Villoo C. Poonawalla Pune Derby on Oct. 11

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The 42nd edition of the Grade 1 Pune Derby, the jewel in the crown of the Pune racing season, will be held here on Sunday (October 11). Sponsored by M/s. Cyrus & Adar Poonawalla in memory of late Villoo C. Poonawalla, the prestigious race carries a total stake of ₹1 crore with the winner set to take home ₹60 lakh.

The derby will headline an action-packed weekend with seven races scheduled for Saturday and eight on Sunday. The Royal Western India Turf Club, in association with the Poona Cartel, will host a lively carnival featuring the Cartel Sundowner that offers gourmet food and live entertainment.

With just six runners lining up for the plum event, the focus will naturally be on three in-form contenders. Jaandaar, trained by Pesi Shroff, appears to hold the strongest claim. The colt has won all his four starts, including the S.A. Poonawalla Million last month in impressive fashion. His morning trials have been encouraging and he looks capable of extending his winning run.

Prasanna Kumar-trained Iron Mirage, representing Bengaluru, is likely to provide the strongest challenge. He too has an unbeaten record from four starts, highlighted by the victory in the Hyderabad Colts Championship. His recent track work suggests that he has retained his fitness and should be in the thick of the action.

Beast Mode, who hails from veteran trainer M.K. Jadhav’s yard and a winner of last three starts, has shown steady improvement and could spring a surprise.

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