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LAHORE, Dec 26: The backers of form-horses returned home happy as four fancied animals claimed top honours in a card of six events of the mid-week Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse on Wednesday.
All events were contested over the sprinting distance of five furlongs.
The biggest upset came in the fourth race when the dark-bay filly Ghabra stormed to beat the front-runner and fancied bay colt Zabardust by a length. The chestnut gelding Aao Payar Se finished third, half-a-length back while Lance Klusener completed the board, seven and-a-half lengths further behind among sixteen runners.
A lucky punter who backed Ghabra on win-tote, received a handsome dividend of Rs 25,890 for a Rs 100 ticket. Ghabra was steered by the riding boy Shahid Khan.
The half-money favourite grey gelding Martial Law won the feature event, the Kotri Plate, a class VII division III, IV and V combined handicap race which was the sixth and the last of the afternoon.
Martial Law, piloted by jockey Shahzad Iqbal, defeated Puma Star by two lengths. Mon Soon and Asif Love completed the frame. In all, 14 ran for the event.
The three-year-old chestnut colt Golden Wing won the third race, providing an arm-chair ride to the riding boy Kamran Hussain. Golden Wings, backed as half-money favourite, beat the bay colt In Command comfortably by three lengths. The long-shot Lucky Love finished third, one-and-a-quarter lengths back while Lucky Super Marker completed the board, another distance away. Only 15 took part in this race.
Another heavily-backed bay gelding Sweet Victory piloted by the riding boy Nadeem Ikram beat the late-rushing Jamran by one-and-a-half lengths to win the second race. One Touch came third while De Star completed the board. The bay mare Royal Honey put up a dismal performance, much to the surprise of the race-goers.
The joint-favourite bay mare Miss Pecasso won the opening event, defeating the co-fancied Always Inn by one-and-a-half lengths. Shoot To Kill and Power Star occupied third and fourth positions, respectively.
The following are the results:
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VIII (B) 5 FURS:
Miss Pecasso (Arif Mahmood) 7-10 Parvez Bhatty 1. Always Inn 8-8 Azhar Hussain 2. Shoot To Kill 7-10 Nadeem Ikram 3. Power Star 7-10 Khalid 4. (Only nine ran).
Won by 1 1/2 L, 6 1/4 L, 2 1/2 L.
Time one minute 8 seconds.
Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VIII (A) 5 FURS:
Sweet Victory (Mian Riaz Shahid) 7-11 Nadeem Ikram 1. Jamran 8-5 K. Atif 2. One Touch 8-4 M. Hussain 3. De Star 8-3 M. Jehangir 4. (Only 12 ran).
Won by 1 1/2 L, 3/4 L, 2 1/4 L.
Time one minute 7 seconds.
Winner trained by Tauqeer Ahmad.
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VII (B) 5 FURS:
Golden Wings (Amjad Ali II) 7-11 Kamran Hussain 1. In Command 7-10 M. Jehangir 2. Lucky Lass 8-4 8-4 Zulfiqar Hussain 3. Lucky Super Market 8-1 Nazir Ahmad 4. (Only 15 ran).
Won by 3 L, 1 1/4 L, Distance.
One minute 5 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by the owner.
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VI & VII 5 FURS:
Ghabra (Saeed-ul-Bashar) 8-4 Shahid Khan 1. Zabardust 8-9 Shahzad Iqbal 2. Aao Payar Se 8-13 Iqbal Khan 3. Lance Klusener 8-12 Khalid 4. (All 16 ran).
Won by I L, 1/2 L, 7 1/2 L.
Time one minute 5 4/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Akhtar Mir.
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V & VI 5 FURS:
Pistol Pete (Retired Lt. Col Masood Pervaiz) 8-11 M. Hussain 1. Royal Prosper 9-0 Shahid Mustafa 2. Russian Pet 8-4 M. Jehangir 3. Lucky Super Market 8-12 Shahzad Iqbal 4. (All 16 ran).
Won by 3/4 L. 2 1/4 L, 1 L.
Time one minute 6 seconds.
Winner trained by Raja Tehmasab Khan.
THE KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION III, IV & V 5 FURS:
Martial Law (Muhammad Afzal) 8-11 Shahzad Iqbal 1. Puma Star 8-11 Shahid Mustafa 8-11 2. Mon Soon 8-2 Kamran Hussain 3. Asif Love 9-2 M. Faisal 4. (All 14 ran).
Won by 2 L, 2 3/4 L, 2 1/4 L.
Time one minute 4 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.
