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| April 23, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1427 |
Chandni poised to win feature event
LAHORE, April 22: A seven-event card featuring two cup races has been drawn for the 34th Lahore Winter Meeting to be held at the Racecourse on Sunday.
The events to be be contested, are two each over 1000m, 1100m, 1300m and one over the middle distance of 1600m.
The distance of races has been brought down in view of the advent of hot summer in the provincial metropolis.
In all, 86 horses have accepted to run in seven events, barring last-minute withdrawals.
The feature event, the Midas Royal Ascot Cup, a class II and III combined handicap for imported and Pakistani thoroughbreds to be gone over 1600m.
Of the tiny field of five runners two seems to be real contenders while the other three will be there just to make the field.
The main contenders are: five-year-old French mare Chandni, who has already won a good race and the four-year-old English filly, Ponente. On form and performance Chandni should prove better than Ponente to make it two in-a-row.
Owned by Khawaja M. Arif and trained by Haji Ghulam Sarwar Chandni is from French progenitor Highest Honour and half sister of Doctorate, winner of Prix de L'Averi.
Ponente is the daughter of English sire Robellino out-of-Polmara. This will be the seventh and last race of the day.
The supporting event, the Mona Cup for class IV division II to be gone over 1300m has ten runners.
Among them four are prominent, namely, Late Arrival, Royal Power, Hatam and River Dancer. They should finish in the same order in this fifth race of the day.
Three-year-old filly Royal Cannon seems most outstanding performer in the opener vis-a-vis her eleven rivals. She should be followed by Green Hill and Song Of Freedom.
The second race has 11 acceptors, who are very tightly handicapped to make it a thrilling and closely contested encounter.
Byron, Golden Goal, War Admiral and Magic mirror are the pick of ten-runners field for the third race.
They should fight for the top honours with Byron, named after the great romantic English poet, enjoying pedigree's advantage.
The fourth race has the biggest field of 18-runners. Of them Tipu Sultan, Charming King, Royal Fish and top Figure are the prominent ones.
Top Figure is in good form and is on a hat-trick trail.
Shoaib Tariq owned three-year-old colt, Ferrari, looks a better bred contenders in a field of ten acceptors for the sixth race. Empire Maker, Big Bird and Don't Follow should fight for the frame.
After a long time of having won the honours of being a champion trainer three decades earlier, Haji Ghulam Sarwar is safely on way to make history by winning the Lahore trainers championship for the on-going season.
He is already ahead of others in the trainers' statistics table with 38 wins followed by Suhail Aziz with 21.
At present he is in charge of leading stable of Shoaib Tariq and Khawaja M. Arif and there are clear indications he may send many more horses to win by June 30, the day season ends.
Meanwhile the jockeys championship seems an open affair. Although M. Hanif is leading with 49 wins to his credit and being followed by Shahid Rehman 37 and M. Zeeshan 33 but after joining the leading stables Shahid Rehman stands a good chance to pose challenge to Hanif during the remaining eight meetings by June 30. The first race will be held at 1pm.
SHAH KOT PLATE CLASS VII DIV II 1000m.
Royal Cannon 9-0 Victorious 9-0 Happy Mayla 9-0 Simoom 9-0 Spring Breeze 8-10 Dam Dama Dam 8-7 Song Of Freedom 8-7 Saad's Dragon 8-6 Lovely Diana 8-6 Green Hill 8-3 Wah Cisco Wah 7-13 and Raad 7-4.
Win: Royal Cannon.
Place: Green Hill and Song Of Freedom.
SHAH KOT PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1000m.
Moj Mayla 9-0 Wall Street 9-0 High Hope 8-10 Daisy Against All 8-9 Kosey Kaza 8-8 Token Of Love 8-4 Billoo The Great 8-3 Wah Bhai Wah 8-2 Sound Master 8-0 Windy Trace 8-0 and Stride To Moment 7-10.
Win: Daisy Against All.
Place; Kosey Kaza and Token Of Love.
SHAH KOT PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1000M
Jattanwala 9-0 Golden Goal 8-11 Eye Of The Tiger 8-10 Booster 8-10 War Admiral 8-6 Magic Mirror 8-2 Dancing Star 8-2 Byron 7-11 and Shaba Queen 7-10.
Win: Byron.
Place; War Admiral and Golden Goal.
CHICHAWATNI PLATE CLASS V DIVISION I 1100M.
Charming King 9-0 Fair Game 9-0 Arson Prince 9-0 Ward 9-0 Sher-i-Punjab 9-0 Penalty Corner 9-0 Tipu Sultan 8-10 Royal Fish 8-7 Hero's Hope 8-7 Julia Robert 8-7 King Kong 8-2 No Apologies 8-2 Azam 8-2 Jewna 8-2 Bright Star 8-2 New Bhakkar 8-2 Top Figure 8-0 and Tosca 7-13.
Win; Top Figure.
Place: Charming King and Tipu Sultan.
MONA CUP CLASS IV DIV II 1300M.
River Dancer 9-2 Hatam 9-0 Puma The Great 9-0 Royal Power 8-10 Storm Warning 85 Run And Win 8-3 Shahpur Pride 8-3 Late Arrival 8-2 Green Street 8-1 and Like A Hero 8-0.
Win: Late Arrival.
Place: Royal Power and River Dancer.
MONA PLATE CLASS IV DIV III 1300M.
Big Bird 9-0 Empire Maker 9-0 Queen Of Saba 8-10 Zargar 8-9 Safe and sound 8-7 Royal Command 806 Don't Follow 8-6 Ferrari 8-3 Royal Fantasy 8-3 and kind Minister 8-2.
Win: Ferrari.
Place: Empire Maker and Don't Follow.
MIDAS ROYAL ASCOT CUP CLASS II & III 1600m.
Lucky Winner 9-0 Chandni 8-13 Ponente 8-9 Lucky Murad 8-5 and Trace hit 7-9.
Win: Chandni.
Place: Ponente.
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