December 24, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 13, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 23: Fancied filly Honey Gal showed an impressive turn of speed to land the Eid Cup at the Racecourse on Sunday.

Contested in the distance of over 1,200 metres during the post-Eid Lahore Winter Meeting, the race was enjoyed by a large holiday gathering of sports connoisseurs.

Owned by cricketer-turned-horse-owner Javaid Khalid, Honey Gal, the three-year-old daughter of Baker’s Gate, was given a confident ride by jockey Shahid Rehman to beat the rank outsider bay gelding Volcano by eight lengths.

The race began with dark-bay colt Re-born and the filly Chill fighting the battle for supremacy. But soon the colt buckled under pressure to make way for Honey Gal, who then took the lead at the halfway mark to go on to win the race, with Volcano at her heels. Meanwhile the filly Chill and Harry Can View completed the frame among the seven starters.

Haney Gal was saddled by her trainer I. Nawab in the sixth race of the day.

In the third and supporting event, the fancied bay colt Armaan simply outclassed his eight rivals to win the two-year-old thoroughbred maidens race in the over 1,100 metres distance. Owned by Malik Hamid Ali Noon and trained by Haji Fazal Hadi, Armaan, the odds-on favourite son of Putra, easily beat Melody Queen by over eight lengths. Colt Triple Star and the filly My Delilah completed the frame.

Jockey Shahid Rehman highlighted the day’s racing by bringing in four winners in a row. After his mount, Run For The Dollar was defeated by Shah Pari in the second race as Shahid spurred into action to win the next four races, partnering Armaan, Deja Vu, Miss Play and Honey Gal in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th races, respectively.

Shahid’s two winners, Armaan and Miss Play, are owned by Malik Hamid Ali Noon and have been trained by Haji Fazal Hadi, who jointly share a brace of winners.

Sunday’s races were held in a romantic atmosphere coupled with a sunny afternoon adding further flavour to it. The event ended on a happy note for the punters when the seventh and last race of the day was won by the roan-filly So Romantic, which is owned by Mian Javaid.

Results:

Bhakkar Plate Class VII

Div II & III 1,100M:

Murad King (Shahbaz Ali Butt) 8-9 Ali Raza 1. Sweet Lady 8-1 Majid Ali 2. No Apologies 8-1 Shakeel Mahmood 3. High Quality 9-0 A. Alam 4.

Won by 1/2 L, 2 1/4 L, 5 L. Time one minute 13 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

Bhakkar Plate Class VII

Div I 1,100M:

Shah Pari (Mohammad Adil Hayat) 8-4 Tariq Habib 1. Run For Dollar 9-0 Shahid Rehman 2. Little Smile 8-9 M.0 Akram 3. Armida 8-7 Khalil Vicky 4.

Won by 1 3/4 L, 4 1/4 L, 6 L. Time one minute 11 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Choudhry Mohammad Rafiq.

Sialkot Plate, a term race

for two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies

(Maidens) 1,100M:

Armaan (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-8 Shahid Rehman 1. Melody Queen 8-5 Atif Javaid 2. Tripple Star 8-5 M. Hanif 3. My Delilah 8-5 Tariq Habib 4.

Won by 8 1/2 L, 2 1/2 L, 2 1/2 L. Time one minute 10 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.

Rahim Yar Khan Plate Class V

Div II 1,200M:

Deja Vu (Azmat Ranjha) 8-8 Shahid Rehman 1. Munsaf 8-10 Javaid Iqbal 2.Cheeta Aya 9-0 Tariq Habib 3. Rana Gift 8-6 M. Sharif 4.

6 L, 3 L, Distance. Time one minute 16 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.

Rahim Yar Khan Plate Class V

Div I 1,200M:

Miss Play (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 9-0 Shahid Rehman 1. Shim Jim 8-6 M. Hanif 2. Stride To Moment 7-12 Shakeel Mahmood 3. Mirana Choice 8-4 M. Zeeshan 4.

Won by 5 1/4 L, 2 L, Neck. Time one minute 15 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.

Eid Cup Class IV Div II7 & III 1,200M:

Honey Gal (Javaid Khalid) 9-0 Shahid Rehman 1. Volcano 7-8 Khalid 2. Chill 8-10 Anjum 3.Harry Can View 7-12 M. Hanif 4.

Won by 8L, 2 1/4 L, 2 1/2 L. Time one minute 15 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by I. Nawab.

Bhakkar Plate Class VI

Div III 1,100M:

So Romantic (Mian Javaid) 8-0 A. Alam 1. Issabella 8-0 M. Hanif 2. Royal Palace 8-8 Naseer Ahmad 3. Chander Mukhi 8-7 Atif Javaid 4.

Won by 8 1/2 L, Head, Distance. Time one minute 122 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by the owner.