LAHORE: With an array of star Pakistani thoroughbreds jostling for supremacy, the 17th Lahore Winter Meeting featuring the Lake City Pakistan Derby 2025 and the President Breeders Cup classics besides four other cup events promise pulsating action here at the Racecourse on Sunday.

The highlight of the eleven-race card, Lake City Pakistan Derby, the premier classic of four-year-old country bred colts and fillies to be run over 2,400 metres carries a strong home-bred flavour.

This year, a record 16-strong field will be vying for the richest-ever purse with Rs6.4 million going to the winner, Rs2 million to second-placed finisher, Rs1 million earmarked for third position and Rs400,000 to the fourth. Moreover Rs100,000 will be earned by the breeder of the winner. This will be the eighth event of the racing order.

The President Breeders Pakistan Cup classic, a term race for three-year-old thoroughbreds to be gone over 1,400 metres, contains country’s top eight colts and fillies.

The champion Stakes Cup to be run over 1,600 metres is a diverse contest between six imported and two Pakistani horses which adds international flavour to this year’s Derby Day races.

The inclusion of imported steeds in racing will give rise to a new trend in horse racing and will usher in a era of contests with improved standards.

Other cup races include: Syed Toufique Kamal Shah Haqqi Memorial Cup, The Stewards Cup and The LRC Cup. In all 124 horses will take part in eleven races, if there are no last-minute withdrawals. The first race will be held at 12:30pm.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025