LAHORE: Four cup races prominently feature six-event card to attract the horseracing fans for the seventh Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.

The main attraction, the Toru Khan Cup, a Class VI Division III and IV combined handicap race to be contested over 1,400 metres has a tiny field of six runners. In spite of a limited number of acceptors the race looks an open affair as majority of them are on chance. It is a different matter as many take up the challenge to win top honours.

Fillies Sanctity and Sky Active and colts Raksh and Alamgirian will decide the winner. The filly Sky Active was not allowed to run on merit by jockey Mohammad Hanif for obvious reasons the race-goers know well.

The main supporting event, the Bon Voyage Cup, — this season’s first term-race for two-year-old colts and fillies to be gone over 1,000 metres — has eight runners including some very high pedigree animals.

On pedigree one would back USA sire Tybalt’s filly Diana and another filly Zarnaj out-of-Irish sire, Light Heavy. Both bred at the Jamal Din Wali stud farm owned by Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmood who has spent millions of rupees enrich his stud with best breeds.

The October Cup, a Class VII Division I and II to be contested over 1,200 metres has eight runners. If all the acceptors are sent in perfect racing condition then it would be difficult to predict the winner. On present form Champion Of Mind, Bambsi and Husn-e-Kainaat look good but on previous form, while fillie Purnoor and Jamal Din Wali also cannot be easily ignored.

Yet another cup race, named after late trainer Mohammad Ajaib has eight runners, a rare occasion to end the day’s programme with a cup race.

The first race will be held at 1.30pm.

Following is the field and selections:

THE MONTREAUX PLATE CLASS VII DIV V — 900M:

Big Foot 9-0, After Hero 8-12, Anmole One 8-10, Tell Me 8-10, Awami Dera 8-10, Masoom 8-10, Al Nasar 8-8, Amazing Thunder 8-8, Nalain Princess 8-6, Paras Love 8-2, Sultan Jahanian 8-2, Black Power 8-2. Win & Place: Better avoid betting.

THE MONTREAUX PLATE CLASS VII DIV IV & V — 900M:

Khabib 9-0, Jee Aya Nu 8-10, Ask Me 8-10, Minding 8-8, Neeli The Great 8-8, Ayubia Princess 8-6, Chota Pathan 8-2, Neeli De Malika 8-0, Chan Punjabi 7-10, Azm-e-Nau 7-8.

Win: Jee Aya Nu.

Place: Ayubia Princess and Ask Me.

THE OCTOBER CUP CLASS VII DIV I & II — 1,200M:

Husn-e-Kainaat 8-12, Hash Tag 8-10, Bambsi 8-8, Gondal Choice 8-8, Purnoor 8-6, Champion Of Mind 8-6, Jamal Din Wali 7-12, Timbo 7-12.

Win: Purnoor vs Jamal Din Wali.

Place: Bambsi Vs Husn-e-Kainaat.

THE BON VOYAGE CUP — A TERM RACE FOR TWO-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES — 1,000M:

Ashiq Da Payar 8-8, Raheeb One 8-8, Diana 8-5, G. One 8-5, King’s Gambit 8-5, Queen’s Gambit 8-5, Zarnaj 8-5, Punjab Star8-1.

Win: Diana vs Zarnaj.

Place: G. One.

THE TORU KHAN CUP CLASS VI DIV III & IV — 1,400M:

Sanctity 9-0, Sky Active 8-11, Raksh 8-8, Nayel 8-2, Tiger Jet 8-2, Alamgirian 8-0.

Win: Sanctity.

Place: Alamgirian and Raksh.

THE TRAINER MOHAMMAD AJAIB MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VII DIV III & IV — 1,100M:

Salam-e-Lahore 8-12, Master Prince 8-12, Pehlwan 8-12, Golden Pound 8-10, Salam-e-Dera 8-6, Merchant Of Venus 7-12, Zama Sahib 7-10, Chota Dera 7-8.

Win: Salam-e-Lahore.

Place: Golden Pound and Master Prince.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021