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LAHORE, July 12: Three-year-old colt Gun Salute, who registered his maiden success on July six last, should win again when he contests during the Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse on Sunday.
This chestnut colt from Prince Legend out-of-Ginza Gift, Gun Salute is appearing in a big field of 18 in the second race to be run over the sprinting distance of 1000 metres.
A card of six events, three to be contested over 1000 metres and three over 1200 metres has been drawn for the afternoon.
Gun Salute had scored a facile victory in class VII division IV carrying 8-5 on Sunday last. He had been promoted in division III at 9-4 in weight-scales.
Inspite of this harsh treatment in handicap, he should make it two in-a-row. His closest rivals should be Victorious, Disney Land and Final Count Down.
The feature and sixth event, the Sohawa Plate, a class IV division I & II combined handicap race, having ten contenders looks a close fight between three of them. They are Dare To Dream, Rukhtas Again and Storm Bird.
They are very tightly handicapped and whosoever gets better support from the man in the saddle should have the edge. Both Dare To Dream and Storm Bird come from the yard of leading owner Sohrab Khan.
Once a very successful owner at the Lahore Racecourse, Sohrab Khan seems not very happy over the current situation and has put up all his yard on sale. The race is to be contested over 1200 metres.
Four contenders among the big field of 16, namely, Better Case, Honest Bird, Red Rock and King Of Bhakkar are prominent in supporting and fifth event, the Gojra Plate class V division I & II to be run over 1200 metres.
Honest Bird is the most consistent and prolific runner having scored five back to back victories and will be going to make it record sixth in-a-row this time.
The first race will be held at 3pm.
The following are the fields and our selections:
Mansehra Plate Class VII Div IV 1000m.
Royal Victory 9-2 Bone Crusher 9-0 Lucky Credit Queen 8-9 Extra Power 8-9 Asif Choice 8-9 Mr Bond 8-8 Copper Fields 8-5 Two Timing 8-2 Welcome Pechino 7-13 Pappa Jan 7-12 Muslim Badger 7-10 and Blessed 7-8.
Win: Extra Power. Place: Bone Crusher and Blue Champion. Upset: Royal Victory.
Mansehra Plate Class VII Div III 1000m.
Gun Salute 9-4 Zuhair Choice 9-0 Vital Force 9-0 Rising Sun 8-10 Two-B 8-10 Hot Press 8-8 Disney Land 8-7 Final Count Down 8-7 Victorious 8-6 Noor Mahal 8-5 Here Come Rambo 8-5 King Of The Fields 8-2 Sugar And Honey 8-1 Cape Town 7-13 Most INN 7-13 Chandiwala 7-13 Roxanne 7-10 and Jan-i-Ghazal 7-10.
Win: Gun Salute. Place: Final Count Down and Disney Land.
Upset: Victorious.
Mansehra Plate Class VII Div II 1000m.
Sun Of Gold 9-3 Black Nigeria 9-0 Birju 9-0 Little Master 9-0 Raiz Love 8-13 Congo 8-8 Chand Aya 8-8 Weldon Shogun 8-3 Dancing Margina 8-3 Herdvidyo 8-2 and Choti Dunya 8-0.
Win: Sun Of Gold. Place: Little Master and Dancing Margina. Upset: Weldon Shogun.
Mansehra Plate Class VII Div I 1200m.
Silver Queen 9-4 Extra Heat 9-4 Fly To The Stars 9-4 Hunza 9-3 Puma King 9-0 King’s Way 8-13 Legality 8-11 Asif Love 8-11 Beautiful Dancer 8-9 All In Favour 8-9 The Assassin 8-5 Brave ,N, Noble 8-5 Khalid Chandiwala 8-5 Roman Charger 8-3 Morning Noor 8-0 and free My Heart 7-11.
Win: Roman Charger. Place: Morning Noor and King’s Way. Upset: Hunza.
Gojra Plate Class V Div I & II 1200m.
Better Case 9-4 Honest Bird 9-4 First In Show 9-1 Red Rock 8- 9 Where Or When 8-7 Darvesh 8-7 King Of Bhakkar 8-6 Green Hill 8- 6 Speed Gun 7-12 Morning Bird 7-8 Sun Princess 7-4 Wait For Me 7- 4 Bach View 7-4 Show Counting 7-4 Beena Roy Baby 7-14 and Royal Salute 7-4.
Win: Honest Bird. Place: Better Case and Red Rock. Upset: King Of Bhakkar.
Sohawa Plate Class IV Div I & II 1200m.
Kargil Tiger 9-6 Moment To Moment 8-5 Dare To Dream 8-3 Rukhtas Again8-3 Zargar 8-0 Storm Bird 7-12 My Own Business 7-9 Royal Fantasy 7-7 Dancing Star 7-4 and Hoor-i-Arab 7-4.
Win: Dare To Dream. Place: Rukhtas Again and My Own Business. Upset: Storm Bird.
