Royal Ransom wins Pakistan Derby 2020

Royal Ransom exhibited excellent speed and stamina to win the Pakistan Derby, the most prestigious race of the equine sport at Lahore Race Club.

Former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani handed over winning trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2 million to Mohamamd Shahrukh, the owner of Royal Ransom.

War It Is, owned by LRC Chairman Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, also stunned all to secure the second position while another unknown equine Costa Rica finished third. Fluke Lucky Times won the opening race, Indus Plate, while the second race of the day was won by Hide Out, third by Big Move, fourth by Jhara, fifth by Tiger Jutt and sixth one was won by Churchill. Lola’s Theme emerged winner in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup while Amazing Runner was triumphant in the LRC Cup.

Like a sound tactician, jockey Tahir Abbas showed great patience while guiding his mount on the right course using his hands and heels in a rhythmic style to put his mount up the front position in the straight. Royal Ransom won the race by over six lengths from War It Is, which was ridden by the visiting English jockey Ray Dawson, who presented astute horsemanship powered by technical exuberance of a trained rider, though his mount lacked stamina to stay over the grueling distance of 2400 metres. 

The filly Costa Rica finished third over three lengths further behind, while the colt, Floating Cloud, the mount of jockey Aamir Pervez, withered like a floating cloud to end up on the frame.

With the odds five to two, the son of Dunhill Star out-of-Quality Road, Royal Ransom gave owner, Shah Rukh and the jockey Tahir Abbas their first and trainer Amjad Ali (II) his fifth triumph in this classic

The jubilant owner received the cup from Pakistan’s former prime minister, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who was accompanied by LRC chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud, whose business and industrial enterprise Jamal Din Wali (JWD) had sponsored the richest ever Derby in the country’s turf history. 

Steward Mahmood Khan , secretary Shahzad Akhtar and a group of owners, trainers and riders were present at the prize giving ceremony while the crowd gave a thunderous greeting applause.

The main supporting event, the National Breeders Cup classic, regarded as the first milestone in the life of three-year-old country-bred colts and fillies was won by the nursling bay colt, Churchill owned by the Karachi’s prominent owner Zaid Raheem.

English jockey Ray Dawson piloted the winner in a style of his own giving trainer Shahid Rehman and the Makhdums stud their second successive triumph in this classic. War It Is Had triumphed in this classic last year. Sahil, Haiku and Fair Beauty completed the frame.

The cup was presented to the owner by LRC steward Abdul Qadir Mamdot.

The second supporting event, the Queen Elizabeth, the second, Challenge Cup was won by the imported thoroughbred filly, Lola’s Theme. Owned by Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud, and trained by Shahid Rehman the filly was smartly guided to victory in a front-running successful display by the English Jockey Ray Dawson, who ended the Derby Day races in a blaze of glory leaving some sweet memories behind before flying back to London lifter midnight.

Pakistani bred Big Brave finished second three lengths back while Al Nehayy and Rewrite The Stars completed the frame. Former chairman LRC Syed Fakhar Imam presented the cup to the winning owner as the crowd gave a memorable applause recalling a decade’s over memory of the royal visit of the British sovereign when the event named after was held for the first time.

Earlier the Syed Abid Hussain Memorial Cup was won by a long shot colt, Jharra, who outpaced his five rivals to win by a big margin of seven lengths. His owner, Mirza Khurshid Baig received the cup from LRC steward Syeda Abida Hussain, the daughter of the top breeder of his time the cup race was named after.

Bay horse Tiger Jet ridden by Aftab Choudhry, ran a good race to lift the Syed Wajid Ali Shah Memorial Cup defeating the filly, Countess Maraa ridden by Ray Dawson.

Results;

INDUS PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION V-1000M.

Lucky Time (Mohammad Aslam Khan) 9-0 Waseem Khan 1. Chotta Jharra 9-0 Bilal Ahmad 2. Anmole One 8-8 Dinar Mirwani 3. Golden Beauty 8-7 Tahir Abbas.

Won by 3 L, 1 ¼ L, 1 ½ L. Time one minute 4 4/5 seconds, Winner trained by Amjad Ali (11).

INDUS PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION IV-1000M.

Hide Out (Mian Waleed Haroon) 8-4 Aftab Choudhry 1. Bright Gold 8-6 Mohammad Zulfiqar 2. Fakhr-e-Shorkot 8-10 Mubashar Bhatti 3. Safdar Princess 9-0 Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 3 L, ½ L, ¾ L. Time one minute 3 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

CHOUDHRY AHMAD SAEED MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VI DIVISION IV-1200M.

Big Move (Shahid Mahmood Goga) 8-6 Dinar Mirwani 1. Exceptional One 8-10 Aamir Pervez 2. Sanctity 8-8 Ray Dawson 3 Legacy 8-2 Babar Rehman 4.

Won by 3 L, 1 ½ L, 5 L. Time one minute 4 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Afzal.

SYED ABID HUSSAIN MEMORIAL CUP CLASS VI DIVISION 1, 11, & 111-1200M.

Jharra (Mirza Khursheed Baig) 8-6 Mazhar Ali 1. License To Kill 9-0 Aamir Pervez 2. Sajni 7-12 Mohammad Hanif 3. Gondal Prince 9-0 Mubashar Bhatti 4.

Won by 7 L, 5 ½ L, Head. Time one minute 13 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zahid Khan.

SYED WAJID ALI SHAH MEMORIAL CUP, CLASS VI DIVISION IV-1200M.

Tiger Jet (Asim Raza) 9-0 Aftab Choudhry 1. Countess Maraa 8-12 Ray Dawson 2. Princess Anabia 9-0 Waseem Khan 3. Lorenzo 8-8 Tahir Abbas 4.

Won by 2 ½ L, 5 L, 4 L. Time one minute 14 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Ramzan.

NATIONAL BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC. A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COUNTRYBRED COLTS AND FILLIES-1400M.

Churchill (Zaid Raheem) 8-8 Ray Dawson 1. Sahil 9-0 Tahir Abbas 2. Haiku 8-5 Aamir Pervez 3. Fair Beauty 7-13 Mohammad Hanif 4.

Won by 8 L, 1 ¾ L. Head. Time one minute 27 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

JWD PAKISTAN DERBY, 2020. A TERM RACE FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES-2400M.

Royal Ransom (Shah Rukh) 9-0 Tahir Abbas 1. War It Is 9-0 Ray Dawson 2. Costa Rica 8-11 Aftab Choudhry 3. Floating Cloud 9-0 Aamir Pervez 4.

Won by 6 ½ L, 4 L, and 3 L. Time two minutes 39 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Amjad Ali (II).

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP (UNDER JCP RULES OF RACING)-2000M.

Lola’s Theme (Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud ) 8-13 Ray Dawson 1. Big Bravo 8-4 Aftab Choudhry 2. Al Nehayy 9-0 Aamir Pervez 3. Rewrite The Stars 8-5 Tahir Abbas 4.

Won by 3 L, 4 L, Distance. Time two minutes 7 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Rehman.

LRC CUP CLASS VII DIVISION 11-1200M.

Amazing Runner (Kashif Saeed Butt ) 8-2 Tahir Abbas 1. Khan Jee 9-0 Mohammad Atif 2. Warrior’s Charge 9-0 Aftab Choudhry 3. Narowali Princess 8-2 Mohammad Zulfiqar 4.

Won by 3 L, 2 ½ L, short-head. Time one minute 16 seconds. Winner trained by S. Butt.

LRC STEWARDS CUP, CLASS VII DIVISION 1-1200M.

Quick Shot (Shahid Hussain ) 8-10 Aamir Pervez 1. Sea Horse 8-6 Tahir Abbas2. Gestapo 8-2 Bilal Ahmad 3. Marmaris 8-10 Dinar Mirwani 4.

Won by ½ L, Neck, Neck. Time one minute 16 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Haji Abid Mahmood.

INDUS PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION 1V-1000M.

Push The Limits (Sajid Ali Khan ) 9-0 Ghulam Haider 1. Wahab Choice 8-10 Waseem Khan 2. Qalandra 8-12 Mohammad Hanif 3. Zoaq-e-Yaqeen 8-6 Dinar Mirwani 4.

Won by Neck, 4 L, Short-head. Time one minute 3 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Nadeem Raza Khan.

INDUS PLATE CLASS VII DIVISION 111-1000M.

Malika Princess (Muqaddas Ali Dogar ) 9-0 Tahir Abbas 1. Jan-e-Fida 8-10 Dinar Mirwani 2. Gold man 9-0 Bilal Ahmad 3. Silken Black 8-10 Ghulam Haider 4.

Won by Neck, 3 ½ L, 3L. Time one minute 2 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Rafiq Khan.