Elite Horse Race to Take Place at World-Renowned Pune Race Course
UAE’s leading specialized glass manufacturing company Merint has announced that it will be sponsoring its inaugural Merint Dubai Million horse race in Pune next month.
Taking place on the monsoon track at the world-renowned Pune Race Course on 5 August, a packed field of the finest thoroughbreds will vie for the top prize at the Merint Dubai Million, a Class 3 1000-meter sprint.
Merint has recently announced its first exclusive India-based residential project at 219 Boat Club in Pune and the race has been placed on the cards as part of the celebration of this unique architectural marvel that sets a totally new benchmark for high-end living.
Conceptualized and designed by Atkins, the architectural firm best known for the iconic Burj Al Arab in the UAE, 219 Boat Club is a hidden sanctuary located in the heart of Pune and now recognized as the city’s most exclusive address. It has 10 super luxury boutique apartments, each with its own private pool. The living room and terrace heights are over 22 feet, giving it the feel of a sky villa.
Called ‘The Sport of Kings’, horseracing has been integral to the good life in Pune and a staple sport since the city’s first horse race in 1819.
“In 1830, the Pune Race Course was built on its current site and the rest as they say is history,” states Fazal Manekia, founder and CEO of Merint. “High-stakes players and racing enthusiasts from all over head to Pune for racing season, which begins in July and this part of the year naturally has a profound effect on the real estate market. It, therefore, made sense for us to create an asset that would give us an opportunity to connect with our target audience and introduce 219 Boat Club to them,” he said. “What better way than to have horses for courses?”
“With the aesthetics of the discerning Pune elite in mind, we have conceptualized Merint Dubai Million, the season’s must-attend racing event and we are confident that it will be well-received by all those who attend.”
Boat Club
Built in 1830, the Pune Race Course covers 118.5 acres and is managed by the Royal Western India Turf Club. Additional stabling for the horses is provided near Empress Garden, 1 kilometre from the course. The racing season in Pune runs from July to October, with the feature races being the Pune Derby and the Indian St. Leger.
“It is important to note that even H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has previously acknowledged the racing prowess coming out of Pune,” said Manekia.
He recalled the time the ruler met and felicitated Indian Hall of Fame Award winner Zavaray Poonawalla, who bred and owned Mystical, a horse who won two major races at the Dubai racing carnival in 2007.
