LAHORE, March 16: Long shot bay filly, Democracy edged out fancied colt, The Conqueror to win by a neck, the Pakistan Derby 2003 run over a mile-and-a-half at the jampacked Lahore Racecourse on Sunday.
There was a massive betting plunge on 70 to 100 favourite The Conqueror and 3 to 2 second favourite Red Ransom. Democracy’s odds stood stable at 6 to 1.
As the race started Royal Falcon took the lead as a pace maker followed by The Conqueror, Red Ransom and Democracy. At one stage Royal Falcon had increased his lead by over eight lengths.
Entering into the straight The Conqueror made his move and overtook the front-runner.
Jockey Salah-ud-Din II then charged Democracy cracking his whip in the air and she responded superbly to level up with The Conqueror.
A neck-to-neck battle ensued for supremacy and finally Democracy prevailed by a neck. Bay filly Red Storm finished third five lengths back while Royal Falcon lost his stamina and fell back to fourth position by half-a- length. Ironically, Red Ransom ran off the frame alongwith Paddock Fancy.
Jockey Salah-ud-Din brilliantly rode the winner while Shahid Rehman partnered The Conqueror.
Owned by Nayyar Sheikh Democracy is trained by Mohammad Bashir. Her victory gave jockey Salah-ud-Din his second and trainer Mohammad Bashir his first triumph in this premier classic of the country.
President’s adviser on finance Shaukat Aziz, who the chief guest at the Derby Day races gave away the Derby cup to the winner soon after the race.
The Derby purse was worth rupees 500,000 to the winner alongwith the cup valued at rupees 25,000.
A race later, the rank outsider bay horse Great Grandy stormed home in the last 100m to win the Queen Elizabeth Second Challenge Cup run over a mile-and-a-quarter.
Piloted by Qamar Zaman, the dark-fluke Great Grandy pipped another rank outsider Jet Master at the finishing post to win by a neck. Dizzy Height after leading for major part of the race finally settled to finish third by another neck while the 80 to 100 favourite Miracle failed to perform miracle and finished miserable fourth, another two lengths behind. In all, 10 ran for the cup race named after the British Sovereign. Joint favourite Son Of A Gold ridden by Shahid Rehman went lame and finished among also ran.
Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Tariq Aziz gave away the cup to the winning owner Mumtaz Ahmad Doga.
Earlier in the fifth race, bay colt Blue’s Traveller, owned by Ali Faisal Farooq and ridden by Shahid Rehman after a heroic running won the Breeders Cup run over the sprinting distance of 1200 metres.
The winner beat 50 to 100 fancied filly Fair Play by seven lengths. Bay colt Naseeb finished third while Bold Venture completed the frame among seven starters left in the field after the last-minute withdrawal of Theatre’ Breeze.
The LRC cup run over a mile was won by My Own Business who beat 30 to 100 favourite Storm Bird by four-and-a-half lengths. Rukhtas Again and King’s Way made up the frame among 15 runners.
Bay colt Muqaddar caused the biggest upset of the day in the Stewards Cup run over 1200m.
The colt steered by jockey Qamar Zaman showed a tremendous improvement within a week to land the event. On March 9 Muqaddar ran off the frame in the same company.
Jockey Shahid Rehman and Qamar Zaman wound up the day when both brought in a brace of winners. Shahid rode Blue’s Traveller and Glorious Song while Qamar Zaman piloted Muqaddar and Great Grandy to complete their doubles, respectively. Only one favourite obliged in a lengthy card of eight races.
Results:
LAHORE RACE CLUB PLATE CLASS V DIV II 1200M:
Super Star (Choudhry Mohammad Munir) 8-11 Khurrum Sheikh 1. Green Hill 8-11 Mujahid Ali (II) 2. Flame 7-11 Shahid Mustafa 3. Love Moon 7-13 Qamar Zaman 4.
Won by 3 1/4 L, 1 L, 2 3/4 L.
Time one min 14 secs.
Winner trained by the owner.
STEWARDS CUP CLASS IV DIV I 1200M:
Muqaddar (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-1 Qamar Zaman 1. African Knight 8-3 Shahid Rehman 2. Prime Rose 8-10 Aamar Parvez 3. One Man Show 8-7 A. Aziz 4.
Won by Head, 2 L, 1 1/2 L.
Time one min 15 secs.
Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.
LAHORE RACE CLUB CUP CLASS V DIV I 1600M:
My Own Business (Murtaza Ijaz) 8-9 Javaid Iqbal 1. Storm Bird 9-4 Aamar Parvez 2. Rukhtas Again 8-7 Shahzad Ahmad 3. King’s Way 8-4 Zameer 4.
Won by 4 1/2 L, 3 L, Distance.
Time one min 44 secs.
Winner trained by Saeed.
STEWARDS CUP CLASS IV DIV II 1200M:
Saqi (Javaid Mawaz) 7-11 Majid Khan 1. Mahnoor 8-4 Javaid Choudhry 2. Guys And Dolls 8-4 Shahid Rehman 3. Better Case 8-8 Javaid Iqbal 4.
Won by 7 1/2 L, 4 1/2 L, 2 1/2 L.
Time one min 13 1/5 secs.
Winner trained by Malik Manga Khan.
NATIONAL BREEDERS CUP. A term race for three-year-old Pakistani colts and fillies. 1200m:
Blue’s Traveller (Ali Faisal Farooq) 8-10 Shahid Rehman 1. Fair Play 8-11 Aamar Parvez 2. Naseeb 8-4 Qamar Zaman 3. Bold Venture 8-1 Javaid Choudhry 4.
Won by 7 L, 6 L, Distance.
Time one min 12 3/5 secs.
Winner trained by Abid Ali.
PAKISTAN DERBY 2003. A term race for four-year-old Pakistani colts and fillies. 2400ms:
Democracy (Nayyar Sheikh) 8-11 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. The Conqueror 9-0 Shahid Rehman 2. Red Storm 8-11 Khurrum Sheikh 3. Royal Falcon 9-0 Abdur Rahim 4.
Won by Neck, 5 L, 1/2 L.
Time two mins 39 2/5 secs.
Winner trained by Mohammad Bashir.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP CLASS I, II & III 2000 METRES:
Great Grandy (Mumtaz Ahmad Doga) 8-12 Qamar Zaman 1. Jet Master 8-7 A. Aziz 2. Dizzy Height 8-4 Majid Khan 3. Miracle 7-13 Javaid Iqbal 4.
Won by Neck, Neck, 2 L.
Time two mins 9 secs.
Winner trained by Aamar Azad.
SARGODHA PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1000M
Glorious Song (Munir Dar and Fawad Cheema) 9-0 Shahid Rehman 1. Eastern Bird 8-10 Faisal Tahir 2. Arizona 7-4 Shahnawaz 3. Royal Class 8-13 A. Aziz 4.
Won by 4 L, Neck, 1 1/2 L.
Time one min 2 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Manzoor Ahmad.
Next Lahore Gymkhana races will be held on Wednesday.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.