LAHORE, Dec 30: A highly competitive card is set for the midweek Lahore Gymkhana races to be held at the Racecourse on Wednesday.
In all, 74 runners, barring last-minute withdrawals will be taking part in the six races drawn for the last racing day of 2008.
Four of the races are over the sprinting distance of 900 metres while two will be contested over 1,000 metres. The first race will be held at 12.30pm.
The feature event, the Chakwal Plate, class VI division I, to be run over 1,000 metres, has the largest field of 17 runners, if there are no last-minute withdrawals.
It looks like an open affair in the presence of nearly a dozen new runners, who have either run once or are making their debut on the track.
On recent form and performances in races, four look on chance. They are: Brave Heart, Big Bird, Little Princess and Harry Can Run.
Brave Heart and Harry Can Run are impressive on the dust track and would be fighting for the top honours. This will be the sixth and last race of the day.
A quartet of four sprinters, namely, Khuddar, Untar, Bird Fly and Maharani looks good in the fifth and supporting race to be run over 1,000 metres. Khuddar and Untar are speedy while the filly Maharani enjoys slight advantage in handicap. Still she is slightly backward in contest among the older horses.
Khuddar, who was beaten on his last outing, should make amends by having the better of Untar and Maharani.
Fruitful, a three-year-old filly, with two back-to-back wins, will be on a hat-trick trail in the fourth race to be contested over 900 metres. She will however, have a strong challenge from Best Owner and Cash Price.
The six-year-old bay horse Independence Day, who won a good race on his last outing a week back on Wednesday will be on the trot to make it a two-in-a-row.
Contesting in the third race, Independence Day may find Bobby Love and Sohna Murad as the constant thorns in his way to victory.
Raftar-e-Sehar and Royal Panther look best in the field of 14 runners to pick up the spoils in the second race. The former is better on recent form.
The opener is always a race considered to be a free for all in the lowest division of class VII. It has 10 runners, if all make it at the start.
The ones on chance are Sudden Attack, Best Choice, Trigger Happy and Pakistani. But it depends as to who is to ride which? Sudden Attack is knocking at victory’s door for a long time and should get what he has been looking for this time.
Following are the fields and our selections”
SARGODHA PLATE CLASS VII
DIV IV 900M:
Best Choice 9-0, Blank Cheque 9-0, Pakistani 8-11, Lion Horse 8-10, Sana 8-10, Sudden Attack 8-6, Trigger Happy 7-10, Faizan Love 7-4, Easy Load 7-4 and Azad Panchi 7-4.
Win: Sudden Attack.
Place: Best Choice and Pakistani.
SARGODHA PLATE CLASS VII
DIV III 900M:
Royal Panther 9-0, Pure Power 9-0, Piayari Guriya 9-0, My One 9-0, Dream Girl 9-0, Boski 9-0, Bagh-o-Bahar 8-10, Partner Choice 8-10, Kalo II 8-10, Aa Ja Aa Ja 8-10, Kiss Of Love 8-9, Raftar-e-Sehar 8-6, Lucky Seven 8-6, and Naseer Love 7-13.
Win: Raftar-e-Sehar.
Place: Pure Power and Royal Panther.
SARGODHA PLATE CLASS VII
DIV II 900M:
Saad Prince 9-2, Soneri Mauqa 9-0, Fantastic Look 9-0, Bobby Love 8-10, Naeem Man 8-10, Independence Day 8-8, Anarkali 8-7, Sohna Murad 8-0, and Leader’s Wing 7-12.
Win: Independence Day.
Place: Bobby Love and Sohna Murad.
SARGODHA PLATE CLASS VII
DIV I 900M:
Touching Wood 9-0, Glorious 9-0, Heart Of Rana 9-0, Aie Bahar 9-0, Shokey Dil 9-0, Candidate 8-10, Once More 8-10, Ever Smiling 8-10, Shahbaz King 8-10, Bhola Bhala 8-10, Fruitful 8-6, Best Owner 8-5, Pretty 8-4, Shandar 8-3, Cash Price 8-2 and Alpha Juliet 8-0.
Win: Fruitful.
Place: Best Owner and Cash Price.
CHAKWAL PLATE CLASS VI
DIV II 1,000M:
Khuddar 9-0, Untar 8-12, Singhar 8-10, Bird Fly 8-8, Maharani 8-6, Credit Card 8-6, Sono Bhai 8-6, Dam Dama Dam 8-2, Rough Queen 8-2 and Mirana Shaheen 7-6.
Win: Khuddar.
Place: Maharani and Untar.
CHAKWAL PLATE CLASS VI
DIV I 1,000M:
Brave Heart 9-0, Dubai Prince 9-0, Big Bird 8-12, Valour 8-10, Canis Lupus 8-10, Mahiya 8-10, Black Mamba 8-10, Mera Salman 8-10, Greyish 8-10, Grandy 8-10, Haider Prince 8-10, Brave & Beautiful 8-10, Little Princess 8-6, Ocean Song 8-6, Harry Can Run 8-2, Poris 8-2 and Khyber Star 8-2.
Win: Brave Heart.
Place: Big Bird and Harry Can Run.