The victory was a collaborative success for a prominent ownership group, including Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla and Mr. Adar C. Poonawalla, representing Villoo Poonawalla Racing & Breeding Pvt Ltd, alongside Mr. Atul Ishwardas Chordia, Mr. D.R. Thacker for DT Racing & Breeders LLP, Mr. S.R. Sanas, Mr. Munchi P. Shroff, and Mr. Kairos Shavak Dadachanji. Stud Poker crossed the finish line with a comfortable margin of 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Seize The Grey, with Tyche finishing third and Enrica rounding out the top four.
A Busy Day of Racing Action
The opening day featured a full card of competitive races, with several notable performances across the divisions. In the B.K. Krishnadevaraj Urs Memorial Trophy (Div. II), Selma, ridden by Antony, secured a convincing win by 3-1/4 lengths over Mark One, with Cynosure and Windborne following in the placings. Earlier in the day, the first division of the same trophy saw Shibra, under A. Asbar, edge out the competition in a tight finish.
The Star of Mysore Trophy was split into two divisions, with Lords Grace taking the honours in Division II, while Auspicious King claimed victory in Division I. The Lavasa Plate saw Excellence secure a decisive 11-1/2 length victory, and the H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Trophy provided one of the closest finishes of the day, with Tom Cruiser narrowly holding off Gold Kite by a head to claim the win.
