LAHORE, April 3:Fancied Tora Bora proved his even-money’s worth when he won in style the Bahria Town Cup run over 1600m during the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse on Sunday. This six-year-old horse owned by Khawaja M. Arif and ridden by jockey Aamar Pervaiz beat bay filly Victory Road by three-fourth of a length after battling in the last 200m in a tight finish.
Baker Lard finished third, a distance behind while Young Emperor completed the frame, half-a-length further back. In all, ten ran for this sixth race of the day.
Credit goes to jockey Aamar Pervaiz, who rode the winner trained by Mubarik Ali in a waiting style.
A race earlier, bay filly Memmo ridden by jockey M. Zeeshan put up a much improved performance, going to the front right from the start to end the race in the same manner to win by three lengths from Stereo Nation.
Royal Fantasy and Brave Majesty completed the frame among seven runners.
This filly from Cisco Wells out-of- Let Get Going, Memmo is also owned by Khawaja M. Arif and trained by Mubarik Ali, who both had a profitable afternoon sharing a brace of winners.
Later in the seventh race, bay English filly, I M Dancing caused the major upset of the day when winning the class four event for imported horses gone over 1600m.
She beat the odds-on favourite filly Golden Drift, who drifted over seven lengths away to finish a hopeless second, Hidden Cave and Garnock Belle completed the board among eight runners.
Piloted by Faisal Tahir and owned by Malik Hamid Ali Noon, I M Dancing clocked one minute 37 1/5 secs over the distance to equal the record timing of one minute 37 1/5 seconds set jointly by Dock Lands Diva in April 2004 and then by Ranny in January this year.
But as compared to the earlier record holders, I M Dancing’s performance was much superior and that too in a front- running style. Jockey M. Hanif and riding boy Faisal Tahir shared the days riding honours when each rode home a brace of winners.
Hanif sailed in Zardan and Empire Maker in the second and third race while Faisal brought in I M Dancing and Stride To Moment in the seventh and eighth race.
Trainer Alim-ud-Din saddled three winners in Royal Winner, I M Dancing and Stride To Moment in the fourth, seventh and eighth race.
Trainer Sohail Aziz sent out two winners Zardan and Empire Maker in the second and third race. Sunday was the punters day when six favourites obliged the favourite backers in a card of eight races.
One race was won by a long shot and the other a rank outsider.
Results:
BADEEN PLATE CLASS VII DIV I-A 1200m.
Happy Moon (Haroon Ali) 9-2 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. Love Moon 8-10 Aamar Pervaiz 2. Qandhar 8-10 A. Aziz 3. Nadir Prince 9-0 M. Zeeshan 4. Won by 1 1/4 L, 7 L, 3 L. Time one min 16 4/5 secs.
Winner trained by Khurrum Hussain.
BUREWALA PLATE CLASS V DIV II-B 1400m.
Zardan (N. H. Sohni) 8-8 M. Hanif 1. Eid 9-0 Faisal Tahir 2. Weldon Shogun 8-0 Tariq Habib 3. Africana 8-4 Javed Iqbal 4. Won by 1 1/2 L, 1 3/4 L, 6 L. Time one min 30 secs. Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.
BUREWALA PLATE CLASS V DIV I 1400m.
Empire Maker (Nisar Ahmad) 9-0 M. Hanif 1. Mera Chandiwala 8-12 Salah-ud-Din (II) 2. Puma The Great 8-11 M. Hussain 3.Morning Bird 9-0 Rehman Ali (II) 4. Won by 1 1/2 L, 1 3/4 L, 6 L. Time one min 30 secs. Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.
Bahria Town Plate Class IV Div III 1600M.
Royal Winner (Makhdoom Syed Ali Raza) 9-0 A. Aziz 1. Gold Bird 7-10 Nazir Ahmad 2. Blu’s Wendy 9-0 M. Hanif 3. Bone Crusher 8-13 M. Hussain 4. Won by 1 L, 6 L, 5 L. Time one min 44 secs.
BAHRIA TOWN PLATE CLASS IV DIV II 1600m.
Memmo (Khawaja M. Arif) 9-0 M. Zeeshan 1. Stereo Nation 9-5 M. Hanif 2. Royal Fantasy 8-10 Azam Hussain 3. Brave Majesty 8-10 Rehman Ali (II) 4. Won by 3 L, Distance, 2 3/4 L. Time one min 42 1/5 secs. Winner trained by Mubarik Ali.
BAHRIA TOWN CUP CLASS IV 1600m.
Tora Bora (Khawaja M. Arif) 9-0 Aamar Pervaiz 1. Victory Road 9-0 Salah-ud-Din (II) 2. Baker Lard 9-0 Javed Iqbal 3. Young Emperor 7-12 M. Hanif 4. Won by 3/4 L, Distance, 1/2 L. Time one minute 41 seconds.
Winner trained by Mubarik Ali.
MULTAN PLATE CLASS IV (CLASS III INCLUDED) 1600m.
I M Dancing (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-4 Faisal Tahir 1.Golden Drift 9-8 M. Hanif 2. Hidden Cave 9-2 Aamar Pervaiz 3. Garnock Belle 7-12 A. Aziz 4. Won by 7 3/4 L, 4 1/4 L, 1/2 L. Time one min 37 1/5 secs. Winner trained by Aleem-ud-Din.
BADEEN PLATE CLASS VII DIV 1-B 1200M.
Stride To Moment 8-9 Faisal Tahir 1. Song Of Freedom 8-0 Khalid 2.Sea Gul 8-10 Billo The Great 8-6 Shahzad Saeed 4. Won by Distance, 1/2 L, Distance. Time one min 20 3/5 secs. Winner trained by Alim-ud-Din.
