The Poonawalla Multimillion in its 23rd year this year and to be run on Sunday, traditionally, brought a big glamour quotient to racing. The action at Mahalaxmi on major race days now is a mix of leggy ladies, preening actors, goggle eyed first timers and seasoned punters
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Picasso takes the 2011 edition |
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Glamour will keep pace with gallops this Sunday, February 26 at the Mahalaxami racecourse as The Poonawalla Breeders' Multimillion 2012 takes off. Punters have been told to come 'appropriately attired as per dress code to avoid embarrassment' the invitation says. Decoded, that means formals for men and ladies have to be dressed smartly with "hats encouraged."
The hats really, bring out the fact that it was this race, the Million that began stressing on glamour. The Poonawalla race run post the Derby (The Derby takes place on the first Sunday of February) was like a one-day blitz after a sedate five-day Test match. For years, The Derby was for purists, the Wimbledon if you could call it, of horse racing, where the accent would be on contenders. Punters were buried in race books and newspapers of old would give the mandatory headline on that Sunday, 'All roads lead to the Derby.'
Then came the Poonawalla Breeders Multimillion (earlier called the Million), a little glitzy, a little Kerry Packerish, a little candidly if-this-is-what-it-takes-to woo-the-non-regulars-to-the-racecourse-we-will-do-that and suddenly, the blinkers seemed off. The focus shifted from pure racing to a fusion where betting became less intimidating and more accessible. Racing seemed not just for those serious students of the sport who could tell you that this horse, "Is a good bet because he ran the same distance very well in Kolkata."
Genesis
The concept of 'The Breeders' Million Race' was evolved sometime in the 80s, when members of the National Horse Breeding Society of India came together under the aegis of the Council Members of the National Horse Breeding Society (NHBS). After some deliberation the first sponsored Million race was run on March 11, 1990. The race for three-year-olds is run over a distance of approximately 1400 meters and the winner is considered a leading juvenile in the country.
March was an interesting time to hold this race. It was a time when most of the major races had been done and dusted with, the Mumbai racing season was in wind down mode and the heat searing the lawns, made attendance fall.
This race, put a wag into the tail end of a season. The first ever Million had 19 runners facing the starter and a horse called Le Gris Cheval owned by one Mr Stock, trained by Ivor Fernandes and ridden by Bajrang Singh made it past the post. The lawns were dotted with people who might fumble when asked if they wanted to bet a treble or a tanala at the betting widows, but it set the wheels into motion for a cocktail of fashion and furlongs (a term for distance covered in racing).
Talking about wheels, the race also introduced something called a Contest of Skill, now a regular in other major races too. The Contest of Skill means that entrants to the racecourse can fill up a form, nominating winners in the correct order. The punter who nominates correctly is the winner.
Today, winners, many of them first-timers giving credence to something called Beginner's Luck, drive away in swish Mercedes cars as at the Derby this year that offered a Merc to the winner. In the first Poonawalla race, though, the winner did not drive, he flew.
The Contest of Skill winner got two air tickets to Bombay-London-Bombay. Some years ago, a race day had even offered a boat to a Contest of Skill winner! From planes, cars, and even a boat. What next? A train? Knowing the Royal Western India Turf Club's (RWITC) penchant for introducing something new, don't be surprised if a winner chugs away in a steam engine one of these days! Would you bet your last rupee on that?
Headgear
While the men togged out in their Armanis and Oakleys for the race, the women perched hats on coiffured heads as Poonawalla started bringing a topi-cal twist to racing. The Ascot anyone? Come to aamchi Mumbai. Some years ago, there was even a Best Hat contest on at this race, with several ladies painstakingly perching on the bold, to the beautiful and bizarre to win that one.
More than two decades have passed since that first race. The venue is now a place where in other races too, equines share space with leggy models, page 3 regulars, page 3 wannabes, actors, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), singers, dancers, assorted entertainers, artists and other culture vultures. Die-hards are often heard muttering about all the "nonsense" going on in the paddock every now and then, (by which they mean some song 'n' dance and hoopla on the stage) but their dark rambles are usually drowned out by the hi-octane action off track. Now, it is Poonawalla time again with the Contest of Skill winner all set to net a Volkswagen Polo this time and a total stakes of Rs 10 million.
This edition should see a carry forward Second Jackpot of Rs 10 lakh, a Super Jackpot of Rs 5 lakh, one Tanala of Rs One lakh, one Treble of Rs One lakh and a Forecast Pool of Rs 50,000. There will be free entry for the first 5,000 entrants in the first enclosure Some of this year's likely contenders are expected to be Hachiko from M K Jadhav's yard, Shivalik (M Narredu), Sharaarat (Dallas Todywalla), Southern Opinion (S Ganapathy), Days Best (C D Katrak), Silver Birch (Pesi Shroff), Borak (M Narredu), Amazing Desire (S K Sunderjee) and others.
Even as this writer was mulling how to end this piece, came a letter from the Poonawallas informing one that in addition to all this, there will be Lisa Hayden (model and actress) seen on that day as an invitee. Simran Kaur Mundi (Miss India Universe 2009) and a Ms Yanita (second name unknown) who is described as a young model will be part of the curvy quotient on Sunday. Sigh. Now you know why horses wear blinkers.
Race winners
Names of the horses who have won this race since its inception
1990: Le Gris Cheval
1991: Ponta Delegado
1992: Flying Brave
1993: Red Buttons
1994: Brave Hunter
1995: Winning Pretty
1996: Lei
1997: Forest Fantasy
1998: Indiscretion
1999: Her Excellency
2000: Six Speed
2001: Noble Opinion
2002: Priceless
2003: Secret Romeo
2004: Blurr
2005: Fedora
2006: Haunting Memories
2007: Bourbon King
2008: Autonomy
2009: Versaki
2010: Beautiful Stranger
2011: Picasso
The hats really, bring out the fact that it was this race, the Million that began stressing on glamour. The Poonawalla race run post the Derby (The Derby takes place on the first Sunday of February) was like a one-day blitz after a sedate five-day Test match. For years, The Derby was for purists, the Wimbledon if you could call it, of horse racing, where the accent would be on contenders. Punters were buried in race books and newspapers of old would give the mandatory headline on that Sunday, 'All roads lead to the Derby.'
Then came the Poonawalla Breeders Multimillion (earlier called the Million), a little glitzy, a little Kerry Packerish, a little candidly if-this-is-what-it-takes-to woo-the-non-regulars-to-the-racecourse-we-will-do-that and suddenly, the blinkers seemed off. The focus shifted from pure racing to a fusion where betting became less intimidating and more accessible. Racing seemed not just for those serious students of the sport who could tell you that this horse, "Is a good bet because he ran the same distance very well in Kolkata."
Genesis
The concept of 'The Breeders' Million Race' was evolved sometime in the 80s, when members of the National Horse Breeding Society of India came together under the aegis of the Council Members of the National Horse Breeding Society (NHBS). After some deliberation the first sponsored Million race was run on March 11, 1990. The race for three-year-olds is run over a distance of approximately 1400 meters and the winner is considered a leading juvenile in the country.
March was an interesting time to hold this race. It was a time when most of the major races had been done and dusted with, the Mumbai racing season was in wind down mode and the heat searing the lawns, made attendance fall.
This race, put a wag into the tail end of a season. The first ever Million had 19 runners facing the starter and a horse called Le Gris Cheval owned by one Mr Stock, trained by Ivor Fernandes and ridden by Bajrang Singh made it past the post. The lawns were dotted with people who might fumble when asked if they wanted to bet a treble or a tanala at the betting widows, but it set the wheels into motion for a cocktail of fashion and furlongs (a term for distance covered in racing).
Talking about wheels, the race also introduced something called a Contest of Skill, now a regular in other major races too. The Contest of Skill means that entrants to the racecourse can fill up a form, nominating winners in the correct order. The punter who nominates correctly is the winner.
Today, winners, many of them first-timers giving credence to something called Beginner's Luck, drive away in swish Mercedes cars as at the Derby this year that offered a Merc to the winner. In the first Poonawalla race, though, the winner did not drive, he flew.
The Contest of Skill winner got two air tickets to Bombay-London-Bombay. Some years ago, a race day had even offered a boat to a Contest of Skill winner! From planes, cars, and even a boat. What next? A train? Knowing the Royal Western India Turf Club's (RWITC) penchant for introducing something new, don't be surprised if a winner chugs away in a steam engine one of these days! Would you bet your last rupee on that?
Headgear
While the men togged out in their Armanis and Oakleys for the race, the women perched hats on coiffured heads as Poonawalla started bringing a topi-cal twist to racing. The Ascot anyone? Come to aamchi Mumbai. Some years ago, there was even a Best Hat contest on at this race, with several ladies painstakingly perching on the bold, to the beautiful and bizarre to win that one.
More than two decades have passed since that first race. The venue is now a place where in other races too, equines share space with leggy models, page 3 regulars, page 3 wannabes, actors, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), singers, dancers, assorted entertainers, artists and other culture vultures. Die-hards are often heard muttering about all the "nonsense" going on in the paddock every now and then, (by which they mean some song 'n' dance and hoopla on the stage) but their dark rambles are usually drowned out by the hi-octane action off track. Now, it is Poonawalla time again with the Contest of Skill winner all set to net a Volkswagen Polo this time and a total stakes of Rs 10 million.
This edition should see a carry forward Second Jackpot of Rs 10 lakh, a Super Jackpot of Rs 5 lakh, one Tanala of Rs One lakh, one Treble of Rs One lakh and a Forecast Pool of Rs 50,000. There will be free entry for the first 5,000 entrants in the first enclosure Some of this year's likely contenders are expected to be Hachiko from M K Jadhav's yard, Shivalik (M Narredu), Sharaarat (Dallas Todywalla), Southern Opinion (S Ganapathy), Days Best (C D Katrak), Silver Birch (Pesi Shroff), Borak (M Narredu), Amazing Desire (S K Sunderjee) and others.
Even as this writer was mulling how to end this piece, came a letter from the Poonawallas informing one that in addition to all this, there will be Lisa Hayden (model and actress) seen on that day as an invitee. Simran Kaur Mundi (Miss India Universe 2009) and a Ms Yanita (second name unknown) who is described as a young model will be part of the curvy quotient on Sunday. Sigh. Now you know why horses wear blinkers.
Race winners
Names of the horses who have won this race since its inception
1990: Le Gris Cheval
1991: Ponta Delegado
1992: Flying Brave
1993: Red Buttons
1994: Brave Hunter
1995: Winning Pretty
1996: Lei
1997: Forest Fantasy
1998: Indiscretion
1999: Her Excellency
2000: Six Speed
2001: Noble Opinion
2002: Priceless
2003: Secret Romeo
2004: Blurr
2005: Fedora
2006: Haunting Memories
2007: Bourbon King
2008: Autonomy
2009: Versaki
2010: Beautiful Stranger
2011: Picasso
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