LAHORE: Favourite colt Churchill lived up his star billing while powering to victory in the Sheikh Sajjad Hassan Memorial Cup during the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.

Trained by Shahid Rehman the colt came with a well-timed challenge under jockey Aamir Pervez to win the 1,000-metre term race for two-year-old Pakistani thoroughbreds, half-bred colts and fillies.

The winner foiled the front-running bay colt Milord’s attempt to win the contest by a half length in a remarkable style in the cup race named after Lahore Race Club (LRC) steward who had devotedly served the club for decades.

Bay colt Sahil finished third over two lengths back with filly Remember Me fourth, three lengths further away.

The winning owner Zaid Raheem’s representatives received the cup from Shaharyar Hassan soon after the race.

The supporting cup event, the Children Day Cup run over 1,100 metres was won by Makhdoom Syed Ahmad Mahmud’s prized colt Conquest from Licence To Kill by over two lengths easily. Chestnut filly Sara Jamoot and bay filly Me Raqsam completed the frame.

The winner clocked a smart timing of one minute 5 3/5 seconds over the distance.

Makhdum’s son Syed Murtaza Mahmud received the cup from LRC steward Azmat Ali Ranjha.

Jockey Aamir Pervez excelled among professional when he registered a hat trick of victories partnering Churchill, Conquest and Princess Anabia in the fifth, sixth and seventh race of the day. Trainer Shahid Rehman also shared Aamir’s hat-trick while two winners in Churchill and Princess Anabia earned a double for owner Zaid Raheem.

The day’s racing honours were also shared by jockey Bilal Ahmed, who rode home a brace of winners — Chan Punjabi and Red Boy — to also to earn a double for trainer Tanvir Aslam and owner Asim Raza.

Results:

THE CONFLICT PLATE CLASS VII DIV V — 1,000M:

Chan Punjabi (Asim Raza) 9-0, Bilal Ahmed 1; Royal Runner 8-8, Tahir Abbas 2; Artghal 7-8, Deenar Mirwani 3; Gooloo Prince 7-4, Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 1½ L, 2 L, 2 L. Time: one minute 2 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Aslam.

THE CONFLICT PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV — 1,000M:

Red Boy (Asim Raza) 9-0, Bilal Ahmed 1; Love For Win 8-8, Mohammad Hanif 2; Zoaq-e-Yaqeen 8-8, Tahir Abbas 3; Wahab Choice 8-10, Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 5 L, ½ L, 1¼ L. Time: one minute 1 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Aslam.

THE CONFLICT PLATE CLASS VII DIV III — 1,000M:

Khadim (Khawaja Mohammad Atif) 9-0, Mohammad Hanif 1; Rashk-e-Qamar 9-0, Bilal Ahmed 2; Big Foot 9-0, Babar Rehman 3; Khan Jee 8-10, Mohammad Atif 4.

Won by 2½ L, Head, Neck. Time: one minute 1 1 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.

THE CONFLICT PLATE CLASS VII DIV II & III — 1,000M:

Aya Sultan (Malik Khalid Mahmood Paracha) 8-8, Tahir Abbas 1; Believe Me 9-0, Mazhar Ali 2; Abdullah Princess 9-0, Bilal Ahmed 3; Natalia 7-4, Mohammad Jahangir 4.

Won by 2 L, 4 L, ¾ L. Time: one minute 0 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

THE SHEIKH SAJJAD HASSAN MEMORIAL CUP — A HANDICAP RACE FOR TWO-YEAR-OLD THOROUGHBREDS AND HALF-BRED COLTS AND FILLIES — 1,000M:

Churchill (Zaid Raheem) 8-8, Aamir Pervez 1; Milord 8-8, Bilal Ahmed 2; Sahil 8-8, Aftab Chaudhry 3; Remember Me 8-5, Tahir Abbas 4.

Won by ½ L, 2¼ L, 3 L. Time: 59 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

THE CHILDREN DAY CUP CLASS VI DIV I, II & III — 1,000M:

Conquest (Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud) 8-4, Aamir Pervez 1; Licence To Kill 9-0, Mohammad Zulfiqar 2; Sara Jamoot 8-2, Mohammad Hanif 3; Me Raqsam 7-12, Deenar Mirwani 4.

Won by 2½ L, 3 L, ½ L. Time: one minute 5 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

THE CONFLICT PLATE CLASS VII DIV I — 1,000M:

Princess Anabia (Zaid Raheem) 8-10, Aamir Pervez 1; Salam-e-Dera 8-0, Babar Rehman 2; Madhuri Dixit 8-12, Mohammad Hanif 3; Sea Horse 9-0, Tahir Abbas 4.

Won by 3 L, 3 L, 2 L. Time: one minute o 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019