LAHORE: Chestnut Surkhab responded well to the urging of jockey Aftab Choudhry to win the Punjab Cup during the Lahore Summer Meeting featuring five races here at the floodlit Racecourse on Sunday evening.

The 3 to 2 shot chestnut put up an amazing display of speed in the home stretch to score a two length success on his seasonal debut for owner Najeeb Haider Bagri. He beat bay Silent Assassin who finished second with Salam-e-Dera third, another one-and-a-half lengths back.

The winning owner received the cup from Lahore Race Club (LRC) member Syed Pervez Hussain.

Dark brown favourite thoroughbred horse Drums of War was given a patient ride by jockey Tahir Abbas in winning the supporting feature event, the Naran Plate Class VII Division II and III run over 1,100 metres. His success gave trainer Rashid Latif a magnificent hat-trick of victories after he had sent out Jalpana Fire and Surkhab in the day’s third and fourth race, respectively.

Odds-on favourite colt Pride Of Performance took vengeance for his disqualification by the administrators on objection after winning the first race last Sunday as he scored a three lengths victory in the opener to give owner Ali Raza Zia a big consolation. Filly Umer Prince finished second.

Chestnut mare Golden Pound made amends for her defeat last Sunday by winning the day’s second race as she thwarted a challenge from bay Master Prince while Soldier Queen finished third.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2022