LAHORE, Sept 10: Shahid Rehman has won the unique honour of performing an unmatched feat, becoming the champion rider for the third consecutive year in Lahore. He first became champion jockey in 2002-03 passing the winning post ahead of others 77 times. He repeated the same feat the following season 2003-04, when he piloted home 74 winners.

He completed his hattrick during the recently ended season 2004-05 with a tally of 45 winners. His task was made easier when over a month ago,before the end of the season jockey M. Hanif, who was big threat for Shahid, fell from a horse and broke his collar bone to quit racing.

Shahid told Dawn on Friday that he had so far won 900 races and placed 2300 times at the Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi Racecourses. During these years, he won almost all classics and semi-classics and the Pakistan Derby thrice in 1999 on Fair Magic, 2004 on King Fisher and 2005 on Moment of Love.

—A.G.