India’s ace trainer Pesi Shroff unleashed his latest masterpiece as the impeccably prepared Zacharias, ridden with supreme confidence by the young and composed G. Vivek, steamrolled a quality field to claim the season’s showpiece event — The Villoo C. Poonawalla Sponsored Pune Derby (Gr.1) — before a packed and colourful crowd at the Pune Racecourse on the second Sunday of October 2025.
Content to bide his time in mid-division through the early stages, G.Vivek displayed maturity beyond his years. As the field turned for home, he angled Zacharias out smartly and set him alight. The response was electrifying — Zacharias bounded forward with tremendous authority, devouring ground with each powerful stride to leave his rivals trailing in his wake. From that moment, there was only one horse in the race, as the Shroff-trained star crushed the opposition in breathtaking style, sealing a memorable and richly deserved classic triumph.
Gunsmoke ran a spirited race finishing fastest from the rear through the shortest way to topple Superstar, the winner’s stable companion for the runner up berth. Baychimo, sluggish at the gates and racing detached early, drifted out wide in the straight but managed to snatch a minor berth late in the race. The much-fancied Prokofiev was under pressure long before the turn, confirming that his true mettle lies over middle distances rather than the Derby trip.
