LAHORE, Dec 11: Three-year-old colt Mikkado showed vast improvement by winning the over-1,100 metres Eid Cup during the midweek Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse on Thursday. The half-money favourite set a hot pace, leading all the way to be home eight lengths ahead of the long chaser dark bay filly Dream Memories. Dark bay mare Cleopatra and the bay colt Jang Ju completed the frame among the eight runners.

Owned by Syed Jawwad Shah and trained by Rashid Latif, the winner was ridden to an easy win by the riding boy Fareed Ali. This was the fifth event, a class V division I and II combined handicap race.

Later, bay horse Baray Lal swept to an easy win in the over 1,100 metres sixth and supporting race.

The 20-to-100 favourite, owned by Aamer Raza Khan and trained by A.B. Malik, was given a calculated ride by ace jockey Shahid Rehman. He defeated Golden Falcon by two lengths. Regulation and Murad King completed the board among the nine runners.

The interesting performer of the day was dark bay filly Fruitful who really proved her name’s worth for owner Chaudhry Mohammad Qasim by winning the second race.

Setting her own pace, the filly took a long lead right from the start, but looked tired before reaching the finishing line. But since the lead she had taken in her initial running was so big, the bay horse Independence Day finally settled for the second position.

Riding boys Fareed Ali and Naseer Ahmad shared the day’s riding honours, bringing home a brace of winners each.

Fareed Ali rode Nasir Love in the first race and Mikkado in the fifth and feature event. Naseer partnered Victory Tiger and Miss Tabinda in the third and fourth race, respectively. A.B. Malik excelled among the trainers. He saddled Fruitful and Baray Lal in the second and sixth race of the day.

The Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards were not satisfied with the handling of bay mare Anarkali by the riding boy Sajjad Hussain in the second race. Anarkali was closely beaten by Victory Tiger. In order to hoodwink the race-goers, Sajjad lodged an objection against the winner for allegedly causing disturbance in his mount’s running, overruled by the stewards with the deposit fee for lodging an objection forfeited. An inquiry into the mare’s doubtful running has, however, been instituted with Sajjad being stood down till the completion of inquiry.

Results:

RAIWIND PLATE CLASS VII

DIV IV 1,000M:

Nasir Love (Naseeruddin Siddiqui) 8-3, Fareed Ali 1; Pakistani 8-3, Naseer Ahmed 2; Easy Love 7-6, M. Jahangir 3; Babbu Jee 9-0, Mazhar Ali 4.

Won by 3/4 L, 2 L, 3 3/4 L. Time one minute 9 3/5 seconds.

RAIWIND PLATE CLASS VII

DIV III 1,000M:

Fruitful (Chaudhry Mohammad Qasim) 9-0, Bilal Ahmed 1; Independence Day 8-12, S. Ammad 2; Raftar-e-Sehar 8-2, Sajjad Hussain 3; Aa Ja Aa Ja 7-7, Munir Hussain 4.

Won by 3 3/4 L, 1 1/4 L, 1/2 L. Time one minute 9 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by A.B. Malik.

RAIWIND PLATE CLASS VII

DIV II 1,000M:

Victory Tiger (Arif Mahmood Butt) 9-0, Naseer Ahmed 1; Anarkali 8-10, Sajjad Hussain 2; Sohna Murad 9-0, Majid Ali 3; Bobby Love 9-0, Pervez Bhatti 4.

Won by 1 1/4 L, 1 3/4 L, 3 L. Time one minute 8 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

RAIWIND PLATE CLASS VII

DIV I 1,000M:

Miss Tabinda (Liaquat Ali) 9-0, Naseer Ahmed 1; Pretty Mehak 8-2, Zameer 2; Aie Malangni 8-10, Bilal Ahmed 3; Best Owner 8-10, Anjum 4.

Won by 7 L, 3 L, 2 L. Time one minute 5 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by the owner.

EID CUP CLASS V DIV I & II 1,100M:

Mikkado (Syed Jawwad Shah) 9-0, Fareed Ali 1; Dream Memories 9-0, Imran Pervez 2; Cleopatra 8-4, Khalid 3; Jung Ju 7-4, M. Jahangir 4.

Won by 8 L, 2 1/2 L, 1 1/2 L. Time one minute 11 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.

EID PLATE CLASS V DIV III

& IV 1,100M:

Baray Lal (Aamir Raza Khan) 9-0, Shahid Rehman 1; Golden Falcon 7-12, Azhar Hussain 2; Regulation 7-4, M. Jahangir 3; Murad King 8-9, M. Wasim Khan 4.

Won by 2 L, 1 3/4 L, 2 L. Time one minute 13 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by A.B. Malik.