LAHORE: The Mela Chiraghan (Festival of lights) Cup features the six-event card when the 31st Lahore Winter Meeting gets under way at the Racecourse here on Sunday.
The class VI division III and IV combined handicap race to be gone over the sprinting distance of 1200 metres has 13 acceptors, who will measure each other’s strides in a battle for supremacy.
On the performance shown during the past outings only three of them qualify to be reckoned as the real contenders. Top of the list is the three-year-old filly, California from Sohrab Khan’s stable. In her four outings to-date the filly from Irish-bred sire, Dunhill Star out-of-Quality Road, California is still a maiden knocking at victory door. She should knock off her maiden’s duck on Sunday over-powering her two rivals Mighty Satiana and Salam-e-Dera, who is an unknown pedigree colt with a bright course record of six wins out of eleven outings.
The equine sports lovers would be having an opportunity to see fine quality racing among the three besides other five races carded for Sunday.
The main supporting event, the class VII division I handicap race to be gone over 1000 metres has seven runners, of whom three are the pick of the lot, namely, River Rose, Shan-e-Sikandar and Gondal Prince.
On last Sunday (March march 25) the filly, River Rose had tied in a dead heat with the chestnut horse, Shan-e-Sikandar over the same distance while the colt, Gondal Prince was placed third, two lengths back. The trio is meeting once again to decide to their unfinished battle with no change in handicap figures between River Rose and Shan-e-Sikandar while Gondal Prince getting a four pounds allowance.
It should be a decisive re-match.
The second supporting event, the class VII division II and III handicap race has fourteen runners. Only four have won a race or more, while the remaining lot is still maiden, trying to get ready for a fray some day. They are : Sweet Sania, Check 123, Fancy Boy and Zaheen Princess. They should fight it out
In the other four events the number of acceptors ranges between fourteen to eighteen, with five to six chance runners bunched in each, making winner-picking task a bit difficult for the punters.
In all, 85 acceptors are taking part to make the card interesting and competitive. The first race will be ehld at1.00pm.
Following is the field and our selections.
TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V-900M:
Silent Warrior 9-4 Aye Rukhsar 8-10 Safdar Princess 8-10 Zohaib Princess 8-8 Lucky Sohna 8-8 Bilal Gifty 8-6 Neel Kanwal 8-6 Rawal Naz 8-4 Look At Me 8-0 Fizzy 8-0 Daniel Bryan 8-0 Fakhta 7-12 Killing Eyes 7-10 Love Master 7-8 Aas Paas 7-8 Accurate Chance 7-8 Kamal Prince 7-8 and Agent 007 7-8.
Win: Look At Me. Place: Silent Warrior and Aas Paas:
TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION IV-V-900M:
Dil De Ruba 9-4 Al Ilan 8-12 Zobi The Great 8-12 Bano 8-10 Baa Wafa 8-10 New Pari 8-10 Zillay Huma 8-10 Al Mabrook 8-10 OK Dear 8-10 Sohrab-e-Bhakakr 8-10 Dil De Shahzadi 8-10 Bubbar Sher 8-6 Great Puma 8-6 River Prince 8-6 Shoaib Princess 8-6 Shafay Mari Jan 8-2 and Anmole Onne 7-12.
Win: Baa Wafa. Place: Dil De Ruba and Bano.
TUBA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION III & IV-1000M:
Dancing Boy 9-2 Golden Pound 9-2 Star Of Dubai 8-12 Very Special 8-10 Usman Love 8-10 Baa Adab 8-6 Baa Izzat 8-6 Baa Aytbar 8-6 Rashk-e- Qamar 8-2 Neeli De Malika 8-2 Prince Of Dubai 8-2 Manu Jutt 8-2 Lead Them Home 8-2 Turab Prince (EX-Piyara Jutt) 8-0 Dollar Box 8-0 and gambler Boy 7-10.
Win: Very Special. Place: Rashk-e-Qamar and Prince Of Dubai.
TUBA PLATE CL;ASS VII DIVISION II & III-1000M:
Lisbon 9-0 Sweet Sania 8-10 Baa Waqar 8-10 Baa Amal 8-10 Baa Naseeb 8-10 Dance Of Life 8-6 Desert Rain 8-6 Ramak Queen 8-6 Warraich Queen 8-6 Baa Maurad 8-6 Check 123 8-6 Fancy Boy 8-2 Prince Of Renala 8-21 and Zaheer Princess 8-0.
Win: Check 1213. Place: Fancy Boy and Zahewer princess.
MELA CHRAGHAN CUP CLASS VI DIVISION III & IV-1200M:
Salam-e- Dera 9-4 California 8-10 Dangal 8-6 Determination 8-6 Rising Sun 8-6 Big Act 8-2 Mighty Satiana 8-2 Sikandar Prince 7-12 Toronto 7-12 Minding 7-12 Fabulous One 7-12 Fearless One 7-12 and Pitru 7-10.
Win: California. Place: Salam—e-Dera and Mighty Satiana.
TUBA PLATE CLAS VII DIVISION I-1000M:
River Rose 9-2 Shan-e-Sikandar 9-1 Nice One 8-10 Punjabi Style 8-6 Punjabi Rawaj 8-6 Gondal Prince 8-6 and Piara Sayeen (Ex-Kokab) 8-4.
Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2018