All set for the gallop

The prize money of a whopping Rs11.5 crore is up for grabs as the Pune racing season unfolds at the Pune race course here on Thursday. This will also be the fifth year of dna's association with Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC).

The dna race day is slated for October 17, with the DNA Slaver being the feature event which will be the 17th day of the Pune meeting.

"We are happy to be associated with dna for the fifth year,"said the chairman of the RWITC Vivek Jain

This prize money, which does not include sweepstakes and on par with the last racing season, is the highest for a monsoon racing centre in the country," said Jain, on the eve of the Pune season which has in all nine races for Day One of the season. Irish Race day will culminate the season on October 26.

"RWITC continues to lead the way in attracting sponsorships and the season ahead will be no exception," ascertained Jain.

Pune takes the credit of attracting the maximum number of international sponsorships of all racing clubs in the country, with Irish Throughbred marketing Goffs, Coolmore Stud, K Club, Connolly's Red Mills Throughbred Manufacturing and Tattersalla all sponsoring races here," said Jain.

Nanoli Stud Pune Derby and the Indian St Leger, Classic races would be the main attractions among others during the 29 days of racing.

The above two races will carry a minimum prize money of Rs1 million.