Poonawallas’ richest race

Costa Del Sol, a horse owned by Rakesh Jhunjhunwalla in partnership with Pallon Mistry and trained by Pesi Shroff won the 1,400 mt Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million race, the richest race for three-year-olds, popularly known as the juvenile Derby, on February 22, 2015 at Bombay’s Mahalaxmi Race Course. It was a comfortable victory with the owners bagging a cool Rs 1.07 crore as prize money. "He caught my eye when I went looking at the Manjri farm,” trainer and former star jockey Shroff told Mid-Day (MD) after the race, narrating how he spotted the champion juvenile, "he was a nice looking colt with a good dam line, so I picked him up for Rakesh (Jhunjhunwala).” The Manjri Stud Farm, where Costa Del Sol was bred, is owned by Shapoor Mistry, chairman of the Shapoorji Pallonji conglomerate.

The crowd at the Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million, now in its 26th year, was enthusiastic with many in the members’ enclosure sporting their best attire. A sundowner was hosted in a crowded marquee until late evening with film personalities and society A-listers strutting around, basking in the limelight.