Head honcho of the famed Poonawalla Stud Farm and a magnanimous promoter of Indian horse racing, Mr Zavaray S Poonawalla has put Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) on the high road, signing a big sponsorshp deal with the premier club for the next three years. Mr Zavaray S Poonawalla will now sponsor all the summer and winter classics at this premier racing centre. And come July 2026, the Bangalore summer Derby will offer the richest purse in the annals of Indian racing, a whopping five crore in stakes .

"The 40 percent GST slab has hit racing hard and the onus is now on the promoters to provide the required support to the clubs. "I have initiated a support structure to uplift stake levels in partnership with the turf clubs and this model establishes a shared-investment system wherein the promoter and club invest equally. It simply creates a bond where both the sponsor and the clubs work hand in hand to maintain the finances of the club at a desired level and more importantly to conduct clean and transparent racing," said Mr Z S Poonawalla, adding that desperate cost cutting measures will not help, be it reduction in stake money and cutting down on the finances required to maintain and upgrade the facilities offered to the owners and professionals at all racing centres. "The idea is to keep the show going and keep pace with the changing scenario," said Mr Z S Poonawalla.

The man, who has time and again pulled clubs out of doldrums following the highest GST slab imposed on horse racing, in addition to the big sponsorship has offered BTC one crore to help BTC combat the reduction in revenue from the tote and to ensure that there will be no reduction in the stake money offered for the winter season. Most local owners pleased with the support of the top breeder and promoter lauded the initiative, the BTC committee has taken to get Mr Zavaray S Poonawalla in their fold, making it clear that they now feel confident to invest in the game despite the fact that the state government is firm that the Club needs to relocate in the next 2-3 years.

The proactive approach and enthusiasm of the BTC committee is heartwarming. "I gel well with the BTC committee and I can't say no to any request from Mr Ramesh Manjunath and here I'm happily sealing all the deals," said Mr Z S Poonawalla. Former chairman Mr Ramesh Manjunath when asked if the BTC has gained the license required to start the winter season on Saturday, Nov 1, made it clear that following a couple of minor changes in the resolutions framed by the club, the government will grant the license and the thunder of hooves will provide a lyrical ring on Saturday. The first classic of the season, the 1000 Guineas will be held on on Friday, Dec 12, while the blue riband of the season, the Zavaray S Poonawalla Bangalore Derby is scheduled to be staged on the Republic Day.

The Board Of Appeal (BOA) has been reconstituted and Mr Vivek Ubhayakar will head the board. The other members of BOA are: Mr Y Jagannath, Mr Satish N Gowda, Mr Ranjan Chona and Mr K Jayaram. The Rajyotsava Cup on the opening day is certain to attract a quality field taking into account that more than 500 horses which appear fit at this campus are gearing up to gallop to fame. The track is in ship-shape conditions and all the professionals at this centre satisfied with the facilities at BTC are ready to strike it rich this winter.