January 22, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 12, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 21: Fancied four-year-old colt Headingly won new year’s biggest race, the Epsom Cup, stunningly at the Racecourse on Monday.

The race was contested over 1600 metres.

Owned by LRC chairman Tariq Aziz, the son of Bletch Dancer reeled in to hit the front 200 metres from the post to take the first prize worth Rs150,000 defeating Janu Manu by over seven lengths.

He was trained by Khadim Hussain and piloted by Shahid Rehman.

Lucky Winner and Fantastic Baby completed the frame among six starters left in the field after last-minute withdrawal of Gold Krik.

LRC steward Khawaja M. Arif received the cup from another steward Masood Pervaiz on behalf of Tariq Aziz.

This was the sixth race of the day, a combined handicap event for class I, II and III horses.

A race earlier, filly Mythical, who was saddled by Aamir Pervaiz, overwhelmed nine opponents to win the Universal Cup, run over 1400 metres.

The five to two second favourite took the lead at the top of the stretch and went on to win by five lengths from raging favourite Royal Tradition, ridden by Shahid Rehman.

Harry Can View and Diamond In Dust completed the frame.

Long shot bay colt Valenday won the Qutubuddin Aibak Cup by a big margin of about eight lengths beating long chaser Lucky Cat.

Jung Frau finished third while the odds on favourite Handsome Hope completed the board.

In spite of losing on Royal Tradition, jockey Shahid Rehman did not lose heart and later worked up a good double through Headingly and The News, owned jointly by Munir Dar and Abdul Sattar Khan in sixth and seventh races.

However, a brilliant piece of riding came from M. Hanif, who rode home bay mare Alishba in the opener defeating Mid Night Fury after a ding-dong tussle in the final 100 metres.

A local advocate proved to be a lucky punter as he won over Rs50,000, solving three Trio Forecast Pools correctly. He laid only Rs100 bet in each race.

Results:

MULTAN PLATE CLASS V

DIV I 1000M:

Alishba (Liaquat Ali) 9-2 M. Hanif 1, Mid Night Fury 9-0 Khalil Vicky 2, Amazing Boy 8-11 Majid Ali 3, Sohna Billoo 8-10 Javed Iqbal 4.

Won by ½ L, Distance, 6 ½ L. Time one min 4 1/5 sec.

Winner trained privately by the owner.

QUTUBUDDIN AIBAK PLATE

CLASS V DIV II 1400M:

Willhewish (Waqar Ahmed Khan) 8-6 A. Alam 1, Miss Liza 9-0 Faheem K. 2,

Redouble 8-4 Hamid Raza 3, Munsaf 9-0 A. Imran 4.

Won by 3 L, Neck, 1 ¾ L. Time one min 32 sec.

Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.

QUTUBUDDIN AIBAK PLATE

CLASS V DIV I & II 1400M:

Apex (Rashid Rasool) 8-10 Wasim Khan 1, Run And Win 8-12 Shakeel Mahmood 2, Dillagi 8-10 M. Zeeshan 3, Legend Sattar 8-8 M. Hanif 4.

Won by 8 ½ L, 3 L, 5 L. Time one min 29 1/5 sec.

Winner trained privately by Babar Bhatti.

QUTUBUDDIN AIBAK CUP

CLASS V DIV I 1400M:

Valenday (Rana Mohammad Akhtar) 8-4 M. Zeeshan 1, Lucky Cat 9-0 Faheem K. 2, Jung Frau 8-10 M. Hanif 3, Hansome Hope 9-0 Aamir Pervaiz 4.

Won by 8 ½ L, ¾ L, ½ L. Time one min 29 1/5 sec.

Winner trained privately by Mohammad Rafiq Khan.

UNIVERSAL CUP CLASS IV

DIV I & II 1400M:

Mythical (Sohrab Khan) 8-8 Aamir Pervaiz 1, Royal Tradition 8-4 Shahid Rehman 2, Harry Can View 7-10 M. Hanif 3, Diamond in Dust 8-6 Ghulam Shabbir 4.

Won by 5 L, 5 L, 1 L. Time one min 28 4/5 sec.

Winner trained by Mian Abdul Majeed.

EPSOM CUP CLASS I, II & III 1600M:

Headingly (Tariq Aziz) 8-4 Shahid Rehman 1, Janu Manu 8-0 M. Issa 2, Lucky Winner 7-10 Majid Ali 3, Fantastic Baby 9-0 M. Nasir (II) 4.

Won by 7 ½ L, 9 L, 1 ¼ L. Time one min 41 2/5 sec.

Winner trained by Khadim Hussain.

MULTAN PLATE CLASS VI

DIV I & II 1000M:

The News (Munir Dar & Abdul Sattar Khan) 8-10 Shahid Rehman 1, Sher Khan 7-10 M. Hanif 2, Honest Minister 8-10 Shakeel Mahmood 3, Love Minister 8-8 S. Ammad 4.

Won by 4 L, 3 L, 1 ½ L. Time one min 3 1/5 sec.

Winner trained by A. B. Malik.