LAHORE, Jan 6: Three-year-old filly, Chanela, will be on trot to make amends for her defeat last time out when she contests the Wak Gas New Year Cup for three-year-old colts and fillies to be gone over 1000m at the Racecourse on Sunday.

This daughter of Fox Hound out-of-Search Warrant, Chanela, was beaten by Lucifer over 1100m in a record timing of one min 6 2/5 secs on Dec 24 last.

The speedy pair who will be on course for the second time during the on-going Lahore Winter Meeting have captured the attention of the racing public. On the surface statistics Chanela now enjoys a seven-pound advantage in the handicap as compared to her last meeting. Yet another difference is that she is rated more speedy as compared to Lucifer, who takes a little more time to get going and strike.

Their contest has become one of the biggest talking points among racing circles, and opinions divided fifty-50.

Knowledgeable ones contend that both are very, very good three-year-olds and there may be a neck's difference between them but Chanela does seem to have a slight edge. However, the course conditions and the jockey on board will count much as it had been the case where the contest is close. Headingley, Helen Of Troy and Scarlet O' Hara may fight for the frame in the fourth race of the day.

The main supporting event, the Thatta Cement Cup, a class I, II and III handicap race to be contested over the sprinting distance of 1200 metres has seven runners barring last-minute withdrawals. In this race with the exception of Dexterity, other three, namely, Fajer, Chan and Sher-e-Gujrat have met many times during the last year but none could dominate the entire season. Now the filly, Dexterity has joined them and the event seems a contest between the four. The handicap gives advantage to the colt Chan and the filly Dexterity, the daughter of Dexter out-of- Lady Eclipse. On her first outing on the course Dexterity owned by Lahore Race Club (LRC) chairman Tariq Aziz was beaten by Fajer on Dec 24 last. Chan owned by Syed Tasweer Hussain Shah is a speedy and experienced Colt and sets his own pace taking a flying start. Fajer and Sher-e-Gujrat should fight for the place.

Jasrah, Lovely Gate and Cobbler are the pick of the 18 probable runners for the Ghaznavi Cup, a class V division 1 handicap race over 1200 metres. If all the three on job with good riders this should be a very closely contested and thrilling race

A card of eight events will be decided, the first race to be held at 11.30am.

The following are the fields and our selections.

MULTAN PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1200M: