LAHORE, Oct 7: The five-year-old bay mare Run Way Lady clinched Islamabad Cup by landing the fifth race of the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse Sunday.
The event was held over the sprinting distance of six furlongs and enjoyed by a sizable number of race-lovers.
Run Way Lady was installed as a joint-favourite with the chestnut gelding Lake District after the last-minute withdrawal of the bay colt Crown Maker.
Owned by Mahmood Khan, Run Way Lady covered the shortest route on the railings while turning into the straight. Popeye and the Lake District, who were running abreast of her, went wide and so both lost considerable ground.
That proved decisive for Run Way Lady, who won the race defeating the chestnut horse Great Grandy by about three lengths. Lake District just managed to finish third, a distance further away, while Popeye completed he frame, another four lengths back. Eleven runners contested the event.
This was Run Way Lady’s first win after her four consecutive defeatss. At last luck has smiled on her. The mare clocked one minute 14 3/5 seconds for the distance. Riding boy Qamar Zaman partnered Run Way Lady and earned a well-deserved double Sunday. He had earlier piloted home bay filly Ababeel to an easy win in the second race.
The Lahore Race Club stewards, anticipating lack of true competition, cancelled the third race. Shortly before the start of the race, a group of punters approached the stewards and demanded from them to cancel the race.
They alleged that except for the fancied Chrysler no other entrant looked on job as the odds of all of them has eased upwards. Sensing something “fishy”, the stewards ordered the cancellation of the race. Thus the card of six events was reduced to five.
The tewards gave a pleasant surprise to the race-fans by maintaining the exact time-schedule of races on Sunday and completed the last race at 4 pm. They received a spontaneous applause from the race-goers for completing the races on time for a change!
This is perhaps, the only occasion that the schedule of races was adhered to exactly in accordance with the announced timings.
The following are the results:
ROHRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V & VI 6 FURS:
Gold Champion (Choudhry Zeeshan Ahmad) 8-8 Nazir Ahmad 1. Unbeatable 7-10 Javed Iqbal 2. Mon Soon 7-10 Qamar Zaman 3. Burq Raftar 8-3 Shahzad Ahmad 4.
Also ran: Dane Hill Dancer, Jee Salman, Loveliest, King Gondal, High Mark. (Salman Chandiwala & Martial Law withdrawn).
Won by 7 L, 1 1/4 L, 3 3/4 L.
Time one minute 15 seconds.
Winner trained by Tanveer Aslam.
ROHRI PLATE LASS VII DIVISION IV (B) 6 FURS:
Ababeel (Haji Ghulam Sarwar) 8-8 Qamar Zaman 1. Best Lara 8-13 Javed Bashir 2. Special Dream 8-6 M. Hanif 3. Golden Road 8-11 Shahzad Ahmad 4.
Also ran: Opera House, Blu’s Wendy, Impact, Keep In Step, Touch Of Joy, Burfi, Fiji, Royal Soul, River Wild, Fly To The Stars.
Won by 3 1/2 L, 8 1/2 L, 1/2 L.
Time one minute 14 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by the owner.
ROHRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION III & IV 6 FURS:
Cancelled before it was run.
ROHRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION III 6 FURS:
King Fisher (Sohrab Khan) 8-7 Aamar Parvez 1. Salaaf 9-0 Qamar Zaman 2. L’Aurore 8-11 Mujahid Ali (II) 3. Blue Stone 8-12 Azam Hussain 4.
Also ran: Abr-e-Bahar, Bold Effort, Desert Dream, Don’t Chase, Bhola Jee, Blu’s Eye, Sutan Love, Princess Altrui.
Won by 3 1/4 L, 4 L, 3 1/2 L.
Time one minute 14 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Amjad Ali II.
ISLAMABAD CUP, CLASS V 6 FURS:
Run Way lady (Mahmood Khan) 8-4 Qamar Zaman 1. Great Grandy 9-1 Aamar Parvez 2. Lake District 7-10 Shahid Mustafa 3. Popeye 10-2 Javed Bashir 4.
Also ran: Admiral’s Way, Perfect Timing, Fanim, Half Love, Shershah, Apple Of My Eye 8-7 Saughat. (Crown Maker withdrawn).
Won by 2 3/4 L, Distance, 4 L.
Time one minute 14 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by A. B. Malik.
ROHRI PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION II & III 6 FURS:
Jet Master (Wajid Ali Khan) 8-11 Salah-ud-Din (II) 1. Sarfrosh 8-1 Shahid Mustafa 2. Charakh Bareen 8-13 Mazhar Ali 3. Dilnasheen II 9-1 Wajid Hussain 4.
Also ran: Storm Bird, Seendak, One Man Show, Blue Leed, Flying Fury, Think Thank, Sabza Choice, Hot Spell, Blue Bird.
Won by 6 1/2 L, 3 L, 1 3/4 L.
Time one minute 14 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.