LAHORE: Three-year-old bay filly Melsi lived up to her star-breeding credentials with a comfortable six lengths success in the Spring Cup during the 33rd Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.
The Sohrab Khan-owned 30 to 100 favourite Melsi came with a late run to collar front-running colts Give Me The Green Light and Show Card after entering the home stretch to register her fifth consecutive victory on the trot. Bay colt Admiral’s Walk completed the frame among six runners in the 1,400-metre term race for three-year-old Pakistani colts and fillies.
Ridden by jockey Aamir Pervez, the winner trained by Amjad Ali II clocked a fast timing of one minute 25 2/5 seconds in this sixth race of the day.
A race earlier odds-on favourite colt No Regards managed to get the better of colts — Kartoos and Jehlum — in the dying strides to land a courageous win for owner-cum-breeder Shahid Hussain in the supporting event, the Deer Creek Plate class six contested over 1,200 metres.
Trained by Haji Abid Mahmood and steered by jockey A. Raza, No Regards clocked one minute 13 2/5 seconds.
Jockey M. Hanif, riding boy Zahid Ali and trainer Amjad Ali (II) shared the day’s racing honours with a double each. Hanif rode King Of Bhakkar and Lenin while Amjad sent out Melsi and Lenin to bring in to limelight prominent owner Sohrab Khan’s stable hitting the purple patch.
The lesser light riding boy Zahid Ali partnered Preetam and Show Me.
Chestnut filly Lady Extempore, who was beaten last Sunday, found the trimmed grassy course most suitable as she won the fourth race. The 60 to 100 favourite Zaheer Aslam-owned filly trained by Tauqir Ahmed was piloted by Aftab Chaudhry.
The punters had a profitable day when seven favourites won in a card of eight races. Rank outsider chestnut colt Show Me caused the only upset of the day in the third race.
Results:
THE TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV-B — 900M:
Preetam (Najeeb Haider Bagri) 9-0, Zahid Ali 1; Bulbul Again 7-12, Shafqat 2; Buy And Sell 7-10, Imran Pervez 3; Shan-e-Gul 8-4, Shan 4.
Won by 1½ L, 1¾ L, 1 L. Time 58 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sajid Mahmood.
THE TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV-A — 900M:
Ashal (Shahid Idrees) 9-0, Qadeer Ahmed 1; Raj Rawal 9-0, M. Munir II 2; Dastoor 8-12, Taimur Hasan 3; Pawan Prince 8-6, S. Raza 4.
Won by 4 L, 1 L, 3 L. Time 57 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rashid Latif.
THE TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIV III — 900M:
Show Me (Chaudhry M. Hanif) 8-0, Zahid Ali 1; Virsa 8-12, Sunny Babu 2; Beautiful Lady 8-6, Shan 3; Mah-e-Doura 7-12, S. Raza 4.
Won by ¾ L, 1¼ L, 4 L. Time 56 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Aslam.
THE TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIV II — 900M:
Lady Extempore (Zaheer Aslam) 9-0, Aftab Chaudhry 1; Chand Pari 7-12, S. Raza 2; Dera Dubai 7-12, M. Hanif 3; Heart Beat 8-0, Zahid Ali 4.
Won by 2½ L, 3 L, Distance. Time 55 seconds. Winner trained by Tauqir Ahmed.
THE TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIV I — 900M:
King Of Bhakkar (Arif Mahmood Butt) 9-0, M. Hanif 1; Zartaj 9-0, Bilal Ahmad 2; Royal Boy 8-0, Alam Sher 3; Royal Dubai 8-12, Shan 4.
Won by 4½ L, 4 L, Distance. Time 54 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Salahuddin.
THE SPRING CUP — A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES — 1,400M:
Melsi (Sohrab Khan) 9-3, Aamir Pervez 1; Give Me The Green Light 8-8, Aftab Chaudhry 2; Show Card 8-2, A. Raza 3; Admiral’s Walk 7-10, M. Hanif 4.
Won by 6 L, 1 L, Distance. Time one minute 25 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Amjad Ali II.
THE DEER CREEK PLATE CLASS VI DIV I & II — 1,200M:
No Regards (Shahid Hussain) 9-0, A. Raza 1; Kartoos 8-2, M. Hanif 2; Jhelum Star 8-0, S. Raza 3; Dreaming High 8-0, Shakeel Mahmood 4.
Won by 2½ L, ½ L, 6½ L. Time one minute 13 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Abid Mahmood.
THE DEER CREEK PLATE CLASS VI DIV III — 1,200M:
Lenin (Bilal Khan) 8-8, M. Hanif 1; Sahil 8-4, S. Raza 2; Nikita 8-8, Tahir Abbas 3; Effective 9-0, Raheel Sabir 4.
Won by 3 L, 8 L, Neck. Time one minute 14 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Amjad Ali II.
Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2015
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