LAHORE: A six-event card featuring two cup races awaits race-goers when the day/night Lahore Race Meeting gets under way here at the Racecourse on Sunday.

While the general response from the owners/trainers regarding fielding their best horses in the races remains lukewarm due to persisting heatwave in the city, the Lahore Race Club (LRC) somehow managed to dish out a a six-race card featuring 47 runners which can be reckoned a creditable effort.

The feature event, the Islamabad Cup, a handicap race for Class VI Division III and IV to be gone over 1,000 metres, has eight runners. Though most of the contestants have two to six wins under their belt, chestnut filly Hash Tag and bay Gondal Gift would in all likelihood fight for the top honours.

The rest of the competitors may have to content themselves with lesser remunerative spots in this fourth race of the racing order.

The supporting feature event, the Khairuddin Barbarosa Cup, which is a Class VII Division I and II affair to be contested over 1,000 metres, has only six runners, mostly aged three and four, some of them representing fine pedigree sires.

Fillies Sand Storm, Generosity and Naseeb Wali should fight for occupying the winner’s box.

Sultan Jehanian, Salam-e-Muhabbat and The Duke look good among the eight runners drawn for the first race, the Samasatta Plate Class VII Division VI, to be gone over 900 metres.

Fazeel Prince, Buzkushi and Chotta Pathan are the form horses in the nine-runner field for the second race, the Samasatta Plate, Class VII Division V and VI to be run over 900 metres.

The quartet of Gifts Of Gold, Jalal Queen, Galactic Choice and Merchant Of Venus should go for the top prize in the third race over 900 metres. It should be a close contest.

The sixth and the last race having eight runners looks anybody’s game with at least five horses on chance.

The first race will be held at 5:30pm.

Meanwhile, all owners/trainers have been advised that if a horse is not taking part in a race due to injury or sickness, the affected horse be brought to the veterinary hospital between 9:00 and 10:00am so that senior veterinary officer Prof. Dr Ijaz Ahmed may issue a certificate on the horse’s inability to race.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2022