LAHORE, March 6: The odds-on favourite bay colt Incognito ran impressively to win feature event of the mid-week Lahore Gymkhana races at the Racecourse Wednesday.
The 25 to 100 favourite Incognito defeated another bay colt Fair Boy by five lengths. Filly Silver Heart finished third, another half-a-length back while bay mare Iram State completed the frame, three-fourth of a length further behind. In all, 13 ran for the event after the last-minute withdrawal of filly Gissless.
Three firm favourites out of a card of six, won in the afternoon races. The card was reduced to five after cancellation of the first race due to lack of genuine competition. All events were contested over the sprinting distance of five furlongs.
The 20 to 100 favourite bay colt Little Master won the opener in a field of totally disinterested runners, who followed the winner in a procession. Not a single contestant looked interested even to occupy the second spot. The Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards immediately decided to cancel this race.
In the remaining five events, three favourites won while the two races were bagged by the long shots. The biggest upset came in the fourth race in which the fancied filly Tinky Winky, who was leading the field and was in sight of a victory, stumbled in the home furlong and broke her fetlock. The filly came down staggering along with her rider Shahid Rehman.
Luckily, Shahid Rehman escaped unhurt. The filly had to be destroyed. The race was won by long-shot chestnut mare Madam Lorina, who pipped the filly Rim Jim on the finishing line.
Riding boy Shahid Mustafa and trainer Akhtar Mir shared the day’s racing honours by bringing home a double, each. Shahid rode Tiger’s Wood in the second and Bach View in the third race.
Akhtar Mir besides saddling Bach View also sent in Incognito in the sixth and last race of the day.
Results:
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VI & VII 5 FURS:
Race declared null and Void for want of genuine competition.
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VIII (B) 5 FURS:
Tiger’s Wood (Choudhry Sagheer Hussain) 8-13 Shahid Mustafa 1. Nijinsky 8-2 M. Jehangir 2. Free Lancer 7-12 Qamar Zaman 3. Lucky Love 7-10 Iqbal Khan 4. (All 18 ran).
Won by 3/4 L, 6 L, 2 1/4 L.
Time one minute 6 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Raja Tehmasab Khan.
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION VII & VIII 5 FURS:
Bach View (Riaz-ul-Haq Qureshi) 8-7 Shahid Mustafa 1. Densee 8-11 Ishtiaq Ali 2. Grey Matter 7-10 M. Jehangir 3. Pappa Jan 7-10 Iqbal Khan 4. (Only 15 ran).
Won by 5 L, 1 1/4 L, 1 3/4 L.
Time one minute 4 4/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Akhtar Mir.
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V & VI 5 FURS:
Madam Lorina (Qasim Javaid) 8-9 M. Jehangir 1. Rin Jim 8-6 Qamar Zaman 2. Lot Of Thanks 8-3 Javaid Iqbal 3. Loveliest 8-12 A. Imran 4. (All 18 ran).
Won by 1/2 L, Neck, 2 L.
Time one minute 6 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Mian Javaid.
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V 5 FURS:
Paddock Fancy (Mian Mahir Ahmad) 8-13 Shahid Rehman 1. Gold Hi Gold 8-12 A. Imran 2. Royal Gamble 8-7 Zahid Ali 3. Lucky Bailiff 8-8 Majid Khan 4. (Only 14 ran).
Won by 2 3/4 L, 1/2 L, 2 1/4 L.
Time one minute 4 4/5 seconds.
Winner trained by A. B. Malik.
CHAKLALA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION IV & V 5 FURS:
Incognito (Muhammad Ibrahim) 8-7 M. Imran 1. Fair Boy 8-6 Khurrum Sheikh 2. Silver Heart 7-12 Zulfi Third. Iram State 8-4 M. Jehangir 4. (Only 13 ran).
Won by 4 3/4 L, 1/2 L, 3/4 L.
Time one minute 4 seconds.
Winner trained by Akhtar Mir.