LAHORE: Odds-on favourite colt Jim And Tonic lived up to his billing while powering to victory in the 2000 Guineas Of Pakistan Classic outpacing eleven runners here at the Racecourse on Sunday.
Jim And Tonic, a 25 to 100 favourite with Aamir Pervez in the saddle, recorded his fifth victory on the trot while outpacing eleven runners to make a sound claim for yet some other classics of the ongoing season as a four-year-old.
The colt is owned by Wali Mohammad Awan and conditioned by A.B. Malik.
Taking a quick start, Jim And Tonic showed exemplary foot work and stamina to beat nearest rival, filly Leisure Trip, by five lengths while colts Last Emperor and Mighty Macs completed the frame clocking one minute 37 1/5 seconds in the 1,600-metre term race.
The 2000 Guineas Of Pakistan race was introduced by Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud besides a couple of other major events for the first time in this season.
The main supporting event, the Christmas Cup Classic, a term race for two-year-old colts and fillies over 1,300 metres, was won by bay colt Bambino in record time of one minute and 17 1/5 seconds.
Owned by Waqar Ahmad, the winner was ridden by Shahbaz A. and trained by Zahid Khan.
Bambino bettered his previous record of one minute and 17 2/5 seconds by a fraction, set jointly by Pakistani Star and Khokhar One in March this year.
Bambino, the three to two joint favourite along with filly Acknowledge who finished third, had registered his second victory this season in five outings to date with three places.
Safdar Ali excelled in horsemanship when he rode home three winners — Mafnood Jr in the first race, Arrogate in the fourth and Notorious One in the seventh.
Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2023
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