Hot Race

Business magnets —Dr Cyrus Poonawalla and Dr Vijay Mallya — will make the RWITC elections to be fought on Wednesday essentially a two-horse race. The winner, needless to say, takes all, including the arduous task of bringing the crowds back to racing.

Vijay Tagore & Joe Williams have a look at the big picture   

The annual derby at the Mahalaxmi Race Course here takes place only on the first Sunday of February. On Thursday, there will be a Super Derby.

Thoroughbreds of a different kind have thrown their hats into the ring in this battle. The stakes are prestige, power, and of course money.

Horse owners breeders, trainers, liquor barons, businessmen, builders and, of course, politicians are in the fray. The build-up to this Super Derby has never been so hyped, so glamorous and so intense. The bubbly has not stopped flowing and parties have not stopped during the run-up.

The story at the Mahalaxmi today is that of power struggle to control the reins of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC). The post of chairman of the RWITC has now become a prestige issue for Dr Cyrus Poonawalla and Dr Vijay Mallya — the friends-turned-adversaries — who have, at some point in the last five-six years, stayed away from the club. Now both want to have control over the club. The match-up has brought in glamour, spice and consequently unprecedented media attention to the race course.

In a way, this year’s election is an off-shot of the last year’s contest which was bitter and acrimonious. Poonawalla, who had staged a comeback of sorts from his self-imposed hibernation last year by beating his one-time protege Khushroo Dhunjibhoy for the chairman’s post, had to lead the club in a polarised atmosphere over the last 12 months, facing allegations of victimisation and vindictive functioning towards his rivals.

“I’ve cleaned up the racing,” is Poonawalla’s defence.

Despite the lofty claims of his achievement, Poonawalla faces a tougher contest this time. Mallya, a towering and colourful personality with an unmatchable charisma, is running close to the incumbent chairman with typically flamboyant campaigns - organising parties and birthday bashes on his private yachts and harping on attracting the youth to the race course and using night racing as his unique selling point.

“I promise a team under my leadership that will work as one force.  I have the unconditional support of each member of my team and a pledge that they will not deviate from this stance. They will all work under my leadership and policies for the benefit of our Club,” said Mallya, promising to introduce night racing at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. Mallya announced a seven-member panel of among whom at least five candidates have to win if Mallya hopes to be the chairman of the nine-member managing committee of the RWITC.

Vivek Jain, a member of the Poonawalla’s five-member panel, says Mallya’s rhetoric and manifesto smacks of dictatorial style of functioning. “It is a marriage of convenience with inherent contradictions among the panel members. Besides he has also not spelt out viability of the night racing.”

Adds Captain Appoo, a close aide of Poonawalla: “Mallya has only made promises but Poonawalla has performed. The tilt is towards Poonawalla.” Poonawalla has put up five candidates and he needs his entire panel elected if he wants to stay as the RWITC boss.
With just 24 hours left for the elections, it is not clear who will eventually be the boss. It is up to the 1500-odd voters who have been having a party for over a month.Rest assured only one camp will celebrate after Wednesday

Dr. Vijay Mallya:
I’ll spare time, I’ve no choice

Can your spare time for racing?

I have no choice other than make myself available. This is a commitment and I will have to oblige. It is not just one term, I will have to be here for long and my presence will play an important role .

Is night racing viable in India?

I had, at my own cost, initiated a full feasibility report on the prospect of Night Racing and the concept had come out as winner from a financial perspective, from an image-building perspective for our Club and from increased attendance at the Race Course. Let me add here that Night Racing is a time-tested concept. It  introduced the sport to a new, younger generation.

Your panel, some say, is a marriage of convenience.

We’ve like-minded people and we know our goals.There will be aggressive direct marketing campaigns, alliances, road shows etc that will drive traffic to our club. Needless to add, all this will be funded through alliances and sponsorships without any financial burden on our club.

You have said all members of your panel have to abide by your word.

There is nothing like I and YOU among us. It is just WE. We have set our foresight.

You have business interest from racing.

When it is RWITC it is just racing and nothing else.

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla:
We’ve cleaned up racing

You are vulnerable and get influenced easily.

I do agree. I have an open mind and suggestions are welcome. There could be one good in the many points made. But there are also people calling me dictator.

There were many controversies last year.

There were a couple of them but it all surfaced during the clean-up of the house and I have cleaned them all.

Your reneged after signing a peace treaty.

The people who are exposed are sure to hit back and rebel against you and that was what happened. But I am happy that we have done a good job in this field. We punished all the people involved. When someone is wrong why should I tie up with him and sign a peace treaty? He was punished.

You recall Dr SC Jain from retirement. You seem to have lost supporters.

Yes, I do agree, there are few credible members and those few refuse to come forward as they call it a rat race. And we called back Dr SC Jain as he has vast experience and is well versed in the field. You can say we have retrieved him from the archives. 

Your agenda for the next year.

Getting in more corporates and bring in young crowd.