LAHORE, Jan 20: Four-year-old English thoroughbred filly, Go With The Wind, is fancied to win the Epsom Cup, a term race for imported and Pakistani thoroughbreds, to be competed over 1600m when the 21st Lahore Winter Meeting gets under way at the Racecourse on Sunday.

In this event, a magnificent array of equine athletes from some of world's famous bloodlines will be seen in action along with the best Pakistani thoroughbreds giving it a truly international, coupled with homebred flavour, promising a competitive racing action.

The line up for the coveted cup event includes four imported and five Pakistani thoroughbreds.

By virtue of her fastest track work during morning exercises, Syed Tasweer Hussain's English thoroughbred filly, Go With The Wind Stands out.She is the progeny of Bertolini, a USA sire from Danzig bloodline and from the mother side of Piccolette (GB), a daughter of Piccolo.

There is one more reason for her being a fancy, as her owner is ranked as an importer of classic thoroughbreds since 2000.

It goes to his credit that his mares Ranny and Golden Drift have set up three records in fastest timing over different distances at the Lahore Racecourse and he has become a great pin hooker in selection of thoroughbreds.

The filly's close rivals could be Conflict, Brummell and Naseeb. Conflict is an eleven-year-old horse from English sire, Warning out-of- La Dama Bonita.

Trained by Mazin Al Kurdi, he raced in the silks of Sheikh Marwan Al Maktoum and in 36 attempts won sixteen races and was placed second and third thrice each on the international racing circuit. There is no horse with such a grand experience in Pakistan. He is appearing for the first time on the track here and will be seen how much difference age has had on his performance. He will run in the colours of Khawaja M. Arif.

The next among the challengers is the English horse Brummell. Owned by Syed Parvaiz Hussain Shah, Brummell in his short career of over a year has won five times and placed on the board as many times.

This son of Polish Precedent out-of-Fashion, Brummell is very good over 1600m but is carrying a heavy impost of 10 stones three pounds.

Among the Pakistani bred, the top challenger is Naseeb, running in the colours of a Karachi owner Haji Khuda Bux Rajhar. As a four-year-old Naseeb was the highest Stakes money earner in Lahore during 2004. The son of Sheikh Albadoo, he came in utero when Malik Hamid Ali Noon purchased her mother, Coxswain, for a bargain price. This will be sixth race in racing order.

In the main supporting and fifth event, the Trial Cup for four-year-old Pakistani colts and fillies, eight colts and a filly will be matching their strides in a classic battle for top honours. Instituted for the first time and to be gone over 1800 metres, the contenders include seven Lahore colts besides raiders from Karachi, a colt and a filly. Of them three Lahore colts appear to be real genuine contenders with ability to stay over the arduous distance, namely, Toru Khan, Chan and River Dancer.

The past performance statistics out rightly favour Toru Khan to win because he has to his credit four incredible victories during this season, a couple of them really astonishing and when he runs he reflects strides of an imported thoroughbred in action.

In his total 13 outings he has won eight and placed once, a feat yet to be achieved by any other runner of his age. He is owned by Huzaifa Shoaib, grandson of the Lahore Race Club , (LRC) chairman Tariq Aziz. The colt Chan, a highly pedigreed colt owned by Syed Tasweer Hussain, holds a record of fastest timing over 1000m.

First he was being trained as a sprinter and now tuned to go over a long distance but it is doubtful if he can perform well over 1800m.

A classic colt in the making River Dancer, has been a fine performer and is in good shape and, is sure to stay over the distance. But some thing had been very upsetting about the stable that runners coming through it, though very highly pedigreed, put up performances beyond imagination.

Trace Kim and Top Cat are the outstanding performers in the Saphire Cup, a class IV division one, a handicap race to be contested over 1400m. They should fight it out.

Trace Kim's performance in her last outing was very bad and if that was a real genuine one, Top Cat and Golden Goal should fight it out.

Lovely Gate and Gujrat Princess look good in the Qutub-ud-Din Aibak Cup to be contested over 1400m

On classification Lovely Gate is a better filly among the two.

In all, 81 acceptors are to face the starter in eight races card barring last-minute withdrawals. Six events will be contested over 1400m, one each over 1600m and 1800m. The first race will start at 11.30am.

The following are the fields and ours elections.

QUTUB-UD-DIN AIBAK PLATE CLASS V DIV 111 1400M: