Winners take it all

Ultimately though, Gitanjali Tikekar and Sandeep Bhonsale bagged the coveted Miss Pune and Mr Pune titles respectively. Barkha Bisht and Dilshad coming the runners-up in the Mega Model category and Vivek Racch and Sunil Mirchandani faring similarly at the Manhunt contest.

Organised by the Turf Club and the marketing committee of the RWITC the Club Nite, that was being held for the second year running, turned out to be a delightful evening for the club8217;s members and guests, despite the show beginning almost one and half hours behind schedule. Not that anyone seemed to mind it, as they were kept amply entertained by scores of competitions and prizes galore even as they swayed to deejay Vivek Sood8217;s tunes.

Prizes were given away for the first couple on the floor, the first couple to come up to the stage wearing black, the lady with the longest dupatta, the man with pictures of two different women in his wallet they got one who had five!, the couple who could clamber up the stage first wearing each others8217; shoes and to anyone who could produce a bus ticket from his/her purse. And if anyone thinks they all sound like the present generations8217; wacky games, almost all the prizes were bagged by members above 50!About an hour of lively dancing gave way to the fashion show and model contest sponsored by Gladrags and put together by the magazine8217;s editor Maureen Wadia. Attired in a bold but becoming black ensemble, Wadia set the mood for the show. She observed that Pune is a very happening city and she was amazed at the response to the contest.

Contest rounds interspersed with fashion sequences, including a daringly risque one featuring swim suits, gave the audience the final five in each category. These were further trimmed to the top three by judges Cyrus Poonawala, chairman RWITC, Vivek Jain, head of RWITC8217;s marketing sub committee, Vikrant Chougule of Indage India and Maureen Wadia, after the question-and-answer round. While the toppers in each section now get the opportunity to compete in the finals of the Gladrags competition to be held in Mumbai, all the six would be participating in the show that would accompany the contest.

A recent introduction, the club nite was planned as a finale of the Pune racing season 1999 as well as an advance celebration of the millennium. Also as Vivek Jain revealed, out of the present strength of 6000 club members barely 1000 were race-gores. The nite was thus an attempt to give something more to the non-racing members as well as get-together the two sets of racing and non-racing crowds socially, with an added dose of entertainment.

And entertainment it sure was topped with a lavish spread of exotic salads and desserts by Le Meridien and an array of snacks and of course the main course.

And while it was well past midnight when the show drew to an end with the nip in the air having changed to one that sent mild shivers down the spine, it was an evening well spent for the large crowd.

Now, that8217;s called rounding off the racing season with a finale that is a galloping success.