The Mumbai racing season, trimmed to a lean 26 days but still dripping with its trademark swagger, finally breaks from the gates on Thursday after unseasonal rains turned the stables into a temporary waterpark. Yet, the city’s aura remains intact—glamorous, competitive, and inevitably dominated by the usual heavyweights. With Pesi Shroff leading the charge, seasoned veterans resurging, and new contenders hungry for glory, Mumbai promises a spirited, star-studded racing spectacle.

While most racing centres across the country are busy wrestling with one crisis or another, some predictable, some invented for sport, the long, winding Mumbai racing season is finally ready to roll out the red carpet on Thursday. Yes, it’s been trimmed from the grand 50-day marathons of yesteryear to a sleek 26-day sprint, but one mustn’t complain: even the monsoon tried to sabotage the party with unseasonal rains but it could only delay the season by a few days.

But Mumbai has its own aura, some call it charm, others call it stubborn glamour but the racing remains fiercely competitive, even if the winners’ enclosure often feels like Pesi Shroff’s private office. Pesi, as ever, holds not just the whip but the entire orchestra, baton included.

Veteran Imtiaz Sait continues to age like the priciest single malt; steady, smooth, and still capable of flooring you. His enthusiasm could put rookies to shame. And then there’s Adhirajsingh Jodha, a man who returned from Chennai with so many winners you’d think he’d brought them back in checked baggage. Since then, he’s been Mumbai’s comeback kid, second only to Pesi in patronage, and armed with sprinter Time And Time and many accomplished horses.

Pradeep Chouhan deserves a chapter of his own. The man didn’t just switch from jockey to trainer; he practically project-managed the career shift. Now he has a growing string, an even faster-growing reputation, and that dangerous thing, hunger. If he keeps striking winners, he may soon need a larger barn and a trophy cabinet.

Dallas Todywalla continues to do what Dallas does, deliver early results with his two-year-olds. His tally may not be what it once was, but don’t be shocked if he pockets juvenile races before others even warm up.

Trainer M. K. Jadhav, meanwhile, seems poised for a breakout, blessed with good horses and armed with the services of the accomplished David Allan, the foreign jockey with the highest tally of classic wins in India.

Then there is trainer Malesh Narredu, who endured a Pune season so barren it could have doubled as a case study in drought management. But class, as they say, is permanent and this is a man who has pocketed the Indian Derby twice without breaking a sweat. Expect a healthier Mumbai run from him, especially with Gun Smoke, the colt who descended from the clouds in the Pune Derby and announced himself as a long-distance threat.

The only dampener this season is the absence of the late S. Padmanabhan, who made the Mumbai classics his treasure chest. His long-time assistant James McKeown now holds the reins, with Mysore Derby winner Miracle Star likely targeted at the Indian 1000 Guineas.

Pesi Shroff, of course, enters with an arsenal: Bangalore Derby winner Fynbos, Pune Derby destroyer Zacharias, and a parade of unexploited youngsters he refused to unleash on the Pune track. Expect a flurry of debutants and a continuation of his championship stranglehold.

Narendra Lagad will strike when the money’s down because what else is tradition for? Young Aman Altaf Hussain has shown he’s not here just to make up the numbers.

Off the track, the Mumbai committee deserves applause for its yearly efficiency, an endangered quality these days. The Poonawallas continue their philanthropic streak by turning the classics into gold mines and the racecourse into a stage worthy of glamour, attention, and the occasional jaw-drop.

The crown jewel, as always, remains the Indian Derby on the first Sunday of February, where the crowds come in droves and the horses come with dreams of immortality. With nearly 700 horses stabled and Oisin Murphy expected to appear for the major classics, the season promises much.

So, buckle up. Twenty-six action-packed days, four Indian Classics, millions in stakes, and enough drama to power a small television channel. Mumbai racing back and fully intends to be irresistible. Punters will, no doubt, give their enthusiastic thumbs-up. The professionals, however, must try to match that energy.

The opening day is already a dampener with just six races, hardly the grand opening one expects. Yes, horses are shifting from Pune to Mumbai, but if this lukewarm enthusiasm continues, the disappointment will spread faster than race-day rumours. Punters don’t just crave racing; they crave well-filled, seven-or-eight-event cards as standard fare.

The authorities have done their bit, meticulous planning, tidy execution, and zero excuses. Now it’s the professionals’ turn to show up with the same enthusiasm instead of the same old tired refrain about “prospectus issues” while avoiding any real participation.