LAHORE: Long shot bay colt Sharegaar sprang a big surprise when he edged out bay gelding Believe Me to win the Trainer Mian Ahmed Din Memorial Cup at the floodlit Racecourse here on Sunday evening before a fairly large holiday crowd.

Entering the straight jockey Bilal Ahmed charged Sharegaar into action and the colt responded quickly by quickening his pace and went on to beat the on-rushing Believe Me by a neck at the finish line.

Colt Drums of War came rushing to filling the third spot with favourite filly Hassan’s Heights finishing a close fourth in the race competed by nine runners.

The winning owner Malik Atiq Ahmed received the cup from Mian Sarwar Ahmed, the son of late trainer Mian Ahmed Din.

A race earlier, strong dusty windstorm swept through the city making visibility poor but it brought the temperature considerably down while relieving the people from the spell of sizzling heat.

He said by their efforts he has been succeeded in restoring the trust of all stakeholders and sports enthusiasts by cleansing stewards’ room and making it free from any sorts of betting, which is a big achievement which could have not been achieved without his colleagues’ cooperation.

Makhdum said he was greatly indebted to them for restoring the sanctity of the stewards’ room which was urgently desired to restore people confidence.

While Makhdum was praising the stewards, two stewards Syed Tasveer Hussain and Mahmood Khan were having a meeting with the stakeholders detailing about their priorities of making the sports, clean, transparent and qualitative competition.

The meeting was largely attended and lasted for over an hour in which plans for the sports transparency and qualitative improvement were highlighted and thread barely discussed.

Makhdum, who is one of the top thoroughbred breeders in the country, said his stud was making tremendous contribution in promoting thoroughbred breeding in the country.

He said recently the stud has achieved a record hundred fertility rate which is a rare phenomenon in breeding history. He gave the credit of this achievement to his son, Syed Murtaza Mahmud, himself a steward who supervises and manages the farm affairs situated in Jamal Din Wali in Rahim Yar district of south Punjab.

The colts and fillies bred at the stud has already demonstrated their bloodline worth in gold while winning laurels in semi-classic, class in and terms and handicap racing.

Sunday’s winners were Red Juniper (first race), Zaman Saheb (second race), Codes Cracker (third Race), Finisher (fourth race), Remember Me (fifth race), Sharegaar (sixth race) and Your Flame In Me (seventh race).

Earlier before the start of races, Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud, while talking to Dawn, lauded the cooperation of his colleagues, all stakeholders for their endeavor to make the sports clean, transparent and competitive and qualitative.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2021