LAHORE, April 30: The recently concluded Lahore Winter Meetings have been a season which recalled the glimpses of good old days of horse-racing when this genteel sport was truly a sport to be enjoyed by connoisseurs, three decades ago.

The 28-meetings set off on Sept 8 last with the holding of cup events named after the national war heroes and recipients of highest military gallantry awards.

During meetings the Lahore Race Club (LRC) was faced with  a problem of receiving less number of entries particularly in events reserved for upper classes. This had resulted in the abandonment of scores of events including several cup races.

Country’s premier classic race, the Pakistan Derby 2003, offering the highest-ever prize money had only six runners. The events could not be held falling  short of required number of entries under the LRC rules included Prince Aly  Khan Cup and the Fare-Well Cup to bid adieu to the meetings on April 20.

The most significant aspect of the programme was the LRC  ‘s launching of a half-a-dozen impromptu cup events which gave ascendancy to the sport and also found a member of Dubai’s ruling family’s patronage.

 A day’s racing comprising five ultra-high prized  cup events named after the racing world’s renowned personality Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum were held on January 24. Some rupees 3.6  million were awarded to horses winning first four  positions in  the  events.  This served as a big stimulus to the sport and  resulted  in receiving further sponsorships by the commercial enterprises ARY, PIA, Attock Oil Cups, one for class five and the other for class I, II and III besides the Jamal Din Wali Sugar Mills.

The  LRC  have  also initiated dope-testing  to  improve  the standard  of  racing  and make the competition  fair  and  clean.

Strict measures were taken in this regard and stakemoney  awarded to the winners on the receipt of laboratory reports. The  reports of those found positive were penalised to curb this malpractice.

The  dawn  of  the new year saw a big reshuffle  in  the  LRC stewards panel and emergence of Tariq Aziz as chairman. Some stewards were dropped.

The  biggest  money spinner of the year among colts was The Conqueror and among fillies Democracy, the Derby winner.

Going  from  strength to strength, The  Conqueror  won  seven races and was placed four times in his dozen outings, which is  a fine  record  only  surpassed  by Admiral  ‘s  Way  in  1999  and invincible  Montreaux in 1965.

Democracy won the  Pakistan  Derby and  other three races and was placed four times. The  owners  of both The Conqueror and Democracy were still basking in the  glory of their animals, an achievement each had never thought of.

However, Montreaux was incomparable in many aspects. She  was only defeated once on her first outing and afterwards in her over a  dozen runnings she was never at in danger of defeat to end  up undefeated,  the likes of such a wonderful performance had  never been seen on local turf.

Jockey  Shahid  Rehman is undisputed hero of the  season.  He stands  much  higher on the jockey’s performance table and  is  a class  of his own. His style of pushing his mount  through  hands and  heels and squeezing through on finding a gap to hit  success is  a  new  phenomenon  in saddle skill.  Growing  with  age  and experience he is the most successful rider in Lahore.

The winter meetings have ended with an-extra race day but the memories of some classic events still linguerd on the Racecourse.