LAHORE: The Ravi Cup, the longest race of the current season to be contested over 1,800 metres, will be the highlight of the eight-event card drawn for the 20th Lahore Winter Meeting which gets under way here at the Racecourse on Sunday.

A term race for four-year-olds, it contains a star-studded cast of nine thoroughbreds promising a classic equine action. A quartet of fine-bred colts -- Pakistani Star, Sea Bird, Big Thought and Cousin Cary -- look real contenders. The first two have already proved their bloodline brilliance achieving stardom while the other two are still fighting to show their worth.

The beauty of the race is that none of the runners has yet run over 1,800-metre distance. Pakistani Star and Sea Bird have had strong finishes to make credible claim to cup glory and it is assumed they will show stamina to stay. However, the handicap and bloodlines of Big Thought and Cousin Cary are of stayer’s breed. Their performance in the race will be an indicator of their contest ahead in long-distance classic events. This will be the sixth race in the order.

The main supporting event, the Fair Magic Plate Class VI to be gone over 1,000 metres has six acceptors. Bay horses, Conquest and Silent Assassin and bay mare Watto Chioce seem the speedy ones to fight for top honours.

Among the seven runners drawn for the second supporting event, the Fair Magic Plate Class VII Division I over 1,000 metres, bay filly Sundari has an edge over her six rivals with a smart victory to her credit some weeks ago.

Bay colt J.K., mare Generosity and filly Sanwali Saloni will be fighting for honours in the third supporting event, the Fair magic Plate Class VII Division I and II over 1,000 metres. The first, second and the eighth races have an impressive field of nearly a dozen runners each and look open affairs with four to six chance horses in each race.

In all, 77 runners make the field for the eight-race card with the first race scheduled be held at 12:00noon.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2023