LAHORE: Tiny fields mark the six-event card drawn for the day/night Lahore Winter Meeting to be decided at the Racecourse here on Saturday.

For the first time during the ongoing racing season in Lahore, the response from horse owners in entering their stock has been so paltry that the number of horses taking part in races has touched the lowest level of 42 odd runners in six events.

Not in a single race the runners have touched double figures.

There is one good news that a former prominent horse owner, Syedah Abida Hussain, and the owner of Shah Jewna Stud farm has rejoined the ranks of owners after a long break. Her three-year-old colt Dreaming High is taking part in the fifth race. Horse owners will surely feel elated and welcome such owners, who love horses with no betting interest.

A stud owner, Raja Khushbakhat-ur-Rehman has also renewed his owner interest by entering his three-year-old filly Excellent Joy in the fifth race to bring the non-betting owners’ number to three. The third being Shahid Hussain, a stud owner as well.

Interestingly, the all three non-betting owners have one horse each in the field of seven participants in the feature event, the Ceasar Plate Class I & II to be gone over 1200 metres.

The other prominent stud owners, who run their horses are: Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman, Tariq Aziz, Mirza Khurshid Baig and Nazar Ali Amin etc.

Four races will be contested over 1000 metres while two will be gone over 1200 metres. The first race will be held at 4:30pm.

Following is the field and selections: Ceasar Plate Class VII Division IV-B 1000M:

Home Child 9-6 Naseeb Aya 8-2 Faizi 8-0 Bel Ami 8-0 T-20 8-0 Esperanza 7-10 Asim Gee 7-10 Accurate Shogan 7-10 and Great Adla 7-8. Win: Home Child. Place: Bel Ami and Naseeb Aya.

Ceasar Plate Class VII Division IV-A 1000M:

Aya Chan 9-0 Jay Cutler 8-10 Brave And Gold 8-6 Denial Bryan 8-6 Fakhar Queen 8-0 and Mushk-e-Ambar 7-10. Win: Fakhar Queen. Place: Mushk-e-Ambar and Brave And Gold.

Ceasar Plate Class VII Division II & III- 1000M:

Economical 9-0 God Father 8-8 Sweet Ruby 8-4 Gul Bakowli 8-4 White Pearl 8-2 Mah-e-Doura 8-2 Daud Prince 8-2 and Qadardan 8-0. Win: Sweet Ruby. Place: Gul Bakowli and Daaud Prince.

Ceasar Plate Class VII Division I & II- 1000M:

Victory Malik 9-4 Fist 9-0 Musaf Love 8-8 Cute Leeza 7-12 Dera Dubai 7-12 Ababeel 7-10 and Dubai King 7-10. Win: Musaf Love. Place: Fist and Dera Dubai.

Ceasar Plate Class VI Division I & II (Combined) 1200M:

Khan Prince 9-6 Sher Garh 9-4 Bellerina 9-0 Excellent Joy Dreaming High 8-8 Pupple Star Imran Khurshid 8-2 and Royal Song 7-12. Win: Excellent Joy. Place: Bellerina and Shergarh.

Ceasar Plate Class VI Division II & III-1200M:

Mano Jee 9-2 Excuse Me 8-12 No Conflict 8-6 Royal Dubai 8-6 and Sukhanwar 8-0. Win: Royal Dubai. Place: Mano Jee and Excuse Me.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2014