LAHORE, Jan 8: Showing blistering speed, the five-year-old roan-blue Familiar Master stormed home to land the feature event run over 1200 metres during the mid-week Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse on Wednesday.

Backed confidently at half-money favourite Familiar Master surprised race-goers by his astonishingly easy victory. He was a bit slow to come out of the starting gates but gradually made  up the lost ground.

As the heads turned for the straight, jockey Shahid Rehman galvanised him into action and Familiar Master responded and collared front runners, dark bay colt Black Nigeria and bay mare Silver Heart and win by five lengths from the former.

Silver Heart, who fell back to third position, another four lengths behind while dark bay filly Qaswa Princess completed the frame, a distance away. In all, 13 ran for the sixth and last event of the day.

The winner was sent out by trainer Haji Badar.

The fifth and supporting event was annexed by odds-on favourit0e bay filly Miracle, who registered her maiden success by five-and-a-half lengths over 14-year-old red-roan gelding Morning Noor.

Royal Bullet finished third in photo-finish while Morning Bird completed the board, one-and-a-half lengths further behind. A big field of 16 runners faced the starter in this race.

The most impressive winner of the afternoon was the bay filly Final Count Down in the third race. Owned by Khawaja A. Ahmed, the daughter of Yasoob Again out-of-Holy Princess was confidently backed by the connections, and the filly lived upto their expectations.

Jockey Shahid, riding boy Faisal and trainer Tanveer Aslam and owner Zaheer Aslam shared the day’s honours by scoring a  double each. Shahid rode home Happy Boy to a brilliant half length victory over In The Game in the fourth race and  then piloted Familiar Master in the feature event.

Riding boy Faisal brought in Deep River and Miracle in the second and fifth race, respectively. His both the winners, owned by Zaheer Aslam were saddled by trainer Tanveer Aslam.

The Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards were not satisfied  with the performance of Golden Time in the second race. They got the horse examined by the veterinary officer and on his recommendation stopped hors’s entries in races for one month.

Three favourites obliged punters in a card of six events. The biggest upset of the afternoon was registered by the totally neglected filly Rambo Princess in the opener. All events were contested over the sprinting distance of 1200 metres. Results:

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division VIII (B) 1200 Metres:

Rambo Princess (Choudhry Mohammed Rafiq) 7-8 M.  Zeeshan 1. Hot  Press 8-9 Iqbal Khan 2. Shaiman 9-0 Nadeem Ikram 3. Silver Baby 9-0 Faisal Tahir 4.

Also ran: Salman The Great, Blue Champion, Nijisnky, Balal Star, Beena Roy Baby, Cranbrook Boy, Boby Prince, Easy Come  Easy Go, Shot Fire, Jashn, Majestic Prince and Tulip.

Won by 2 1/4 L, 2 3/4 L, 1/2 L.

Time one minute 21 3/5 seconds.

Winner trained by the owner.

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division VIII-A (II) 1200 Metres:

Deep  River (Zaheer Aslam) 8-8 Faisal 1. Time To Lead 8-8  A. Imran 2. Tiger’s Wood 8-8 M. Zeeshan 3. Lovely Diana 8-3  Shahid Mustafa 4.

Also ran: Golden Time, Concept Again, Raad, Royal Touch  and Haroon Prince.

Won by 3/4 L, 3 1/2 L, 3/4 L.

Time one minute 22 4/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Tanveer Aslam.

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division VIII (A) 1200 Metres:

Final Count Down (Khawaja A. Ahmed) 8-9 A. Imran  1.  Goshie The Great 8-7 Parvez Bhatty 2. Super Time 8-13 Waqas  Sheikh 3. Seven Spades 8-7 Javed Iqbal 4.

Also Ran: Rizwan The Great, Sher Singh, The Warrior, Free  My Heart and Las Pal Mas.

Won by 4 L, 1/2 L, 2 3/4 L.

Time one minute 21 1/5 seconds.

Winner trained by I. Nawab.

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division C 1200 Metres:

Happy Boy (A. B. Malik) 8-11 Shahid Rehman 1. In The Game 7-4 M. Jehangir 2. Royal Harban 8-6 A. Aziz 3. Fair Boy  9-0  Waqas Sheikh 4.

Also ran: Royal Victory, Iram State, Burrat Again, Copper Fields, Faheem Choice, Fiji, Madam Lorina, Sun Of Gold 7-9  Lado Rani and Mohni Road.

Won by 3/4 L, 2 1/2 L, 3 1/4 L.

Time one minute 20 seconds.

Winner trained by the owner.

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division B 1200 Metres:

Miracle (Zaheer Aslam) 8-0 Faisal 1. Morning Noor 8-10 Shahid Mustafa 2. Royal Bullet 8-9 A. Aziz 3. Morning Bird 9-0 Reman Ali (II) 4.

Also ran: Afnan, Key Guy Princess, Fly Over Home, Lucky Dawn, Golden Copy, Hunza, Sher Dil, Two-B, My Home Land,  Noor Mahal, Fine Gold and Set A Fire.

Won by 5 1/2 L, Short-head, 1 1/2 L.

Time one minute 19 2/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Tanveer Aslam.

Chakwal Plate Class VII Division A 1200 Metres:

Familiar Master (Shahid Mahmood) 8-9 Shahid Rehman 1.  Black Nigeria 8-9 Azhar Hussain 2. Silver Heart 8-9 Zulfi  3.  Qaswa Princess 9-0 Faisal 4.

Also ran: Waseem Love, Feel The Freedom, Spear Head,  Knock First, Born Champion, Glorious Song, Caspian Queen,  Welcome Pachino and Bone Crusher.

Won by 5 L, 4 L, Distance.

Time one minute 19 4/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Haji Badar.