LAHORE, Oct 4: Two fillies Lovely Dunit and Twinky look poised to win their respective events when the post-Eidul Fitr Lahore Winter Meeting gets underway at the Racecourse on Sunday.
Four-year-old bay filly Lovely Dunit, essentially groomed as a middle-distance runner, is being fancied to win the Eid Cup, a class IV handicap race to go over 1,400 metres. The filly, winning four races at random and placed on the board as many times in her 11 starts, had a fine last season. She was rested after losing to Apex over 1,600 metres in May last as she never was the filly that’d go further than 1,400 metres.
During the current season, she ran only once on Sept 21 and was given an easy run to finish off the frame. She is tracking well.
Among her eight opponents, Tipu Sultan and Sher-e-Gujrat are good animals but they will be appearing on the track after a long lay off. The rest are not expected to stay over the distance. This will be the fifth race of the day.
Three-year-old filly Twinky, who in an impressive style registered a facile victory in her over 800 metres debut, a fortnight back, will be on the course to make it a two in a row.
The filly was to contest in last Sunday’s race but was found with her leg bleeding at the starting gates prior to the start. She was then withdrawn from the race under the Lahore Race Club (LRC) stewards’ orders. Two days ago, she had a good gallop to be in fine trim now.
Owned by Mian Maahir Ahmad, the filly is the daughter of Bedouin Invader.
The colt Harry Can Run and fillies Dream Memories and Lighting Muqeem should fight for places too. The Kalam Plate, class V, division II will be contested over 1,000 metres and will be the fourth race in the racing order.
It is a remarkable achievement of Bedouin Invader that as a sire he has proved very successful in respect of his progenies’ performances as the stakes winners compared to other sires in contention.
Raksh-e-Raqeeban, Munsaf and Soviet Song attract attention in the third race, the Badami Bagh Plate, class VI, division I to be run over 1,100 metres. Raksh-e-Raqeeban is a speedy mare and had to her credit an easy win over 1,000 metres. If sent with a will to do so, she is capable of delivering again.
Soviet Song and Munsaf can prove potential dangers for her way to victory.
There are 11 runners in the second event, the Badami Bagh Plate, a class VI, division II handicap race. Of them Trump Coup, Scarlet Empress and Blue Fire seems to be on chance in the same order.
The filly Eve looks set to win another race in the sixth and last race of the day. Big Bird and Chinkara are the other on form runners to make the result interesting.
The first race comprising animals in the lowest division of class VI looks like an open affair. At least six of the 13 runners are on chance. It depends in what condition the runners are sent and who is to ride them.
The standard of riding boys and jockeys, with the exception of a few, is so low that when they go to foreign countries, they work as grooms, track riders and stable lads. Since monetary gain is the prime attraction, they are satisfied when paid well.
Nearly four dozen riders including half a dozen jockeys have already left for foreign countries and are working at menial jobs.
One jockey had gone abroad last season but when assigned work, the poor fellow couldn’t cope and returned home the following week.
A card of six events will be decided on Sunday afternoon. Three races will go over the sprinting distance of 1,100 metres, two over 1,000 metres and one over 1,400 metres. The first race will be held at 2.00pm.
Following are the fields and our selection:
BADAMI BAGH PLATE CLASS VI DIV III & IV 1,100M:
Bashayeash Prince 9-0, Victory King 9-0, Amazing Boy 9-0, High Quality 8-13, Never Fail 8-10, Basant Mayla 8-6, Little Smile 8-4, Hermatic 8-4, Batista 8-0, Bubbly 8-0, Black King 7-6, Red Baron 7-4 and Happy Life 7-4.
Win: High Quality.
Place: Little Smile and Black King.
BADAMI BAGH PLATE CLASS VI DIV II 1,100M:
Scarlet Empress 9-4, Blue Fire 9-4, Trump Coup 9-1, Amazing Mission 9-0, Basanti 9-0, Extravagant 9-0, Sohna Billoo 8-2, Khuddar 8-2, Cash Line 8-2, Desert Whisper 7-12 and Kamla 7-12.
Win: Trump Coup.
Place: Scarlet Empress and Blue fire.
BADAMI BAGH PLATE CLASS VI DIV I 1,100M:
Raksh-e-Raqeeban 9-2, Munsaf 9-0, Gulf Line 9-0, Zafran 9-0, Jurrat 8-10, Hih Hip Hurray 8-10, Dam Dama Dam 8-10, Victory Rose 8-6, King Of Murad 8-6, Blitz 8-6, Rough Tough 8-4, So Romantic 8-4, Al Ain 8-3, Geo Bhakkar 8-0, Soviet Song 7-12 and Tripple Star 7-8.
Win: Raksh-e-Raqeeban.
Place: Munsaf and Soviet Song.
KALAM PLATE CLASS V
DIV II 1,000M:
Twinky 9-0, Hallow Dancer 9-0, Harry Can Run 8-10, Moj Mayla 8-10, Lighting Muqeem 8-7, Dream Memories 8-6, Philogeny 8-4 and Dubai Fan 8-4.
Win: Twinky.
Place: Dream Memories and Harry Can Run.
EID CUP CLASS IV DIV I, II
& III 1,400M:
Sher-e-Gujrat 9-6, Lovely Dunit 9-0, Tipu Sultan 8-12, Chill 7-12, Noor 7-12, Miss Liza 7-10, Re Born 7-4 and Victory Hero 7-4.
Win: Lovely Dunit.
Place: Tipu Sultan and Sher-e-Gujrat.
KALAM PLATE CLASS V
DIV I & II 1,000M:
Chinkara 9-3, Eve 8-8, Emperor 8-6, Richey Dancer 8-4, Big Power 7-12, The News 7-8, Iconic 7-8, Zoaq 7-8, Umer prince 7-8 and Big Bird 7-8.
Win: Eve.
Place: Chinkara and Big Bird.