Breeding horses and seeing them run to the best of their ability is not just another business for Zavaray Poonawalla, president of the 105-year-old Poonawalla Group of Industries.
Poonawalla Stud Farms has come a long way in producing some of the best breds, besides winning other accolades that have taken Indian horse racing to a higher pedestal. The Rs 750 crore group took to breeding horses way back in 1946 and is a four-time winner of the "Champion Stud Farm" award from the Turf Authority of India.
Though the group has varied business interests such as producing vaccines and dealing in shares and securities and finance among others, the fact that Zavaray Poonawalla spends nearly eight hours a day at his stud farm speaks volumes of his passion for the sport.
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"This passion cannot be compared to the turnover of any business venture. The pride in taking our thoroughbreds outside the country as well as the ecstasy and agony involved in the sport is what keeps me going. I start my day at 6.30 am on some days at the farm. I could not be doing that if I were to sign a business deal. This sport is all about discipline and passion," explains Poonawalla.
Poonawalla Stud Farms takes great pride in the fact that it was responsible for sending the first Indian horse to compete overseas. It was in 1994 that their horse, Astonish, won the Hong Kong Derby. "I can never forget the applause when Astonish was paraded as the Indian flag bearer," recollects Poonawalla. Astonish had an American father, Malvado, and a French mother, Avola.
Despite winning over 250 Indian Classics, there have also been many occasions when his horses have lost by a whisker. "Sudden death of horses is simply agonising. It is also painful to see them lose a race by inches. Though we have won eight Indian Derbies, we have lost in nine of them by just one metre," says Poonawalla.
Besides the honour of winning 11 Invitation Cups, Poonawalla Stud Farms also owns Smart Chieftain, the horse that won the highest prize money and the "2000 Indian Triple Crown and Derby Horse of the Year".
When breeding required a boost, the Poonawalla brothers (Zavaray and Cyrus) took up the responsibility to guarantee a race and create an environment of fun and frolic. As a result, the Breeders Multimillion has become an annual event since 1990.
Though the guarantee then was Rs 1 million, which the brothers felt was a big risk, inputs from their family ensured that it was an annual carnival and the richest juvenile race in the country. Today, the guarantee for this annual event is Rs 6 million. It has been rechristened for its 15th running as the "Great One Poonawalla Breeders Juvenile Derby".
In 1995, Poonawalla received one of the most memorable compliments from actor Feroz Khan, whose horse won the race. When asked how he was feeling, Khan said