Sardar stars in Derby Trials amid surprises

LAHORE: Sardar showcased remarkable prowess in the Derby Trials in a close battle with Trigger at the Lahore Race Club on Sunday, a day marked by several surprising outcomes.

In the much-anticipated Derby Trials race, Sardar managed to outpace Trigger in a rematch. Despite Trigger’s strong performance, Sardar clinched victory with a time of 2:28:70s. Swift Retort secured third place, followed by Prodigal Rain.

The day began with an upset in the opening race, as Mafnood JR emerged victorious, with Rutba, a fluke entry, finishing second, and Little Master taking the surprise third spot. In the second race, Falco drew attention with a surprising win. Zaman Sahib, as expected, finished second, and favorite Vartika took third place.

Great One delivered another surprise by winning the third race, followed by Vitoria in second and Shareeka in third, both unexpected placements. In the fourth race that was Saeed Butt Memorial Cup, favorite Sultan reigned supreme, with Moni finishing second as predicted, and Amanah Noor taking the surprise third spot.

The fifth race was Col (R) Syed Abid Hussain Memorial Cup, saw Sincere Approach, the favorite, triumphed over fluke Brooklyn in a close encounter, while Dawn To Dusk switched gears to secure third place.

The sixth race was the derby trials where Trigger was expected to lead, but Sardar, considered a fluke, galloped to a significant win. Swift Retort settled for third position. Seventh race had Distant Music, a surprise contender, harmonized with victory, while Secret Lover finished second unexpectedly, and Gabriella, expected to place, came in third.

In the Nosha Cup, that was eight events of the day, had Tiete claimed the top spot in a surprising run. Jim And Tonic, another fluke, finished second, and Tierney took the surprise third spot. In the final race, a thrilling encounter was witnessed with Khushbash emerged victorious with a surprise performance.