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| March 5, 2006 | Sunday | Safar 4, 1427 |
Filly Victory Road fancied to win Pakistan Derby
LAHORE, March 4: Four-year-old bay filly, Victory Road, is being fancied to win the Pakistan Derby, to be held at the Racecourse on Sunday.
This will be the 58th running of this premier classic in the life of the four-year-old to be run over the gruelling distance of 2,400m.
All the main contenders remained in the race at Thursday’s final declaration stage comprising eleven runners.
Trainers A. B. Malik, I. Nawab, Amjad Ali II and Haji Ghulam Sarwar have fielded two runners each declared in the star studded cast.
The huge and athletic bay filly, Victory Road, who was purchased by a Karachi businessman for an ultra-high price is unbeaten at Karachi and Lahore.
She strengthened her claim when she registered a facile win in the 2000 Guineas Of Pakistan over 1,600m on Feb 5.
Victory Road will be ridden by Shahid Rehman who has four Derby wins and numerous classic victories.
Shahid told Dawn that his mount was in fine fettle at present. I hope she will win to give me fifth success and a hat-trick in Derby to equal the record feat of jockey Fletcher, a champion jockey of his time.
Among Victory Road’s rivals, the notable are: Thrill, Swing, Zoro and Trace Hit. After a bad patch, Thrill had lately come into limelight in pre-Derby gallop Tuesday last going on a cracking pace.
First A. Imran was declared to ride Thrill on Wednesday but a day later veteran jockey Salah-ud-Din II replaced him.
Since his Derby Trial run the colt has shown vast improvement and his joint owners, Mian Maahir Ahmad and Mahmood Khan, have engaged Aamar Parvaiz to ride him.
Mahmood said Swing is a nipper colt and if he came closer to leaders in the final stretch then he will eat the ground to finish ahead of them.
However, there are instances that the Derby Trial winner carried the Derby. Thus Zoro cannot be ruled out.
According to his trainer Memraiz Khan the colt is in fine shape to put up a great challenge to all.
Jockey M. Hanif ranks his mount, Trace Hit among top contenders.
The main supporting event, the Lahore Classic Cup to be gone over 2000m has a dozen runners, nine English and three Pakistani thoroughbreds.
From amongst them Hidden Cove, Benzine, Golden Drift and Brumell are in form.
The way Benzine won on his last outing should make it two in-a-row. Hidden Cove looks better placed in the handicap while Brumell has come down in weight scales because of the race terms and conditions.
Big Show is a cut above in class vis-a-vis her five rivals, all three-year-old, in the National Breeders Cup over 1400m.
First Look and Motivator should fight for second place.
Valentine is a speedy colt in the Stewards Cup over 1400m. His close rivals could be Key Guy Doll, Freedom Dancer and Pawan in the same order.
Three-year-old colt Shahpur Pride, who was defeated in his previous outing, should make amends to salvage stable’s pride and win the LRC Cup for class V over the sprinting distance of 1200m
The sixth race, a class IV division III handicap race has ten runners who include winners of one or more races.
Of them Lucky Coin, Hatam, Poly Love and Chan are on chance. For-year-old colt Chan from Wathbath Nashwan out of Wario looks better placed in the handicap.
It is very interesting that all the leading owners have entered their best horses in the Derby Day races which make the events competitive.
The fields and our selections.
PANJNAD PLATE CLASS VII DIV I 1200m.
Royal Power 9-4 Tallal The Great 9-4 Hello Dancer 9-4 Scarlet Empress 9-1 Che Guvera 9-0 Happy Mayla 9-0 Cheeko Baba 9-0 Golden Faith 8-13 Savera 8-10 Bosra Sham 8-8 Daisy Against All 8-8 Stride To Moment 8-7 Government Gift 8-7 Billoo The Great 8-3 and Bad-i-Naseem 8-4.
Win: Royal Power. Place: Hello Dancer and Scarlet Empress.
LRC PLATE CLASS V DIV 1 1200m.
Simoom 9-0 Ferrari 9-0 Owais Dream 8-12 Desert Queen 8-10 Red Flame 8-10 High Hope 8-10 Royal Gambler 8-10 Thinkable 8-9 Eastern Bird 8-8 Sohna Billoo 8-8 and Wendy Trace 8-8. Win: Owais Dream. Place: Ferrari and Thinkable.
LRC PLATE CLASS V DIV II-A 1200M.
Rising Sun 9-1 Crystal Heart 9-0 Eye Of The Tiger 9-0 Cobbler 9-0 Cross Ruff 9-0 Shaoor 9-0 Welcome Mayla 9-0 Zahoor-i-Sehr 8-12 Quwat 8-10 Ministry 8-10 and War Admiral 8-6.
Win: Eye Of The Tiger. Place: Cross Ruff and Rising Sun.
LRC CUP CLASS V DIV I 1200m.
Charming King 9-4 Herry Can View 9-4 Mera Chandiwala 8-12 Grey Swallow 8-11 Late Arrival 8-10 Al Murad 8-10 Zardan 8-10 Shahpur Pride 8-10 Rough Tough 8-7 Nosheen 8-7 Love Moon 8-7 Tan Man Dhan 8-3 Well Minister 8-3 Shahzor Mayla 8-3 Owais Star 8-2 and Fidodido (ex-Shark) 8-2.
Win: Shahpur Pride. Place: Herry Can View and Nosheen.
NOSHEHRA PLATE CLASS IV DIV III 1400m.
Miss Photogenic 9-0 Puma Princess 8-11 Herry Can Run 8-7 Royal Destiny 8-7 Royal Fantasy 8-6 Tamman Khan 8-6 Royal Fish 8-4 Queen Of Gold 8-3 and Toru Khan 7-8. Win: Royal Fantasy. Place; Herry Can Run and Toru Khan.
Noshehra Plate Class IV Division III-A 1400m.
General Councillor 9-0 Lucky Coin 9-0 Hatam 9-0 Poly Love 9-0 Royal Salute 9-0 Chan 8-13 Big Bird 8-12 Green Street 8-11 Flood Of Gold 8-10 and Don’t Follow 8-10.
Win: Chan. Place; Poly Love and Lucky Coin.
NOWSHEHRA PLATE CLASS IV DIV I 1400M.
Fidel Castro 9-0 Ghazi Rifle 8-10 Empire Maker 8-7 Red Hot Fire 8-6 Baker’s Gal 8-3 Aya Chandiwala 8-3 Fajr 7-12 Zargar 7-11 Trace Kim 7-10 Sher Shah 7-10 and Eid 7-10.
Win: Trace kim. Place: Fidel Castro and Bakers Gal.
Pakistan Derby, a term race for four-year-old colts and fillies 2400M.
Zoro 9-0 Owais Prince 9-0 Swing 9-0 Thrill 9-0 Gujrati Babu 9-0 Newton 9-0 Achilles 9-0 Alexander 9-0 Victory Road 8-11 Who Dares 8-11 and Trace hit 8-11.
Win: Victory Road. Place; Swing and Zoro. Upset: Thrill.
Lahore Classic Cup for four-year-old and above 2000m.
Brummel 9-7 Golden Drift 9-4 Hidden Cove 9-4 Benzine 9-0 Ponente 8-11 Dixie Queen 8-11 Colonial Girl 8-11 Calendar Girl 8-11 Lucky Winner 8-7 Height Of Happiness 8-3 and Poly Next 7-11.
Win: Benzine. Place; Golden Drift and Hidden Cove.
National Breeders Cup for three-year-old colts and fillies 1400M.
Sher-i-Gujrat 8-10 Motivator 8-10 Big Show 8-7 First Look 8-4 River Dancer 8-4 and Billoo Prince 7-12.
Win: Big Show. Place: First Look.
Stewards Cup Class IV Division I 1400M.
Mumtaz Mahal 9-4 Freedom Dancer 9-2 Pawan 9-1 Valentine 8-6 Key Guy Doll 8-2 High Fire 8-0 Stereo Nation 7-13 Millennium Count 7-12 My Own Job 7-9 Storm Warning 7-8 and Puma The Great 7-7.
Win: Valentine. Place: Freedom Dancer and Key Guy Doll.
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