September 21, 2003	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1424

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LAHORE, Sept 20: Three-year-old chestnut English filly Snow Drop, with an impressive victory on the trot, looks a better proposition to pick up the spoils in the feature event when the second Lahore Winter Meeting gets under way at the Racecourse on Sunday.

She is contesting in the seventh and last race of the day, the Barisal Plate, a class IV division I and II combined to be run over the sprinting distance of 1000m.

There are a dozen acceptors barring last-minute withdrawals for this feature event.

The way Snow Drop won her engagement in the Badin Plate on Sunday last over 1200m that makes her chances of making it two in-a-row look very bright.

Although her handicap has been raised from eight stones two pounds to top-weight nine stones four pounds this time yet that makes no difference because she is very fast filly.

This time the distance of race has been reduced by 200m, from 1200m to 1000m.

The progeny of Petradia out-of-Richardstown Lass, Snow Drop has only to outstride Legality and Rukhtas Again, her main challengers.

In the supporting and sixth event, the Shah Kot Plate, a class V division I handicap race, there are nine runners, if there are no last-minute withdrawals.

On track work the three-year-old bay colt Ponchi stands out. This colt from Polinesso out-of-Affifa looks better than Amazing and Mahnoor.

In his previous outing Ponchi was badly hooked by his rider , jockey Salah-ud-Din II, who was fined rupees 10,000 by the Lahore Race Club stewards for not allowing his mount to run on merit.

Four-year-old bay colt Tora Bora looks a cut above in class vis-a-vis his five rivals in the fifth race, the Shah Kot Plate class V division II to be contested over 1000m.

Tora Bora had registered a facile victory on September 7 last and will be going to make it two in-a-row. Puma King and Green Hill should fight for the second spot.

Four-year-old bay filly Arizona, who won very convincingly in her first outing on Sept 7 last will be going all out to score her second successive win in the fourth race. Hunza, Black Nigeria and Speed Gun will be fighting for the less remunerative positions.

The third race looks a fight between a quartet, namely, Bone Crusher, Mohni Road, Much Pleasure and Little Master. On recent form the bay colt Bone Crusher, with back to back victories, should complete a hat-trick without fail.

The blue-roan gelding The Assassin, who was beaten in his first try out last Sunday should make amends this time in the second race. The gelding needs a good lad in the saddle. Madam Lorina, Meri Kajal and Two-B should be the challengers to make The Assassin’s task difficult. Both Bone Crusher and The Assassin belong to the yard of Syed Tasweer Hussain Shah and are being trained by Suhail Aziz.

The opener has a field of a dozen runners barring last-minute withdrawals. The event is packed with sprinters of the lowest division of class VII and is any body’s race. A close finish is expected to the delight of connoisseurs of sport in this race.

The Jallo Plate, a term race for three-year-old halfbred colts and fillies maidens at the time of start of the race has been declared void for paucity of runners.

A card comprising seven events will be decided in the afternoon. The first four events will be contested over 1100m while the other three races will be gone over 1000m. The first race will start at 1pm.

The following are the fields and our selections.

LASBELA PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV 1100M.

Knock First 9-0 Raad 8-10 Silver Baby 8-6 Time To Lead 8-5 Easy Come Easy Go 8-4 Royal Performance 8-3 Velvet Green 8-1 Blue Champion 8-0 King OF The Field 8-0 Narala 7-12 Sweet Victory 7-10 and Lovely Diana 7-6.

Win: Lovely Diana. Place: Silver Baby and Raad.

LASBELA PLATE CLASS VII DIV III 1100M.

Black Baby 9-0 Meri Kajal 8-12 Chand Aya 8-11 Sun Princess 8-11 Jati Sati 8-11 Two-B 8-8 All In Favour 8-7 Match Fix 8-7 The Assassin 8-7 Madam Lorina 8-3 Sky Hawk 8-3 Rising Sun 7-13 All At Sea 7-10 and Gently 7-4.

Win: The Assassin. Place: Madam Lorina and Two-B.

LASBELA PLATE CLASS VII DIV II 1100M

Bone Crusher 9-0 Las Pal Mas 9-0 Royal Salute 8-13 Mohni Road 8-11 Much Pleasure 8-11 Capeletti 8-7 Little Master 8-6 Raks-i- Bulbul 8-3 Hercules 8-2 Blue hill 8-13 Facto 7-13 Smart Fighter 7-13 Captain Fownes 7-13 Opening Partner and Raiz Love 7-12.

Win: Bone Crusher. Place: Mohni Road and Much Pleasure.

LASBELA PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1100M.

Hunza 9-4 Song Of Freedom 9-0 Black Nigeria 8-11 Wild Days 8-8 Golden Heart 8-8 Princes Of Peace 8-6 Morning Noor 8-4 Subzero 8-2 Arizona 8-2 Silver Queen 8-0 Than You Boss 8-0 Iram State 7-12 Speed Gun 7-12 and Hot Press 7-10.

Win: Arizona. Place: Black Nigeria and Thank You Boss.

SHAH KOT PLATE CLASS V DIV II 1000M.

Puma King 9-0 Green Hill 8-12 Rukhsh 8-12 Tora Bora 8-8 Imagine Iff 8-8 and Puma Star 8-5.

Win: Tora Bora. Place: Puma King and Green Hill.

SHAH KOT PLATE CLASS V DIV I 1000M.

Mahnoor 9-0 Waseem’s Love 9-0 Kala Shah Kaku 8-12 Ponchi 8-12 Glorious Song 8-10 Darvesh 8-5 Royal Leader 8-5 Fair Boy 8-3 and Amazing 8-1.

Win: Ponchi. Place: Mahnoor and Amazing.

BARISAL PLATE CLASS IV DIV I & II 1000M.

Snow Drop 9-4 Rukhtas Again 8-13 Legality 8-4 Moment To Moment 8-4 Dhandhana 8-4 Bashaayeash 8-2 Swimmer 8-0 Strom Bird 8-0 Zargar 7-10 Love Moon 7-9 On On 7-8 and happy Boy 7-4.

Win: Snow drop. Place: Legality and rukhtas Again.