LAHORE, Dec 28: Long shot blue-roan colt, Key Player, produced a stunning late burst of speed in the final 100 metres to win the Christmas Cup run over 1200 metres during the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse on Sunday.
Ridden by Aamar Parvez, Key Player scored a one-and-a- half lengths success over fancied Canopy with jockey Javed Iqbal in the saddle.
Black House finished third six lengths further behind while Dhandhana completed the frame, four lengths further away. In all, 14 ran for this fifth race of the day.
Javed Iqbal used runaway tactic on Canopy and led the field by over five lengths with Key Player in a hot chase. Aamar Parvez continued pushing and occasionally whipping his mount finally collared the front-runner near the winning post. This left Javed Iqbal with no other option but to surrender to the skillful riding of Aamar Parvez.
Chestnut gelding Moment To Moment simply outclassed his seven rivals to win the Mecca Cola Cup run over 1600 metres.
The long shot Moment To Moment was given a brilliant ride by Shahid Rehman to beat fancied Tora Bora by about eight lengths. Amazing and Flame completed the board among eight runners.
As the race began Tora Bora (Shahzad Iqbal up) trailed the field nearly eight lengths behind the leaders. The position remained unchanged until the final bend when Moment To Moment emerged leader and went on to further increase his lead.
Tora Bora made a belated move to take over but by that time Moment To Moment had had a commanding lead of seven-and-three quarter lengths over Tora Bora at the winning post. It looked as if Tora Bora was in mourning over the loss of his trainer, Muhammad Bashir, who died in Lahore on Saturday after a brief illness.
Shahid and Aamar shared the day’s riding honours, each bringing home a brace of winner. Shahid rode Moment Of Love and Moment To Moment while Aamar Parvez Key Player and Wall Street to victories.
Meanwhile veteran jockey Arif Rashid has joined Lahore Race Club (LRC) as senior stipendiary steward.
Arif, 68 started his career as a gentleman rider at Quetta Race Club (now defunct) in 1954.
Results.
Jhelum Plate Class VII Div II 1000M.
JR 95 (Rehmat Ali Jutt) 9-0 Shahid Mustafa 1. Black Rock 8-10 M. Zeeshan 2. High Lite 9-0 Parvez Bhatty 3. Payari Mahbooba 8-10 Azam Hussain 4.
Won by 7 L, 1 1/4 L, 7 L. Time one minute 6 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Muzaffar Khan.
Jhelum Plate Class VII Div III 1200M.
Druree (Javaid Akhtar) 8-7 Khurrum Sheikh 1. Qandhar 9-0 Shahid Rehman 2. Oscar 7-12 Faisal Tahir 3. Malang Aya 8-6 A. Aziz 4.
Won by 6 L, 1 1/2 L, 3/4 L. Time one minute 16 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Ayub Butt.
Jhelum Plate Class VII Div I & II 1200M.
Moment Of Love (Pervaiz Iqbal Butt) 9-0 Shahid Rehman 1. Kala Shah Kaku 8-0 Javed Iqbal 2. Royal Performance 8-0 Aamar Parvez 3. Rising Sun 8-9 Faisal 4.
Won by 3 3/4 L, 5 3/4 L, Neck. Time one minute 15 seconds. Winner trained by A. B. Malik.
Christmas Plate Class V Div II 1200M.
Gold Rush (Safdar Ali) 8-11 Qasim Shah 1. Royal Class 8-8 M. Zeeshan 2. Bold Venture 8-12 3. The Assassin 7-11 Faisal Tahir 4.
Won by 6 L, 1 3/4 L, 2 L. Time one minute 15 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Ghulam Sarwar.
Christmas Cup Class V Div I & II 1200M.
Key Player (Nawazish Ali Khan) 8-2 Aamar Parvez 1. Canopy 8-6 Javed iqbal 2. Black House 7-12 M. Kashif 3. Dhandhana 8-8 Mubarik Ali 4.
Won by 1 1/2 L, 6 L, 4 L. Time one minute 15 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.Mecca Cola Cup Class IV Division I & II 1600M.
Moment To Moment (Pervaiz Iqbal Butt) 8-12 Shahid Rehman 1. Tora Bora 9-5 Shahzad Iqbal 2. Amazing 8-12 Javed Iqbal 3. Flame 8-0 A. Aziz 4.
Won by 7 3/4 L, ! L, Head. Time one minute 42 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Hanif.
Jhelum Plate Class VII Div IV & V 1200M.
Wall Street (Choudhry Sagheer Hussain) 9-0 Aamar Parvez 1. Lovely Diana 9-0 M. Hussain 2. Stride To Moment 8-1 Vicky Gaman 3. Ghabra 7-11 Shahid Mustafa 4.
Won by 7 L, Neck, 7 L. Time one minute 17 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Raja Tehmasab Khan.