LAHORE,  July  20:  The Lahore Racing  season  2002-2003  has launched jockey Shahid Rehman as the most successful rider in the Pakistan turf history with his best campaign numerically  passing the winning post 74 times.

Although he failed to top a century which he had aimed, he was basking  in  the glory of his unmatched feat. No rider  has  ever been able to reach this figure since horse-racing began in Lahore during British colonial rule in 1924.

In a short span of his nine-year career in the saddle, Shahid’s brilliant  CV  include  almost all the  classics  at  Lahore  and Karachi  Racecourses. Among them on top is the Pakistan Derby  on Fair  Magic in 1999 and King Fisher in 2002. As a young  aspiring jockey  with an insatiable appetite to set up more records he  is in with an established credibility.

It  would not be wrong to equate him with leading jockeys  of all  times for which he has fought bravely a tradition which  has it that past heroes are constantly over-rated, while any new star is forced to battle against their ghosts for  recognition. From 1992 when he turned a professional at the age of 20 he has ridden over  700 winners till todate mostly at his home town Lahore  and Karachi and Rawalpindi Racecourses.

Weighing at eight stones during the recently ended season  he had  led 74 horses to the winning enclosure and had  been  placed second,  third and fourth 43, 25 and nine times. He was  unplaced 122 times.

During his short stint in England about two years ago, Shahid had the distinction of registering a winner, nine seconds and six times third.—AG