LAHORE: Chestnut colt Public Star pulled off a stunning upset to win the Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Cup here at the Lahore Racecourse on Sunday.

Ridden by jockey Safdar Ali and trained by Sohail Aziz, Public Star powered to victory in the 1,300-meter race, edging out front-running bay filly National Colour by a neck.

Pre-race favorite Princess Rukhtas finished third, leaving the crowd of equine enthusiasts in awe of Public Star’s impressive performance.

The Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Cup was instituted to mark the 17th death anniversary of the former Pakistani prime minister. Lahore Race Club chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud presented the cup to winning owner Haji Chaudhry Asghar Ali.

In other racing action, bay filly Qaswa Princess delivered a breathtaking performance to win the Metropolitan Fillies Trial Cup — run over 1,400 metres — speeding from far behind to beat Golden Market by over a length.

Jockey Safdar Ali scored a double, also riding bay filly Amanah Noor to victory in an earlier race. Jockey Deenar Mee­wani also achieved a double, winning with Rafah in the opener and Zuza in the last race of the day.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024