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| January 21, 2002 | Monday | Ziqa’ad 6, 1422 |
Fanim gallops to victory in feature event
LAHORE, Jan 20: The fancied bay mare Fanim overtook Run Way Lady on last few strides to win feature event of the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse Sunday.
The six-year-old Fanim, carrying a heavy impost of ten stones in the handicap, beat fast-striding dark-bay mare by a length. Fanim won the class IV and V combined handicap race in one minute 13 4/5 seconds.
The bay colt Sarfrosh, who took a flying start, relented, when challenged by Fanim. Run Way Lady finished second, beaten by Fanim by a length. Sarfrosh came third, half-a-length further behind while the bay horse Great Grandy took fourth position, another three lengths back.
The struggle for supremacy among Fanim, Run Way Lady and Sarfrosh during the last 100 metres of the race was a treat to watch. Riding boy Faisal rode Fanim, while riding boy Qamar Zaman partnered Run Way Lady and the jockey Azeem Parvez rode Sarfrosh.
Earlier, the bay filly Royal Soul maintained her winning streak comfortably accounting for her 17 rivals in the third and supporting event of the day run over six furlongs. Royal Soul beat the grey horse Love Moon by half-a-length. The dark-bay horse Tuba, finished third, one-and-a-quarter lengths further behind with bay mare Divide And Rule in fourth spot.
The fancied dark-bay filly Storm Bird made up for her five consecutive defeats by winning sixth and last race run over the sprinting distance of five furlongs, her task made easier after the last-minute withdrawals of the fancied Darling Of The Royalty and Blu’s Wendy.
Backed at evens, down to 60 to 100, Storm Bird defeated the late-rushing chestnut Golden Road by four lengths. The roan colt Puma Star and the chestnut gelding K-2 completed the board. In all, 16 competed in this race.
The opening race was won by the four-year-old bay colt Bureaucrat, ridden by the jockey Salah-ud-Din II. The chestnut filly Royal Prosper was, earlier, scratched from the contest leaving only 11 runners in the field.
The card which looked tricky turned out very favourable for punters after the withdrawal of some chance horses. The fancied horses made a clean sweep of all the six