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| July 21, 2003 | Monday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1424 |
Jockey Shahid Rehman’s record
LAHORE, July 20: The Lahore Racing season 2002-2003 has launched jockey Shahid Rehman as the most successful rider in the Pakistan turf history with his best campaign numerically passing the winning post 74 times.
Although he failed to top a century which he had aimed, he was basking in the glory of his unmatched feat. No rider has ever been able to reach this figure since horse-racing began in Lahore during British colonial rule in 1924.
In a short span of his nine-year career in the saddle, Shahid’s brilliant CV include almost all the classics at Lahore and Karachi Racecourses. Among them on top is the Pakistan Derby on Fair Magic in 1999 and King Fisher in 2002. As a young aspiring jockey with an insatiable appetite to set up more records he is in with an established credibility.
It would not be wrong to equate him with leading jockeys of all times for which he has fought bravely a tradition which has it that past heroes are constantly over-rated, while any new star is forced to battle against their ghosts for recognition. From 1992 when he turned a professional at the age of 20 he has ridden over 700 winners till todate mostly at his home town Lahore and Karachi and Rawalpindi Racecourses.
Weighing at eight stones during the recently ended season he had led 74 horses to the winning enclosure and had been placed second, third and fourth 43, 25 and nine times. He was unplaced 122 times.
During his short stint in England about two years ago, Shahid had the distinction of registering a winner, nine seconds and six times third.—AG
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