LAHORE: Punters had a profitable day when well-backed horses made a clean sweep by winning all the six races on card, featuring two cup events loaded with thoroughbreds during the day/night Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.

It was a rare day when the majority of the Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards, under the chairmanship of Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud, made it a good show by their presence and some of the thoroughbreds put up extra-ordinary performances to confirm remarkable progress made by indigenous thoroughbred industry.

The most outstanding performance came from four-year-old colt Raksh, who won the Lindrick Cup for class VI, run over 1400 metres.

Carrying a heavy impost of nine stone six pounds, Raksh had shown no signs of any fatigue to beat three-year-old colt Tufaan by four lengths at the line to give owner Malik Attique Ahmed his two-year-career’s sixth win in 18 outings to-date while placed eight times including a third spot in Pakistan Derby 2022.

A race earlier, the 35 to 100 favourite colt Jhoom made the punters swing with joy scoring a commanding victory in the Bon Voyage Cup, a term race for two-year-old colts and fillies, gone over 1100 metres.

Jhoom lowered the colours of the filly Winning Colours he had beaten by a big margin of eight lengths.

Bay gelding Mumraiz Prince won the opener by a distance leaving everyone present at the races stunned at his performance while comparing his last running he ran off the frame.

LRC stewards took strong disciplinary action against the owner Shah Zaman, stripping off his ownership for good for such a daredevil in and out running of the gelding. Its rider Memraiz Khan was stood down for an indefinite period pending an inquiry in to it.

The stewards action was widely hailed by the race-goers, who talking to Dawn said such owners, who tarnish the image of genteel sport needed treatment which is meted out.

Bay filly Al Raunaq was lucky to win the fourth race by half-a-length from chestnut filly Queen, who lost because of poor horsemanship of riding boy Shahbaz, pitched against most experienced jockey Tahir Abbas riding Al Raunaq.

Bay colt Breezing Gates won the fourth race to break his maiden’s duck showing an astonishing improvement as compared to previous runs.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2022