LAHORE, June 22: Odds-on favourite, Honest Bird made a sweeping powerful move in the last 200 metres to win the fifth race run over 1000m to make it four in-a-row during the Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse on Sunday.
This four-year-old brown colt, Honest Bird warded off a strong challenge from Hunza to beat him by two lengths. Al trui Princess and Royal Strength completed the frame among ten runners.
This was Honest Bird’s fourth back-to-back victory when he had performed a fine hat-trick earlier. Trained privately by Mian Javaid the colt was ridden by riding boy A. Aziz, his regular partner in the saddle.
Earlier the chestnut colt Minnie Me backed at 80 to 100 favourite triumphed in the third race to complete a hat-trick of victories as the best performer of the day.
Minnie Me ridden by jockey Salah-ud-Din II defeated Little Master by six lengths. Final Count Down and All At Sea completed the frame among 16 runners. Jockey Salah-ud-Din II was awarded a gift ride on Minnie Me by the Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards. It was reported to them that Minnie Me was not on job so they ordered replacement of his rider at the starting gates shortly before the start of the race. Salah -ud- Din replaced Tahir Ali and justified his selection with a fluent win on the colt. He had given no anxious moments to his backers with a start to finish victory.
Results:
Malir Plate Class VII Div V 800m
Blessed (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 7-10 A. Aziz 1. Silver Baby 8-12 M. Jehangir 2. Blue Champion 7-11 Javaid Iqbal 3. Narala 7-10 Qasim Shah 4.
Won by 3/4 L, 5 3/4 L, 2 3/4 L. Time 51 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.
Malir Plate Class VII Div IV 800m
Las Pal Mas (Tahir Masood) 8-6 M. Jehangir 1. Royal Victory 8-11 Salah-ud-Din (II) 2. Disney Land 8-5 M. Hussain 3. Extra Power 9-0 Javaid Iqbal 4.
Won by 3/4 L, 1 1/2 L, 3/4 L. Time 50 4/5 secs. Winner trained by Mohammad Fareed.
Malir Plate Class VII Div III 800m
Minnie Me (Makhdoom Ali Raza Shah) 8-9 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. Little Master 8-9 A. Aziz 2. Final Count Down 8-2 Nazir Ahmad 3. All At Sea 8-5 Mubarik Ali 4.
Won by 6 L, 1 3/4 L, 3 L. Time 49 4/5 secs. Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.
Malir Plate Class VII Div II 1000m
Puma King (Toheed Manzoor) 9-0 A. Aziz 1. Dancing Margina 8-0 Nazir Ahmad 2. Sun Of Gold 8-10 Waqas Sheikh 3. Roman Charger 8-0 Tehseen Hussain 4.
Won by 1 3/4 L, 1 L, Short-head. Time one min 4 2/5 secs. Winner trained by Raja Tehmasab Khan.
Malir Plate Class VII Div I 1000m
Honest Bird (Syed Iftikhar Ali) 9-0 A. Aziz 1. Hunza 8-10 Khalil Vicky 2. Al trui Princess 8-0 Tahir Ali 3. Royal Strength 9-2 Qasim Shah 4.
Won by 2 L, 5 1/2 L, 5 1/2 L. Time one min 3 3/5 secs. Winner trained by Mian Javaid.
Melsi Plate Class V Div II 1000m
Set A Fire (Amjad Ali II) 8-9 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. Imagine Iff 9-0 Iqbal Khan 2. Royal Harban 8-2 Qasim Shah 3. Extra Heat 8-3 Fayyaz Khan 4.
Won by 2 1/4 L, 4 3/4 L, 6 L. Time one min 3 1/5 secs. Winner trained by the owner.
Melsi Plate Class VII Div I 1000m
Burn Heart (Arif Gulzar) 7-13 A. Aziz 1. Better Case 9-0 Mujahid Ali (II) 2. Red Rock 8-9 Khurrum Sheikh 3. Morning Bird 7-9 Azhar Hussain 4.
Won by 3 1/2 L, 1 3/4 L, 3 1/4 L. Time one minute 2 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Amjad Ali II.
Bahawal Nagar Plate Class IV Div I & II 1000m
Incognito (Mohammad Ibrahim) 8-0 Khurrum Sheikh 1. Rukhtas Again 7-4 Mubarik Ali 2.Flame 7-8 Nazir Ahmad 3. My Own Business 7-9 M. Atif 4.
Won by 2 L, 3 L, 4 L. Time one minute 2 Secs. Winner trained by Aamer Azad.