India, Oct. 10 -- It's time for The Pune Derby weekend. The race has, in recent years, been won by champions - King's Ransom in 2022 who went on to win three Indian classics, the 2023 winner Enabler repeated the feat at The Indian Derby and last year's Redefined landed The Turf Invitation. HPSL, who was the sponsor of this race last year along with several Derbies across India, has withdrawn from Indian racing in a cloud of controversy. Its honeymoon with the sport proved to be short-lived. Cyrus Poonawalla has stepped in to sponsor Sunday's Derby and will also be sponsoring the big 'un, The Indian Derby in Mumbai. Zavaray Poonawalla took over the summer Bangalore Derby from HPSL and one has to doff one's hat to the Poonawalla's for their unprecedented support to Indian racing. The Pune Derby, with a purse of around Rs.61 lakhs, is still way off this year's Hyderabad Deccan Derby stakes of a whopping Rs.155 lakhs just a week back. A strong nine-horse field will vie for the Derby sash and the only filly in the race, Golden Dancer, who won her prep over the same distance by 15 lengths, could give Usha's first season stallion Deauville his second Derby in a week. Baychimo, Zacharias and Gunsmoke, 1-2-3 in the SA Poonawalla who should all enjoy this extended trip, makes the Derby a cracker just before Diwali. The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) ought to take a leaf out of the way Cricket Club of India, also a company like the Turf Club and bound by the same rules, conducted its election a few weeks back. The voting was both online and in person, and the AGM (with in-person voting) was at CCI, unlike at the RWITC which was on Zoom. Even the mandated online voting had a compulsory facial recognition to do away with backdoor proxies. Even though I had written to the RWITC committee last year to emulate this good practice (to address the established ills of online votes) there has been no response, and the committee appears not only complacent but content with the status quo. After the hue and cry on the proposed increase in membership fees for children which was soundly defeated by members, there is an uneasy silence on relevant queries raised by those who raised a storm. Rather than seeking needless "reforms" like on dual licensing, the Adhiraj Jodha suspension in Kolkata has highlighted the need for TAI to have uniform rules on medical infringements including associated disabilities which is surely of greater import to the sport....