LAHORE: Bay colt Sajawal was given a brilliant ride by jockey Mohammad Hanif as the three-year-old cantered to victory in the Solidarity Cup during the day/night Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.

The 60-100 favourite Sajawal beat stable -mate filly Madhuri Dixit by a big margin of eight lengths in a fast time of 59 4/5 seconds over the 1,000-metre distance on a wet underfoot going after a heavy rain shower in the city.

The victory capped a successful weekend for Hanif, who had earlier partnered Hockey Star in a dead-heat with Zahid Love in the second race and later rode home chestnut filly Wali Choice to win the seventh and the last race of the day to earn the distinction of riding home three winners.

After the prize distribution ceremony, Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Tariq Aziz told Dawn that the cup race was instituted to express racing fraternity’s solidarity and support to the just cause of the oppressed Kashmir people who are victims of worst type of brutalities and human rights violations by the Indian forces in the occupied valley.

He said racing community urges the international community to take cognizance of oppression in the held Kashmir to redress their miserable plight and support their struggle for the right of self-determination as envisaged in the United Nations Security Council resolutions of 1948-49.

Besides Tariq, those who attended racing were LRC stewards retired Lt Col Masud Pervez, Khawaja Moha­mmad Arif, Fawad Ahmed Cheema, Saqibullah Khan Chamkani, Jockey Club of Pakistan chairman Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa, the LRC members and breeders.

Results:

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV V — 900M:

Chamak (Raja Ashar Aftab) 8-8, Munir Hussain 1; Lucky Time 8-6, Ghaus Bakhsh 2; Naval Officer 7-8, Ghulam Haider 3; Nevada 7-8, Safdar Ali 4.

Won by 1¼ L, 2½ L, 1¼ L. Time: 58 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rana Mohammad Arshad.

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV V — 900M:

Hockey Star (Mohammad Iqbal) 8-6, Mohammad Hanif and Zahid Love (Zaman Khan) 7-12, Pervez Bhatti 1; Turab Prince 8-12, Ghulam Haider 3; Good Action 7-12, Babar Rehman 4.

Won by Dead Heat, 6 L, 2 L. Time: 58 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal and Tanvir Aslam.

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV & V — 900M:

Sheba (Asim Raza) S. Raza 1; Anmole One 8-10, Abdul Hakeem 2; She Is Rawal 8-12, Mohammad Atif 3; Jackson 8-8, Deenar Mirwani 4.

Won by ½ L, ¾ L, 1 L. Time: 59 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Aslam.

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV — 900M:

New Sonia (Salman Qaiser) 8-8, Mubashir Bhatti 1; Miss Ravi Road 8-12, Mohammad Atif 2; Safdar Princess 9-0, Babar Rehman 3; Moazzam Prince 8-12, Anjum 4.

Won by 3½ L, 2½ L, 5 L. Time: 57 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Ramzan.

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV III & IV — 900M:

Momin Princess 8-4, Deenar Mirwani 1; Gotti 8-12, Tahir Abbas 2; Red Boy 8-2, Safdar Ali 3; Helena 8-10, S. Raza 4.

Won by 6 L, ½ L, 4 L. Time: 55 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

THE SOLIDARITY CUP CLASS VI — 1000M:

Sajawal (Khawaja Mohammad Atif) 7-12, Mohammad Hanif 1; Madhuri Dixit 8-8, Deenar Mirwani 2; Me Raqsam 7-12, Mohammad Zulfiqar 3; Dazzling 7-12, Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 8 L, ¾ L, ½ L, Time: 59 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.

THE TORA BORA PLATE CLASS VII DIV I & II — 1,000M:

Wali Choice (Aftab Ahmed) 9-0, Mohammad Hanif 1; Salam-e-Dera 9-0, Babar Rehman 2; Khan Jan 9-4, Aamir Pervez 3; Tiger Jet 8-8, Mubashir Bhatti 4.

Won by 3 L, 2 L, 1½ L. Time: one minute two seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Abid.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2019