LAHORE: Chestnut filly Muqadas lived up to her star billing, powering to victory in the Suleman The Magnificent Cup run over 1000 metres in a stunning performance during the day/night first Lahore Summer Meeting at the flood-lit Racecourse here on Sunday evening.

This was the maiden victory of the three-year-old Muqadas, daughter of English sire Thousand Words, trained by Rashid Latif and guided by Safdar Hussain, in the fourth and feature race of the day’s action.

The winner beat the bay horse Well Done Pakistan by four lengths with Codes Cracker and Lucky Sohna completing the frame among six runners left-in the field after the last-minute withdrawal of the filly Sanwali Saloni.

The main supporting event, the Chenab Plate class VII Division II and III run over 1000 metres was won by 80 to 100 favourite colt Mera Gondal, trained by Alimuddin that gave Safdar Hussain a double.

Mera Gondal beat Lalay De Jan by three lengths with colt Last Of Love and bay horse Marco Polo placed third and fourth respectively.

The best performers of the five-event card were bay gelding Sultan Jahanian and filly Meri Malangni in the second and third race, each winning by four lengths.

The administrators fined the owner of Danial Prince Rs100,000 for sending the colt in unfit condition to race in the opener. The colt was heavily backed to finish among also ran.

Prior to the start of the first race, the turf accountants held a meeting with the administrators.

Naeem Quraishi told Dawn that they apprised the administrators the problems they are facing and sought management cooperation to remedy the situation.

Qureshi said the turf accountants were offering financial assistance to owners in the form of owner’s betting, award for upset and the place bet facility which is unavailable to owners in other countries. Thus they are heavily instrumental to the financial wellbeing of owners when the stake-money has become a paltry amount against the price-hike of feed and fodder besides medicinal expenditure of horses.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2022