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LAHORE, Feb 10: Long shot bay colt Valenday sprang a big surprise by winning the feature event run in the over 1,400 metres distance during the 24th Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse on Sunday.
The second place in the nine-strong field, after the last minute withdrawal of Baker View on the recommendation of the veterinary officer, went to chestnut colt Harry Can View. The bay gelding Volcano finished third while the odds-on favourite bay filly put up a dismal show to hardly end up on the board.
Baker View, fancied for the Murree Plate, a class four race, was stated to have developed trouble in his hooves walls and was subsequently withdrawn. His joint owners Masood Pervez and Javed Khalid were the sufferers.
The winner Valenday, owned by Rana Mohammad Akhtar, was piloted by the riding boy Ali Raza.
The colt, trained by Mohammad Rafiq Khan, was to be ridden initially by jockey M. Zeeshan but Ali Raza was nominated as his saddle partner as a last minute change, while Zeeshan was put on the mare Noor, who ended up running off the frame.
Valenday clocked one minute 29 3/5 seconds over the 1,400 metres distance.
A race earlier the Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards cancelled the third race, the Clifton Plate, a terms event for three-year-old colts and fillies to be gone over the 1,200 metres distance due to a paucity of runners. Of the 10 runners declared, four were withdrawn at the time of declaration of riders, two hours before the first race. The stewards were left with no other option.
The weekend racing turned out to be a profitable affair for jockey M. Hanif and trainer Haji Fazal Hadi, who shared the day’s racing honours, registering a double each.
Hanif piloted Baker Love in the second race and then rode Legend Sattar to a comfortable win in the seventh and last race of the day. Fazal Hadi sent out Lucky Cat and Spiritual Song in the fifth and sixth race, respectively.
The race fans were treated to a fine display of horsemanship by a novice among the riding boys -- Tariq Habib. He won the fifth race on the long shot filly Lucky Cat, who beat Run And Win by two lengths.
The mare Dillagi came third while the favourite Jung Frau ridden carelessly by jockey M. Hanif, completed the frame. Lucky Cat is owned by Malik Hamid Ali Noon and trained by Haji Fazal HadiThe formerly unknown dark bay horse Wonderful Smile showered smiles on favourite-backers by becoming the best performer of the day.
He completed a hat-trick of victories by winning the first race as even-money. Owned by Malik Javed
Awan, the winner was steered by the riding boy M. Akram.
Results:
PESHAWAR PLATE CLASS VI
DIV I 1,400M:
Wonderful Smile ( Malik Javed Awan) 9-4, M. Akram 1. Dream Act 7-8, Imran Pervez 2. Billoo The Great 8-3, Atif Javed 3. Babbu The Great 8-4 Khalid Javed 4.
Won by 5 1/2 L, 8 L, 1 2/2 Lengths. Time one minute 31 seconds. Winner trained by Choudhry Mohammad Rafiq.
MIRPUR PLATE CLASS V
DIV IV 1,400M:
Baker View (Faraz Ahmed Choudhry) 8-10, M. Hanif 1. Tallal The Great 8-8, M. Wasim Khan 2. Honest Minister 8-10, S. Ammad 3. Well Done 8-8 Sajjad Hussain 4.
Won by Distance, Distance, 6 L. Time one minute 30 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Iftikhar Ahmad Chouhdhry.
CLIFTON PLATE, A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND
FILLIES 1,200M:
Cancelled.
MURREE PLATE CLASS IV
DIV I, II & III 1,400M:
Valenday (Rana Mohammad Akhtar) 7-8, Ali Raza 1.Harry Can View 8-6, Anjum 2. Volcano 7-8, M. Hanif 3. Bold Act 7-8, Pervez Bhatti 4.
Won by 2 3/4 L, 6 L, 2 L. Time one minute 29 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Rafiq Khan.
Mirpur Plate Class V Div I 1,400M:
Lucky Cat (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-12, Tariq Habib 1. Run And Win 9-0, Faisal Tahir 2. Dillagi 9-0, M. Wasim Khan 3. Jung Frau 8-8, M. Hanif 4.
Won by 2 L, 5 L, 1/2 L. Time one minute 29 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.
MURREE PLATE CLASS V DIV II 1,400M:
Spiritual Song (M. V. Malik) 9-0, A. Alam 1. Emperor 9-0, Aamir Pervez 2. Shah Pari 8-8, Tariq Habib 3. Willhewish 8-8, Majid Ali 4.
Won by 4 L, 5 L, 9 L. Time one minute 31 4/5 seconds. Winner trained byt Haji Fazal Hadi.
MIRPUR PLATE CLASS V DIV III 1,400M:
Legend Sattar (Raja Khushbakht-ur-Rehman) 8-6, M. Hanif 1. Munsaf 8-6, Faisal Tahir 2. Alishba 8-10, Naseer Ahmad 3. Aaja Bulbul 8-6, Khalid Javed 4.
Won by 2 L, Head, Distance. Time one minute 30 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Abid Mahmood.
