LAHORE: Four cup events highlight a seven-race-card drawn for the 21st Lahore Winter Meeting which gets under way here at the Racecourse on Sunday.

The day’s races in which 65 acceptors are likely to take part will feature thoroughbred from among the country’s top breed.

The feature event, Blooming Maid Cup, a term-race for three-year-olds to be contested over 1,300 metres has seven progenies of top sires in which three colts — Bella Verde, Al Ravi and Buraq — should measure each other’s strides.

The supporting event, Winter Cup, a handicap race of Class VII Division II to be gone over 1,100 metres, features nine runners from top sires to fight for victory.

Two colts — Loyal One co-owned by Mian Khan and Asif Mahmood, and Champ co-owned by Mian Mahir Ahmad and Mahmood Rafi — who have had disappointing runs in their previous outings, will seek to establish credibility of their breeding credentials.

Colts Awami Leader and Fast And Furious will be figh­ting for a place on the board. The race carries a beauty as all runners will be out to break their maiden’s duck.

The Nanga Parbat Cup, a handicap race of Class VII Division I and II to be contested over 1,100 metres, has nine runners. Bay Al Mujali, who clinched three consecutive races, and colt J.K., a winner of four races, will be going all out to claim the honours.

The Thrill Cup, a Class VII (Class VI Division IV inclu­ded) to be contested over 1,100 metres, contains seven runners with colts Summer Beauty and Jim And Tonic expected to fight for win.

The first, second and third race frame for horses in lower divisions of Class VII to be contested over 1,000 metres have swollen fields, from nine to fourteen acceptors, and look open affairs with many chance horses clustered in these events.

The first race starts at 12:00pm.

Published in Dawn, January 22th, 2023