Fancied Dixie lands 1,000 Guineas of Pakistan

LAHORE, Feb 8: Bay filly Dixie lived up to her star billing by landing the 1,000 Guineas of Pakistan run over 1,600 metres during the 23rd Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse on Sunday.

Smartly ridden by jockey Shahid Rehman and trained by Haji Fazal Hadi, the daughter of Putra picked up speed right from the start to lead all the way home. She beat the Karachi-entry, bay filly Claim To Fame owned by Syed Sadar-ud-Din Shah, by three lengths. Soviet Song and Rags To Riches completed the frame.

The race comprised seven runners only after the last-minute withdrawing of Blossom, Black Velvet and Moomal.

Dixie earned Rs3,00,000 for owner Malik Hamid Ali Noon after a boost in the race prize money, making it the second-richest event after Pakistan Derby.

A race earlier, the bay colt Punjabi, produced an excellent turn of foot to register half a length’s success in the Nero Cup, contested over 1,300 metres. The mare Mythical finished second with colt Dubai Fan another three lengths back at third.

The colt trained by Sohail Aziz, owned by Syed Pervaiz Hussain was ridden by Khalil Vicky.

The Anarkali Cup, a term race for three-year-olds over the 1,200 metres distance was won by the bay filly Heart Lake. Piloted by Shakeel Mahmood, the filly owned by Hamza Khan beat Deedawar by over a length.

Warrior Princess finished third by nosing out Blanchine.

The best performer of the Fillies Derby day racing was bay mare Brave Act. She won the Mountain Dew Cup in the over 1,600 metres distance.

Brave Act, who underwent a series of injuries for nearly a year, was fully cured to present owner Sohrab Khan with a creditable victory when she defeated Tipu Sultan by five lengths. Vendetta and Gold Krik completed the frame among the six runners.

Brave Act provided an armchair ride to the enjoyment of jockey Aamir Pervez. Her victory recalled her triumphs in the Breeders Cup, The Derby Trials and the Pakistan Derby 2008, promising a good season ahead. Meanwhile, the 2007 Derby winner Gold Krik looked like a shadow of the past when he finished a bad fourth.

Jockey Shahid Rehman, trainers Amjad Ali II and Haji Fazal Hadi won the distinction, scoring a double, a treble and a double, respectively.

Six favourite horses won in a card of nine races.

Results:

KALARKAHAR PLATE CLASS VI

DIV I-A 1,200M:

Whisper (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-10,

Shahid Rehman 1; Unter 8-8, M. Bilal 2; Cleopatra 8-10, Majid Ali 3; Opera Winfield 9-0, Faisal Tahir 4.

Won by 4 L, 3 ¾ L, Distance. Time one minute 16 4/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.

KALARKAHAR PLATE CLASS VI

DIV I-B 1,200M:

Green Desert (Mian Mohammad Farrukh) 9-0, A. Imran 1; Naughty By Nature 8-6, Anjum 2; Singhar 8-12, M. Zeeshan 3; Super Sonic 8-2, A. Wahab 4.

Won by ½ L, 4 ½ L, 5 ¼ L. Time one minute 17 1/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

RAWAT PLATE CLASS V

DIV II-B 1,200M:

Perfect Future (Sohrab Khan) 7-12, Faheem K 1; Miss Tabinda 9-0, Hidayat Hssain 2; Fakhar-e-Sialkot 7-12, Shakeel Mahmood 3; Janu 8-2, Anjum 4.

Won by 5 L, 2 L, ¾ L. Time one minute 14 2/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Amjad Ali II.

RAWAT PLATE CLASS V DIV II-A 1,200M:

Pretty Girl (Malik Nazeer Ahmed) 8-11, M. Zeeshan 1; Zaafran 9-0, Shahid Rehman 2; Frontier Prince 9-0, A. Imran 3; Mikkado 8-8, Faisal Tahir 4.

Won by 1 L, 4 L, 1 L. Time one minute 16 seconds.

Winner trained by Shahzad Ali.

RAWAT PLATE CLASS V DIV I 1,200M:

Qasid (Gul Zareen Khan) 8-6, M. Wasim Khan 1; High Jet 8-4, Faheem K. 2; Rustam 9-2, Salahuddin 3; Eve 8-5, Faisal Tahir 4.

Won by 4 ½ L, ¾ L, Neck. Time one minute 15 1/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Abdul Rasheed.

NERO CUP CLASS IV

DIV I, II & III 1,300M:

Punjabi (Syed Pervez Hussain) 9-10, Khalil Vicky 1; Mythical 8-6, Aamir Pervez 2; Dubai Fan 7-4, Sajjad Hussain 3; Pak Edition 7-8, Shakeel Mahmood 4.

Won by ½ L, 3 L, Distance. Time one minute 22 seconds.

Winner trained by Sohail Aziz.

1,000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN (A TERM RACE FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD

FILLES) 1,600M:

Dixie (Malik Hamid Ali Noon) 8-12,

Shahid Rehman 1; Claim To Fame 8-10, Ghulam Shabbir 2; Soviet Song 8-12,

Faisal Tahir 3; Rags To Richest 8-12, Aamir Pervez 4.

Won by 3 L, 3 L, Neck. Time one minute 40 2/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Haji Fazal Hadi.

ANARKALI CUP, A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES, 1,200M:

Heart Lake (HAmza Khan) 8-6, Shakeel Mahmood 1; Deedawar 9-0, Shahid Rehman 2; Warrior Princess 8-6, Alam Sher 3; Blanchine 9-0, Ghulam Shabbir 4.

Won by 1 ¼ L, 3 L, Neck. Time one minute 15 2/5 seconds.