LAHORE, Jan 2:The year 2002 was off to a dramatic start at the Lahore Race Club track during the first mid-week Gymkhana races on Wednesday, whose repetition will be heart-breaking for race-lovers!
In fifth race of the day, which was the feature event, jockey Wajid Hussain jumped off his mount Darling Of The Royalty as the horses took the start. The mare was an odds-on favourite and her unceremonious exit from the race broke many a heart! The jockey pretended that he had, had an accidental fall and kept lying prostrate on the ground, giving an impression that he was seriously hurt.
He was taken away from the track in the Lahore Race Club ambulance, which patrols the running horses to meet any eventuality. He appeared not to have sustained any serious injuries as no scars on his face or body could be seen.
However, the “accident” accomplished “his job of not letting the mare win”, much to the dismay of her backers!
Darling of The Royalty ran riderless throughout the race. The feature event was won by a long-shot chestnut colt Puma Star. After the race, a section of the crowd demonstrated in front of the LRC stewards’ box and demanded cancellation of the event. The stewards, however, “cleared” the race much to the astonishment of everybody present in the club. Later, they examined video-film of the race which “unfolded” the whole truth. The stewards stood down jockey Wajid Hussain for six months for manoeuvring the fall.
It may be recalled that Wajid Hussain is known for “such foul plays” and had been suspended many a time on such counts. It was very sad to note that some employees and a couple of officials of the LRC tried to justify the fall of the jockey as “accidental”.
Earlier in second race, about a dozen riders were involved in en-bloc “pulling of their horses”. In this race the riding boy M. Aatif “exhibited” a fall from his mount Jamran, who was backed for a place and was heading for a sure second berth. The race was won by the fancied bay colt In Command and was later cancelled by the stewards for want of fair competition.
The stewards suspended the riding licence of four riding boys for three months, each. They are : Waqas Sheikh (astride Densee), Shahid Mustafa (riding Tiger’s Wood), Parvez Bhatty (astride Miss Picasso) and Zameer (Last Love). They also fined riders Nazeer Ahmad (riding Little Master), Anjum (astride Hamza Love), M. Hussain (riding Easy Come Easy Go), three thousand rupees, each. They also instituted an inquiry into the clandestine fall of rider M. Aatif from his mount Jamran. In the same race, the stewards stopped for one month, each the entries of eight runners. They are: Densee, Little Master, Miss Picasso, Tiger’s Wood, Hamza Love, Last Love, Easy Come Easy Go and Garden Court.
Choudhry Liaquat Ali’s dark-bay mare Silver Sweet won the distinction of becoming first winner of the year 2002 races. She won the opener, defeating the fancied Always Inn by one-and-a- half lengths.
The following are the results:
KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII-DIVISION VIII (B) 6 FURS:
Silver Sweet (Choudhry Liaquat Ali) 8-6 Mujahid Ali (II) 1. Always Inn 8-2 Zahid Ali 2. Martina Baby 7-10 Nazeer Ahmad 3 Free Lancer 8-11 Arshad 4. (All 13 ran).
Won by 1 1/2 , 3 3/4 L, 1 1/2 L.
Time one minute 23 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Raja Tehmasab Khan.
KALAT PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VII (B) VIII 6 FURS:
In Command (Bilal Khan) 9-0 M. Jehangir 1. Royal Honey 7-11 Azhar Hussain 2. Millennium Boy 8-9 Aamar Wazir 3. Last Love 7-10 Zameer 4 (All 14 ran).
Race Cancelled for lack of genuine competition.
KALAT PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VI & VII 6 FURS:
Rehmat Ka Phool (Fareed Akhtar Mir) 8-5 M. Imran 1. Grey Matter 7-11 Faisal 2. Sweet Victory 7-11 M. Jehangir 3. Lucky Super Market 7-11 Nazeer Ahmad 4. (All 15 ran).
Won by 3 L, 1/2 L, 5 1/4 L.
Time one minute 21 4/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Akhtar Mir.
KALAT PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V (B) 6 FURS:
Son Of Peace (Israr Ahmad) 9-0 M. A. Shamas 1. Dangerous Man 8-9 Khalid 3. Shahiman 9-0 Faisal 3. Royal Fantasy 9-0 Zahid Ali 4. (All 13 ran).
Won by Distance, 1 L, 1 1/4 L.
Time one minute 21 2/5 seconds
Winner trained by Tanveer Aslam.
KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION IV & V 6 FURS:
Puma Star (Tauheed Manzoor) 8-4 Khurrum Sheikh 1. Asif Love 8-0 M. Faisal 2. Right Side 7-10 Zulfiqar Hussain 3. Aao Payar Se 7-10 Iqbal Khan 4. (All 16 ran).
Won by 1 1/2 L, Neck, 3/4 L.
Time one minute 19 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.
KOTRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V (C) & VI 6 FURS:
Golden Wings (Mohammad Aslam) 7-12 M. Jehangir 1. Lucky Credit Queen 8-10 Shahzad Iqbal 2. Fifty Six Fifty Six 9-0 Zulfiqar Hussain 3. Thank You Boss 8-6 M. Hussain 4. (Only 14 ran).
Won by 1 1/2 L, 6 L, 3 L.
Time one minute 19 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by the owner.