March 27, 2006	Monday	Safar 26, 1427

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LAHORE, March 26: Fancied chestnut gelding, Royal Gambler, proved a good gamble for owner-trainer M. Hanif Shera winning the Nero’s Dream Cup run over 1200 metres during the 30th Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse on Sunday. Royal Gambler was given a clever ride by jockey Shahid Rehman. His early dash right from the start involving a neck-to-neck battle with joint favourite Roshan paid him well to beat him by six lengths finally.

Love Moon and Eye Of The Tiger completed the frame among 17-runners left in the field after the last-minute withdrawal of bay horse Tornado from the race.

This was Royal Gambler’s second victory in-a-row.

Dark-fluke bay colt Fidel Castro sprang a big surprise while winning the Kamalia Sugar Mills Cup over an identical distance, defeating favourite bay filly Valentine.

Ridden by the riding boy Azhar Hussain, Fidel Castro survived an objection lodged by Shahid Rehman, the rider of Valentine for boaring and crossing near the final 200 metres marker.

Sher-i-Gujrat and Pawan completed the board. Owned by Syed Tasweer Hussain Shah Fidel Castro has been trained by Sohail Aziz.

The connoisseurs of the sports gave spontaneous applause to jockey M. Hanif, who strode bay filly Scarlet Empress to a narrow in over Golden Faith in the third race.

Scarlet Empress, an even-money favourite was tucked in a very bad pocket behind the leaders’ bunch but was taken out of it by Hanif very intelligently to defeat Golden Faith by three-fourth of a length at the winning post. Cross Rough and Byron completed the frame among ten runners.

On a windy day following overnight showers when none of riders could steer home more than one winner, two trainers M. Hanif and Sohail Aziz registered a double each.

Hanif saddled Royal Gambler and long shot Stereo Nation in the fourth and fifth race while Sohail’s winners were Scarlet Empress in the third and Fidel Castro in the sixth race.

Four favourites obliged the punters when a card of seven events was gone through.

Midway through the proceeding it was announced that the riding boy A. Imran has been promoted as a jockey with immediate effect.

Results:

KARACHI PLATE CLASS VII DIV II 1200M:

Wah Bhai Wah (Khalid Malik) 8-12 M. Imran 1. Billoo The Great 9-0 Atif Javed 2. Royal Cannon 9-0 Azhar Hussain 3. Bad-i-Naseem 8-11 Ahmad Shah 4.

Won by 5 3/4 L, 1/2 L, 1 1/4 L. Time one minute 18 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Azhar Ali.

KARACHI PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1200M:

Red Flame (Haroon Ali) 9-0 Azam Hussain 1. Stride To Moment 8-4 Rafaqat Ali 2. Magic Mirror 9-4 Javed Iqbal 3. Tallal The Great 9-0 Shahid Mustafa 4.

Won by 5 1/2 L, 2 1/2 L, Short-head. Time one minute 15 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ch. Khurram Hussain.

NERO’S DREAM PLATE CLASS V DIV II 1200M:

Scarlet Empress (Malik Mohammad Younis) 8-5 M. Hanif 2. Golden Faith 8-7 Ahmad Shah 2. Cross Ruff 9-0 A. Imran 3. Byron 8-2 M. Zeeshan 4.

Won by 3/4 L, 1 1/2 L, 8 L. Time one minute 16 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.

NERO’S DREAM CUP CLASS V DIV I 1200M:

Royal Gambler (Aamir Hanif) 8-12 Shahid Rehman 1. Roshan 9-0 M. Hanif 2. Love Moon 8-6 Shahid Mustafa 3. Eye Of The Tiger 7-12 Ali Raza 4.

Won by 6 L, 1 L, Short-head. Time one minute 15 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Hanif Shera.

GINZA PLATE CLASS IV DIV II 1200M:

Stereo Nation (M.S. Butt) 8-6 Sajjad Hussain 1. Miss Photogenic 8-3 M. Zeeshan 2. Puma The Great 9-0 A. Imran 3. Run And Win 7-12 A. Aziz 4.

Won by 1 1/4 L, 1 L, 3 1/4 L. Time one minute 15 seconds. Winner trained by M. Hanif.

KAMALIA SUGAR MILLS CUP CLASS IV DIV I 1200M:

Fidel Castro (Syed Tasweer Hussain Shah) 7-12 Azhar Hussain 1. Valentine 9-0 Shahid Rehman 2. Sher-i-Gujrat 9-3 Shahid Mustafa 3. Pawan 8-6 Azhar Hussain 4.

Won by 3 3/4 L, 3 1/2 L, 5 1/4 L. Time one minute 12 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.

GINZA PLATE CLASS IV DIV III 1200M:

River Dancer (Javed Khalid) 9-0 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. Green Street 8-8 Faisal Ali 2. Big Bird 9-3 Shakeel Mahmood 3. Zargar 9-1 Tariq Baran 4.

Won by 9 L, 1 L, 2 1/2 L. Time one minute 4 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Javed Sherazi.