Floating Cloud dazzles at Miss Fatima Jinnah Cup.

Byline: Aftab Gilani

LAHORE -- The bay colt, Floating Cloud, put up an amazing display of speed and stamina to land a memorable victory in the Miss Fatima Jinnah Cup, a prestigious term race for three-year-old run over 1600 metres during the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse here on Sunday.

Trained by Mohammad Abbas and ridden by jockey Mohammad Hanif the 25 to 100 favourite Floating Cloud took up the running shortly after the start and led all the way home un-challenged. The bay colt, Conquest for a while measured his strides with the winner in the early part of the leader but slithered pathetically to second position eight lengths back at the finish line.

The filly, Raat Ki Rani was nosed out to third place while the filly Costa Rica completed the frame among seven winners.

The winning owner, Haji Choudhry Tahir Mahmood received the cup, named after the Madar-e-Millat from Lahore Race Club (LRC) steward, Mahmood Rafi Khan amidst a thundering applause by the large crowd of equine sports connoisseurs.

The other important event, the Christmas Cup run over 1200 metres, the 80 to 100 favourite colt, Sahil stormed up the home stretch to win by six length from the filly, Sanctity by six lengths at the line.

Amazing Lips and Friend Forever completed the frame among six runners. Jockey Mohammad Hanif had the distinction of piloting home the winners of both the cup events. Owned by Khawaja Mohamamd Atif Sahil was trained by Rashid Latif.

LRC steward Abdul Qadir Mamdot gave away the cup to the winning owner.

LRC stewards stopped the entries of the bay filly, Faizi Choice in races for three months for her dismal show in the third race in which she was backed as co-favourite with the winning mare, Rashk-e-Qamar. She finished off the frame.

In the first race the stewards ordered an inquiry in an equally bad show by the colt, Casino Boy and till the completion of inquiry stopped his entries in races.

The Next Lahore Winter Meeting will be held on WedAnesday, December 25 instead of Sunday, December 29, the Lahore Race Club (LRC) announced. The change in the meeting scheduled has been made to enable the equine sports lovers to witness the Quaid-i-Azam Cup race being staged by the Karachi Race Club (KRC) on Sunday.

Results:

ATIA PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V-1100M.

Parwaz-e-Bhakakr ( Habib Ullah ) 8-6 Shakeel Mahmood 1. Zahid Love 7-8 Ghulam Haider 2. Golden Beauty 7-4 Tahir Abbas 3. Aya Darwaish 8-10 Mohammad Zulfiqar 4.

Won by 2 A1/4 L, 3 L, 6 L. Time...