LAHORE, March 17: A card of six events featuring two cup events will be decided when the 29th Lahore Winter Meeting gets under way at the Racecourse on Sunday. An array of imported thoroughbreds with the world's best bloodline flavour will be vying for the main event, the Mountain Dew Eclipse Stakes Of Pakistan to be gone over 2000m promising a close contest.

Of the five contenders left-in after the final scratchings, a mare, Grecianette and a filly, Miss Thailand appears to be the real genuine chances for the event, a race for class 111 and above animals. On the statistics of past performance and bloodline ability, Grecianette and Miss Thailand are outrightly being favoured to win the top honours.Five-year-old mare, Grecianette, a progeny of USA sire Night Shift (Norther Dancer) has staged two incredible performances to win the Thatta Cement Cup over 1200m and the Lahore Classic Cup over 2000m

Miss Thailand, a daughter of Grand Lodge, has won a race and was placed second behind Crecianette in the Lahore Classic Cup on level weight. Now she is carrying ten pounds less weight in handicap.

Her sire line is outstanding. Grand Lodge is the son of Chief's Crown. Her half brother, Grandera owned by Dubai's Sheikhs, won the Singapore Airlines International Cup worth pounds 663,569.

Grand Lodge was rated seventh on the statistics of leading British and Irish sires, in order of prize-money won through progenies in 2002 while on the same list Night Shift's position was 13th headed by Danehill and Sadler's Wells. Night Shift's progenies have won races, mostly in Germany and Italy.

Grecianette and and Miss Thailand, after their first showdown are on course once again to decide supremacy inherited by bloodline influence of stamina and speed.

The connections of both are influential, Miss Thailand, is owned by the LRC's senior steward Malik Hamid Ali Noon and the mare, Grecianette by the steward Syed Parvaiz Hussain Shah.

There is yet another filly from a good bloodline, namely, Sun Stroke. She is the progeny of Raphane from the sire line of Rahy. One of Blushing Groom's best stallion sons, Rahy is the illustrious father of Fantastic Light, the 2000 Emirates World Racing Series Champion.

Ironically in her two outings to date Sun Stroke owned by a stud owner, Mirza Khurshid Baig, is a total flop. On her last outing she was ridden by jockey Aamir Parvez, who has been declared ' persona non grata' by the Lahore Race Club and imposed a life ban on his jockeyship.

The main supporting event, the Pepsi Cup, a class IV division 1 & 11 handicap race to be gone over 1600m has nine runners.

It looks an open affair. On classification, the filly Top Cat is outstanding but handicapped on top with nine stones four pounds. On form Jut Bahadur, Flying Pet and Jasra are prominent. The last two named have not yet gone over 1600m and it will be shot in the dark if they make it.

The filly Noor is also a surprise packet. However, the colt Jut Bahadur has a handicap advantage, and whosoever beats him should win the race.

The other four races on the card too look competitive, promising some close finishing to the delight of sports connoisseurs. But it depends upon the riders, as to how they ride, going for the win or to pull. Of the favourites are hooked and some time owners indulge in enjoying the "owner's bet" facility to hoodwink the race-goers as was the case of the filly 'Tan Man Dhan, on Wednesday last. Race-goers should remain alert from unscrupulous owners, trainers and rider whose sole aim is to make money by hook or crook.The first race will be held at 2pm.

The following are the fields and our selections.

SIBBI PLATE CLASS V DIV 111 1300M.

Murad King 9-0, Mirana Choice 9-0, Hitler 8-12, Spiritual Song 8-10, Icon 8-10, Tyson 8-6, Weldon 8-6, Tornado 8-6, Chinkara 8-6 and Rana Choice 8-6.

Win: Rana Choice.

Place: Hitler and Murad King.

SIBBI PLATE CLASS V DIV 11 1300M.

Mythical 9-0, Koshaliya 9-0, Royal Luck 9-0, Scarlet O' Hara 9-0, Bone Crusher 8-12, Tropical 8-11, Handsome Hope 8-10, Mr Gujrat 8-10, Sher-e-Lahore and Safe And Sound 8-6.

Win: Tropical.

Place: Bone Crusher and Safe And Sound.

PEPSI PLATE CLASS IV DIV 111 1600M.

Wendy Trace 9-4, Great Murad 8-8, Azzam 8-8, Desert Queen 8-5, Miss Photogenic 7-11 and Helen Of Troy 7-11.

Win: Azzam.

Place: Great Murad.

MOUNTAIN DEW ECLIPSE STAKES OF PAKISTAN CLASS 111 AND ABOVE 2000M.

Go With The Wind 10-0, Grecianette 9-12, Miss Thailand 9-2, Dexterity 8-2 and Sun Stroke 8-1.

Win: Miss Thailand.

Place: Grecianette.

PEPSI CUP CLASS IV DIV 1 & 11 1600M.

Top Cat 9-4, Jasra 9-0, Zargar 8-9, Flying Pet 8-2, Tipu Sultan 7-13, Lucky Murad 7-12, Jut Bahadur 7-10, Noor 7-8 and Harry Can View 7-8.

Win: Jut Bahadur.

Place: Top Cat and Flying Pet.

SIBBI PLATE CLASS V DIV 1 1300M.

Cobbler 9-4, Black House 9-0, Armida 8-11, Big Bird 8-10, Daisy Against All 8-6, Rough Tough 8-6 ,Victory Gallop 7-12, Honey Gal 7-12, Jewna 7-11 and Cross Ruff 7-10.

Win: Cobbler.

Place: Run And Win and Rough Tough.