LAHORE, Feb 3: The 23rd Lahore Winter Meeting’s card features three cup races, including the centrepiece the 1000 Guineas Of Pakistan, at the Racecourse on Sunday.

Of the seven runners for 1000 Guineas – a term race for four-year-old fillies – Top Cat is among three leading favourites for this classic. The other two are fresh arrivals from Karachi, namely Eswarah and Big Show, who bring with them a bag of good performance feats at the down-country racing centre. It is a fair assumption that they will put up a good fight with filly Top Cat being finely bred classic fillies.

Dark-bay filly Top Cat, a progeny of Replay out-of-Princess Rukhtas, has been racing well for the last two month. She was beaten by short-head over 1600 metres last Sunday.

Big Show is another progeny of Replay from Next Generation while Eswarah is from Bin Nashwan out-of-Miss Amoxy from the bloodline of an English sire, Nashwan.

As a three-year-old Big Show won three races and was placed second twice in her five outings, before she left for Karachi.

Eswarah raced very well in Karachi and ran for the first time here in the colts and fillies Trial on Jan 21 and finished off the frame. But her track work is very good.

Horses arriving from Karachi race here in entirely different underfoot conditions and on a very different type of course and weather conditions and take time to settle down

The race brings glamour, glory and high prestige for winning owner, trainer and jockey.

A large number of equine sports connoisseurs fly from Rawalpindi and Karachi to Lahore to witness the race every year giving the event a festive look.

The runners for 1000 Guineas Of Pakistan with their probable jockeys are: Eswarah (Ghulam Shabbir), Big Show (M. Nasir 11), Top Cat (Salahuddin), Noor (Aamir Pervez), Lovely Gate (M. Hanif), Dil Vill (M. Zeeshan ) and Gold Medalist (Shakeel Mahmood). All are to carry 8-12 in weight.

The supporting event, the Anarkali Cup, a term race for three-year-old fillies to be gone over 1200 metres has only six fillies. Only two of them attract attention. They are Chanela and Oriental Affair.

On recent performance Chanela, a daughter of Fox Hound out-of-Search Warrant edged ahead. She ran twice and was placed second each time in a good company of her age groups.

Oriental Affair ran a good race on Jan 24 last when she hacked a field in class five on her maiden appearance, promising a bright future ahead. This will be the fifth race in racing order.

The four-year-old shapely colt Tipu Sultan looks ideally placed in the handicap in the Nero Cup to be contested over 1400 metres to defend his unbeaten streak of three wins. Tipu Sultan is vying against his five rivals in the fourth race. Among his rivals Total Surprise, Gold Krik and the Conqueror's are prominent. They will fight for the place.

Little Legend, who was beaten on Sunday last should make amends this time and win the second race over 1200m.

In the opener four contestants look on chance. They are Tan Man Dhan, Redouble, Lethal Force and Chakori Jaisa. They should fight for the spoils.

In the ninth and last race Chill is an outstanding performer while Great Murad and Wendy Trace should fight for the place.

The third race has a big field of 18 runners, if there are no last-minute withdrawals.

Go To The Wind looks set to make it two in a row by picking the spoils in the seventh race, a class I, II and III combined handicap race to gone over 2000 metres. Nosha and Miss Thailand come next.

Zanjeer look a good thing in the eighth race. Byron and Namroud are the next best performance wise in the eighth race.

A lengthy card of nine races will be decided on Sunday. In all, 99 horses are to contest barring last-minute withdrawals in events. The first race will be held at 11.30am.

The following are the fields and our selections:

RAVI PLATE CLASS V DIV II 1200M:

Sharp Burg 9-0, Khyber Star 9-0, Spiritual Song 9-0, Lethal Force 9-0, Daisy Against All 9-0, Julia Robert 8-12, Rana Choice 8-10, Cross Ruff 8-8, Fruity 8-8, River Edge 8-8 ,King Of Murad 8-6, Tan Man Dhan 8-6, Beautiful Baby 8-6, Pretty Princess 8-6, Redouble 8-5 and Chakori Jaisa 8-4.

Win: Tan Man Dhan.

Place: Redouble and Lethal Force.

RIWAT PLATE CLASS V DIV III 1200M:

Little Legend 9-0, Striker 8-12, Do Or Die 8-12, Ice Burg 8-12, Willhewish 8-12, Star Dust 8-10, Faryal 8-9, Al Murad 8-8, Billoo The Great 8-6, Bad-e-Naseem 8-6, Armida 8-5, Gulbadan 8-5 Iconic 8-5, Leader's king 8-4, Magic Stone 8-1, Born To Win 8-1, Simoom 8-0 and Welcome Mayla 8-0.

Win: Little Legend.

Place: Welcome Mayla and Born To Win.

RIWAT PLATE CLASS V DIV I 1200M:

Game Over 9-2, Run And Win 9-0, Rough Tough 9-0 ,Azam Love 8-12, Viana Coup 8-12, Hallo Dancer 8-11, Babbu The Great 8-10, Flying Pet 8-10, Mubashara 8-10, Safe And Sound 8-10, Richy Dancer 8-10, Dream Comes True 8-10, Puma The Great 8-9, Blue Fire 8-6, Prince Of Bhakkar 8-3, Aaja Bulbul 8-2, Trump Coup 7-12 and Bone Crusher 7-10.

Win: Flying Pet.

Place: Viana Coup and Game Over.

NERO CUP CLASS IV DIV I 1400M:

Total Surprise 9-4, Gold Krik 9-0, The Conquerers's 8-12, Golden Goal 8-10, Harry Can View 8-3 and Tipu Sultan 8-2.

Win: Tipu Sultan.

Place: The Conquror's.

ANARKALI CUP (A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES) 1200M:

Oriental Affair 8-7, Chanela 8-0, Simbi 8-0, Darnaz 8-0, Chuey Muey 8-0 and Janu 8-0.

Win: Chanela.

Place: Oriental Affair.

1000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN 2007 (A TERM RACE FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD FILLIES) 1600M:

Eswarah 8-12, Big Show 8-12, Top Cat 8-12, Noor 8-12, Lovely Gate 8-12, Dil Vil 8-12 and Gold Medalist 8-12.

Win: Top Cat.

Place: Eswarah and Big Show.

LAHORE PLATE CLASS 1, 11 & III 2000M:

Go With The Wind 9-0, River Dancer 8-4, Fajer 8-4, Dexterity 8-3, Miss Thailand 8-1, Catch All 8-1, Nosha 7-8 and Valentine 7-8.

Win: Go With The Wind.

Place: Nosha and Miss Thailand.

NERO PLATE CLASS IV DIV II 1400M:

Kiss Of Luck 9-2, Byron 9-0, Para Game 9-0, Zanjeer 9-0, Fido Dido 8-10, Sodagar 8-10, Dream Rose 8-10, War Admiral 8-6, Empire Maker 8-6, Namroud 8-3, Miss Photogenic 8-2 and Royal Gambler 7-8.

Win: Zanjeer.

Place: Namroud and Byron.

NERO PLATE CLASS IV DIV III 1400M:

Great Murad 9-4, Fair Diamond 8-12, Don't Follow 8-10, Wendy Trace 8-9, Chill 8-6 and Major Rana 7-8.

Win: Chill.

Place: Wendy Trace and Great Murad.