Sahil outduels Governor to claim Pakistan Derby honours

Published March 8, 2021
LAHORE: Winner Sahil extreme right) competes against his rivals during the Pakistan Derby at the Lahore Race Cub on Sunday.—M. Arif / White Star
LAHORE: Winner Sahil extreme right) competes against his rivals during the Pakistan Derby at the Lahore Race Cub on Sunday.—M. Arif / White Star

LAHORE: Half-money favourite Sahil lived up to his top billing when he won the JWD Pakistan Derby after a tough duel with his fellow colt Governor in the crowning event of the Lahore’s racing calendar before a large crowd of equine sport’s connoisseurs.

Trained by Rashid Latif and ridden by jockey Aftab Chaudhry, the shapely colt felt no problems during with the 1½ miles distance and soon was two-length in the lead from the pack. However, the Shahid Rehman-trained Gove­rnor — ridden by jockey Tahir Abbas — appeared on the scene and put up a strong challenge to the leader but the lady luck favoured Sahil who managed to cross the line first by a neck in a record time of two minutes 34 2/5 seconds.

The winner usurped the previous mark of colt No Regards, who had covered the Derby distance in two minutes and 35 seconds.

Sahil, who have won six races and placed five times in his 13 outings, had not only become the champion four-year-old but have also earned great stud value etching his name in the Pakistan Derby history.

Colt, Big Move whose reputation was dented by Sahil for beating him twice could hardly fill the third place with another colt Exceptional One completing the frame.

The winning owner Khawaja Mohammad Atif was awarded the Shining Derby Trophy and Rs2 million by the senior LRC steward and a former chairman Syed Fakhar Imam soon after the race as crowed roared joyously.

Earlier, colt Breaking Bad, ridden by jockey Deenar Mirwani and trained by A.B. Malik, won the Shah Mardan Shah II Pir Pagara VII National Breeders Cup classic run over 1,400 metres. He beat long-shot colt Royal Nawab by a narrow margin of short-head in a photo-finish verdict. Colt Alamgirian finished third while filly Purnoor filled the fourth spot.

The three-year-old hero Breaking Bad had to call on all his energies, speed and stamina to overcome a stiff challenge to earn a name to the National Breeders Cup roll Of honour in what was the first edition of cup race introduced by Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud.

This was breaking Bad’s third consecutive triumph during the ongoing season.

Proud champion rider Aftab Chaudhry waves to the crowd.—White Star
Proud champion rider Aftab Chaudhry waves to the crowd.—White Star

Results:

THE MOJ-E-BAHAR PLATE CLASS VII DIV V (MAIDENS) — 1,000M:

Sitara Princess (Ali Raza Zia) 9-0, Aftab Chaudhry 1; Open Challenge 8-10, Deenar Mirwani 2; Real Commando 8-2, Javed Iqbal 3; Amigo 7-12, Sunny Babu 4.

Won by 6 L, 5 L, 1 L. Time: one minute 0 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Yaqoob Butt.

THE MOJ-E-BAHAR PLATE CLASS VII DIV V – 1,000M:

Finisher (Sohail Imtiaz) 9-0, A. Imran 1; Zaman Sahib 7-10, Munir Hussain 2; Smiling Again 8-8, Deenar Mirwani 3; Golden Pound 8-4, Bilal Ahmed 4.

Won by ½ L, 3 L, 4 L. Time one minute 1 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.

THE MOJ-E-BAHAR PLATE CLASS VII DIV III & IV — 1,000M:

Hide Out (Mian Waleed Haroon) 7-10, Aftab Chaudhry 1; Super Asia 8-2, Mohammad Hanif 2; Golden Arrow 8-2, Deenar Mirwani 3; Chota Dera 8-2, Safdar Ali 4.

Won by 4½ L, 2 L, 2½ L. Time: one minute 0 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

THE LRC CUP CLASS VII DIV II & III — 1000M:

Ask Me (Asim Raza) 8-0, Babar Rehman 1; Jaidi’s Pride 8-4, Shakeel Mahmood 2; Royal Ascot 8-4, Bilal Ahmed 3; Jan-e- Fida 8-8, Deenar Mirwani 4.

Won by Head, ¾ L, 1½ L. Time: one minute 0 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Aslam.

THE SYED WAJID ALI SHAH MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VII DIV I — 1,400M:

Warrior’s Call (Syed Ismail Shah & Hammad Farooqi Fikri) 8-8, Aftab Chaudhry 1; Well Done Pakistan 9-0, Deenar Mirwani 2; Banaras Prince 8-0, Mazhar Ali 3; Naymar 8-4, Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 7 L, Neck, Head. Time: one minute 25 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.9 SHAH MARDAN SHAH II PIR PAGARA VII MEMORIAL NATIONAL BREEDERS CUP — A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS — 1,400M:

Breaking Bad (Mazhar Qayyum) 8-8, Deenar Mirwani 1; Royal Nawab 8-2, Shafqat Senior 2; Alamgirian 8-8, Aamir Pervez 3; Purnoor 7-13, Tahir Abbas 4.

Won by Short-head, 3 L, ¾ L. Time: one minute 25 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by A.B. Malik.

THE JDW PAKISTAN DERBY — A TERM RACE FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS — 2,400M:

Sahil (Khawaja Mohammad Atif) 9-0, Aftab Chaudhry 1; Governor 9-0, Tahir Abbas 2; Big Move 9-0, Ali Raza 3; Exceptional One 9-0, Deenar Mirwani 4.

CHAUDHRY AHMAD SAEED MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VII DIVISION II (MAIDENS) — 1,200M:

Mirza One (Mohammad Riaz Anjum) 8-10, Aamir Pervez 1; Hash Tag 8-6, Bilal Ahmed 2; Sharegaar 8-7, Ali Raza 3; Noor-e-Kainaat 7-13, Shakeel Mahmood 4.

Won by 4 L, 6 L, Neck, Time: one minute 12 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.

RETIRED COLONEL SYED ABID HUSSAIN MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VI DIVISION II, III & IV — 1,200M:

Shah The Great (Syed Taufiq Kamal Shah) 7-12, Mohammad Hanif 1; Rapunzel Beauty 8-12, Tahir Abbas 2; Special One 9-4, Deenar Mirwani 3; Mera Bhakkar 7-10, Mohammad Ramzan 4.

Won by 5 L, Head, 4 L. Time: one minute 11 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

THE STEWARDS CUP CLASS VII DIV II — 1,200M:

Raining Fairy (Makhdoom Saad Asfandyar Ali) 8-6, Mohammad Fayyaz 1; Surkhab 8-6, Aamir Pervez 2; Prince Of Arab 8-6, Mohammad Ramzan 3; Prince Of Multan 8-4, Babar Rehman.

Won by Short-head, 2¼ L. Short-head. Time: one minute 13 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mazhar Abbas Kalyar.

THE MOJ-E-BAHAR PLATE CLASS VII DIV V — 1,000M:

Victory Free (Tahir Rasool) 8-10, Mohammad Wasim 1; Humayun Choice 8-10, Babar Rehman 2; Big Foot 9-0, Ali Imran 3; Merchant Of Venus 8-10, Munir Hussain 4.

Won by Short-head, Head, 3 L. Time: one minute 2 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tauheed Manzoor.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2021

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