LAHORE: Country’s thoroughbred classic racing crown event, the Paki­stan Derby, will be the highlight of the Lahore Winter Meeting when a competitive card of ten races will be down for decision amidst pomp and glory at the racecourse here on Sunday.

Apart from the richest ever Derby, the National Breeders Cup classic, the Jockey Club Of Pakistan (JCP) Cup, the Stewards Cup and the Lahore race Cub (LRC) Cup will add to cups galore in which high profile thoroughbreds will be in action to demonstrate the progress made by breeders in the home bloodstock breeding.

This year’s Derby — carrying a prize purse worth Rs61,00,000; the richest-ever-race to be held in Pakistan in its over seven-decade history — has a star studded cast of six colts and four fillies, all four-year-old in the terms race to be contested over 2400 metres.

Each of the Derby contenders had had some remarkable performances in their prepatory races. However, three colts, namely, Tufaan, Pakistani Star and Sea Bird have so far shown marvelous strides winning, six, four and three races respectively and are expected to be the main contenders to bring laurels to their, respective owners, trainers, jockeys and stud farms where they were bred.

LRC steward Mahmood Khan told Dawn that the connections of Shahid Rehman-trained Tufaan have specially invited veteran English jockey David Eagan to ride the colt, bred at Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud’s Jamal Din Wali stud-farm. According to him Eagan has already landed in the city.

That has sparked off enough excitement in the racing circles here and the atmosphere looks fantastic and somewhat over-whelming adding international flavor to the premier classic race-seventh in racing order.

Yet another equally good attraction will be the, National Breeders classic Cup, a term race for three-year-olds to be gone over 1400 metres. It has ten runners who have dominated the turf by their fine striding to make it an open affair.

The third supporting event. The Stewards Cup, a handicap race for class VI horse to be contested over 1400 metres has seven runners of whom three-Silent Assassin, Watto Choice and Mera Gondal come into reckoning for supremacy.

The LRC Cup for Class VII to be contested over 1100 metres has ten runners, each having a chance on handicap to make it a very competitive race expected to end in a close competition.

The Jockey Club Of Pakistan Cup to be contested over 1100 metres has a large field of 15 runners, loaded with over six strong contenders making winner picket a difficult task for race goers.

In all, a record highest number of 123, horses, are the probable participants in ten races with the first race to come under starter’s order at 12.00noon.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2023