programme concludes at 5:00 PM with the Holy Smoke Plate, a Class V Handicap over 2000 metres for horses aged four years and over rated 1 to 26. The race carries Rs.5,00,000 in total prize money. Flash Mob, rated 25, will be ridden by S. Siddharth for trainer Faisal A. Abbas. Whisper, rated 21, has Yash Narredu aboard and is trained by M. Narredu. The remaining runners are Madison, Royal Champ, Okinayume, Meadow Springs and Leo The Lion. The field brings together horses with different ratings and racing backgrounds for the longest contest of the Pune programme.
With eight races scheduled from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, the September 27 Pune card offers a varied afternoon of racing, from three-year-old maiden events to Class I and Class II handicaps. The Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy carries the largest prize allocation, while the two divisions of the Portrush Plate provide opportunities for emerging three-year-olds over 1200 metres. The final race, over 2000 metres, will bring the day’s programme to a close.
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