LRC sees contract outcomes

LRC sees contract outcomes

 

By Asher Butt and Abid Sultan

The 7^th winter meeting of the Lahore Race Club has a day of contrasts — two opening upsets, a clean favourite double, an open maiden, a flawless feature race result, and Construct Craft doing what Construct Craft does.

Book favs hit 2 / 5

My favs hit 1 / 6

Upsets 2

Fluke winner R6

Full frame sweep R5

Race-by-race results

Race	1st	2nd	3rd	Book fav	My fav
R1 · 1:30 Div VII 1000m	1War Flag	2Mirza Prince	3Sher Dil	Mirza Prince — 2nd	Mirza Prince — 2nd
R2 · 2:05 Div VI 1000m	1Coach House Pari	2Thunder Pride	3Bella Nova	Zaman Sahib — out	Thunder Pride — 2nd
R3 · 2:40 Div IV&V 1000m	1Safe Bet	2Fakhar-e-Sardar	3Fakhar-e-Panjgran	Safe Bet ✓	Safe Bet ✓
R4 · 3:15 Bon Voyage Cup	1Limato	2Hamza Pride	3Red	No declared fav	Hamza Pride / Bin Sardar — 2nd/out
R5 · 3:50 October Cup 1200m	1Bella One	2Moni Ka Arman	3Counter Strike	Bella One ✓	Bella One ✓
R6 · 4:25 Div I&II 1200m	1Construct Craft	2Haseeb Thunder	3Moni Ki Chahat	Moni Prince — out	Bunty Bella — out

Selection hit map

R1 Both favs 2ndMy place 2nd ✓My fluke 3rd ✓

R2 My fav 2ndMy place 3rd ✓My fluke won ✓

R3 Both favs won ✓Book place 2ndMy place missed

R4 Co-fav 2ndMy place missedMy fluke missed

R5 Both favs won ✓Book place 2nd ✓My place 2nd ✓

R6 Both favs outBook place 2nd ✓Book fluke won ✓

Result type R1

Upset R2

Upset R3

Both favs won R4

Open maiden R5

Fav won clean R6

Fluke won

Here is the full verdict:

Race 1 — Division VII (1000m): War Flag (8-12) staged the day’s opening upset — beating the agreed favourite Mirza Prince (9-0) into second and Sher Dil (my fluke) into third. The frame was correctly predicted by my selections: my place Mirza Prince ran second and my fluke Sher Dil ran third — full frame coverage with the correct horses, wrong hierarchy at the top. War Flag, sharing the joint second weight cluster at 8-12, proved that in Division VII over 1000m, the five-way 8-12 cluster can produce upsets even against a clear 9-0 top weight. The book’s Pocket Power (7-10) as place was entirely absent.

Race 2 — Division VI (1000m): Coach House Pari — my fluke — won outright, beating my favourite Thunder Pride into second and Bella Nova into third as a surprise. Zaman Sahib (book’s favourite) was entirely unplaced. The result is a partial vindication: I correctly identified Thunder Pride and Coach House Pari as the two most relevant selections but placed them in the wrong order. My fluke won and my favourite ran second — the complete frame was covered by my selections with only the hierarchy reversed.

Race 3 — Division IV & V (1000m): Safe Bet (9-2) delivered a clean, authoritative win — the agreed favourite for both the book and me. Fakhar-e-Sardar ran second exactly as the book’s place designated and Fakhar-e-Panjgran completed the frame in third as a surprise. My place Desert Parri missed but the top selection converted cleanly. Safe Bet’s win confirms that when the top weight is a horse with proven championship form at 9-2 in Division IV & V over 1000m, the weight logic delivers.

Race 4 — Bon Voyage Cup (Maiden Fillies): Limato won from the joint 8-8 weight cluster — one of six horses sharing the top weight. Hamza Pride (my co-favourite) ran second and Red completed the frame in third. Limato’s win from 8-8 in a six-way dead heat at the weight ceiling shows that within these level-weights maiden races, pace and breeding are the true determinants, and any prediction carries high uncertainty. The frame horses all came from the 8-8 cluster, which at least confirms the top-weight ceiling was the right analytical focus.

Race 5 — October Cup (1200m): The cleanest result of the day and the most complete frame coverage. Bella One won as the agreed favourite, Moni Ka Arman (book’s place) ran second as expected, and Counter Strike completed the frame in third. The book’s entire selection set landed in the frame in the correct order — a rare and fully satisfying cup race result. My favourite Bella One, my place Makhmoor (missed), but the overall prediction was directionally correct with the winner and the frame largely covered.

Race 6 — Division I, II & III (1200m): Construct Craft — the book’s fluke, my fluke — won once again. This is now Construct Craft’s most remarkable sequence of the entire meeting cycle: multiple cup victories, consistent framing across divisions, and the ability to beat top-weight horses carrying 9-0 and above over 1200m regardless of weight concession. Haseeb Thunder (book’s place) ran second and Moni Ki Chahat (book’s favourite for Moni Prince) completed the frame in third. My favourite Bunty Bella (9-0) was entirely unplaced. The book’s three selections all framed — an excellent book result in the closer.

Day 7 summary: The Bon Voyage Cup and October Cup both delivered satisfying feature race results — Limato winning an open maiden cleanly and Bella One taking the October Cup as expected. The broader pattern confirms everything established over seven Winter Meeting days: at 1000m and below in Division VI & VII, form and pace beat top-weight logic repeatedly; at 1200m in senior divisions, the results are more structured but Construct Craft continues to defy every weight-based prediction that ignores its form. Safe Bet’s Race 3 win remains the day’s clearest weight-logic vindication — at 9-2 in Division IV & V, the top weight delivered exactly as predicted.

7th Day — LRC Winter Meeting 2026-2027

 

7th Day — LRC Winter Meeting 2026-2027

Sunday, 18th October 2026 | 6 Races | First Race 1:30 PM

Races 1, 2, 3, 4 over 1000m | Races 5 & 6 over 1200m

 By Asher Butt

Race 1 · 1:30 PM — Class VII Division VII — 1000m

Field of 11 (- 2 supplementaries)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Mirza Prince 7	9-0
2	Sher Dil 4	8-12
3	Haseeb Star 9	8-12
4	Tiger 11	8-12
5	Lali Prince 8	8-12
6	War Flag 3	8-12
7	Sukhera Choice 6	8-9
8	Pocket Power 5	7-10
9	Sosig Go 10	7-8
10	Gallop In Glory 2	7-8
11	Raees Sahib 12	7-8

Book Fav: Mirza Prince | Book Place: Pocket Power | Book Fluke: Sher Dil

My Fav: Mirza Prince | My Place: Sher Dil | My Fluke: Haseeb Star

My reasoning: Full agreement on the favourite — Mirza Prince (9-0) carries the outright top weight in an eleven-horse Division VII field over 1000m, 2 pounds ahead of a five-way cluster at 8-12 and 14 pounds clear of the book's place selection Pocket Power (7-10). Mirza Prince ran second on Day 6 of the Winter Meeting and the handicapper has now elevated it to 9-0 — the most emphatic confidence signal in this division. My favourite is Mirza Prince without reservation. The divergence is in place and fluke: the book selects Pocket Power (7-10) as place at the bottom of the weight band — conceding 14 pounds to the top weight over 1000m — while I prefer Sher Dil (8-12) as place, sitting in the joint second-weight cluster and carrying far more structural authority over the full distance. Haseeb Star (8-12) shares the joint second weight and is my fluke — an equally credible frame candidate in a field where five horses share the second-weight tier.

 

Race 2 · 2:05 PM — Class VII Division VI — 1000m

Field of 11

#	Horse	Weight
1	Thunder Pride 3	8-12
2	Zaman Sahib 8	8-12
3	Coach House Pari 6	8-9
4	Lady Sareena 7	8-6
5	Naveed-e-Sahar 5	8-4
6	Tiger of Sultan 9	8-4
7	Thank You 12	8-4
8	Bella Nova 4	8-3
9	True Promise 2	8-2
10	Mid Night Grace 11	8-0
11	Prince of Kashmir 10	7-10

Book Fav: Zaman Sahib | Book Place: Naveed-e-Sahar | Book Fluke: Coach House Pari

My Fav: Thunder Pride | My Place: Zaman Sahib | My Fluke: Coach House Pari

My reasoning: Thunder Pride (8-12) shares the outright joint top weight with Zaman Sahib — both at the ceiling of this eleven-horse Division VI field over 1000m. The book makes Zaman Sahib its favourite and I agree it is one of the two most credible selections, but Thunder Pride has been building strong momentum: it won Race 2 on Day 6 of the Winter Meeting from the book's fluke position at 8-0, and the handicapper has elevated it sharply to 8-12 in response. That weight rise is the most significant on this race card and signals the handicapper's explicit recognition of that win. My favourite is Thunder Pride. Zaman Sahib (8-12) at joint top weight is my place — it ran second in that same Race 2 on Day 6 and carries the same momentum. The book's agreement on Zaman Sahib as favourite is understandable — these two horses are analytically equivalent and either could win. Coach House Pari (8-9) is my fluke, the book's fluke as well — third highest weight in an eleven-horse field, sitting between the joint top weights and the mid-field cluster. Naveed-e-Sahar (8-4) as the book's place — 8 pounds below the joint top weights over 1000m — is a form call that the weight structure does not support as the second selection.

 

Race 3 · 2:40 PM — Class VII Division IV & V — 1000m

Field of 9

#	Horse	Weight
1	Safe Bet 4	9-2
2	Desert Parri 6	8-8
3	Singhar 9	8-8
4	Fakhar-e-Panjgran 3	8-4
5	Fakhar-e-Sardar 2	8-2
6	Dogar Choice 5	7-12
7	Sea of Class 7	7-12
8	Chhota Multani 8	7-10
9	Wake Up 10	7-8

Book Fav: Safe Bet | Book Place: Fakhar-e-Sardar | Book Fluke: Desert Parri

My Fav: Safe Bet | My Place: Desert Parri | My Fluke: Singhar

My reasoning: Full agreement on the favourite — Safe Bet (9-2) carries the highest weight allocation on this entire race card and the most commanding weight position of any horse across all six races today. At 9-2 it sits 6 pounds ahead of Desert Parri and Singhar, 14 pounds clear of Dogar Choice at the bottom. Safe Bet won Race 4 on Day 5 of the Summer Meeting and has been framing consistently at the upper weight band all meeting. My favourite is Safe Bet without hesitation. The divergence is in place: the book selects Fakhar-e-Sardar (8-2) while I prefer Desert Parri (8-8) — the joint second-weight horse alongside Singhar. Desert Parri has been a consistent frame contender across the Division III-V range all season and at 8-8 sits 4 pounds below the top versus Fakhar-e-Sardar's 14-pound deficit. Singhar (8-8) is my fluke — sharing Desert Parri's weight and carrying form credentials from its upset win in Race 5 of Winter Day 6. The book's selection of Fakhar-e-Sardar as place and Desert Parri as fluke inverts the weight structure for both lower selections.

 

Race 4 · 3:15 PM — The Bon Voyage Cup — 2-Year-Old Fillies (Term Race) — 1000m

Field of 9

#	Horse	Weight
1	Bin Sardar 5	8-8
2	Hamza Pride 6	8-8
3	Limato 4	8-8
4	Mera Sultan 10	8-8
5	Pakistani Champion 9	8-8
6	Red 2	8-8
7	What A Winter 3	8-8
8	Florentine 8	8-5
9	Pakistani Queen 7	8-5

Book: No declared favourites — two-year-old fillies term race

My Fav: Hamza Pride / Bin Sardar (joint top) | My Place: Limato | My Fluke: Florentine

My reasoning: The Bon Voyage Cup is a term race for two-year-old fillies — the most unpredictable race type on the card. Six horses share the joint top weight of 8-8 and three carry 8-5, making this almost a level-weights contest. With no declared book favourites, form, breeding and stable connections are the primary analytical tools. Among the six joint 8-8 horses, Hamza Pride and Bin Sardar are my primary selections based on their name positioning and likely stable confidence signals — but in truth, any of the six joint-top horses could win. Pakistani Champion ran in the Nonchal Cup on Day 5 and failed to frame, which slightly reduces its claim. Florentine (8-5) is my fluke from the lower weight group — in the Nonchal Cup, the winner came from the lower weight cluster, and history at this meeting supports that maiden filly results are genuinely open. Pakistani Queen also ran in the Nonchal Cup and finished third — it has form evidence and carries 8-5 again, making it a credible outsider. This race cannot be confidently predicted and should be treated as fully open.

 

Race 5 · 3:50 PM — The October Cup — Class VII Division II & III (Maiden) — 1200m

Field of 7 (+ 3 supplementaries)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Bella One 3	8-10
2	Makhmoor 4	8-8
3	Saltanat 7	8-2
4	Moni Ka Arman 5	8-1
5	Counter Strike 2	7-13
6	Dar Princess 8	7-10
7	Kalabi's Queen 6	7-10

Book Fav: Bella One | Book Place: Moni Ka Arman | Book Fluke: Makhmoor

My Fav: Bella One | My Place: Makhmoor | My Fluke: Saltanat

My reasoning: Full agreement on the favourite — Bella One (8-10) carries the outright top weight in the October Cup over 1200m — 2 pounds ahead of Makhmoor and 8 ahead of the book's place selection Mni Ka Arman (8-1). Bella One ran second in the Syed Mansab Ali Shah Memorial Cup on Day 5 and the handicapper has elevated it to 8-10 in response — a clear signal of confidence. Over the extended 1200m distance, the top weight authority is most pronounced and Bella One is my favourite. My divergence from the book is in place and fluke: I prefer Makhmoor (8-8) as place over Moni Ka Arman (8-1) — Makhmoor sits just 2 pounds below the top and is the natural structural place selection. The book places Moni Ka Arman as place at 8-1, which concedes 9 pounds to the top weight over 1200m. Saltanat (8-2) is my fluke — it has been consistently placed at upper weights throughout the season and carries more weight authority than either Moni Ka Arman, Counter Strike or Dar Princess. The three supplementaries are unknown quantities that could reshape this entirely at declaration time.

 

Race 6 · 4:25 PM — Class VII Division I, II & III — 1200m

Field of 7 (+ 4 supplementaries)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Bunty Bella 2 (X Luna Afzaal)	9-0
2	Moni Prince 7	8-12
3	Construct Craft 3	8-5
4	Moni Ki Chahat 5	8-2
5	Flash 6	7-12
6	Power Show 4	7-10
7	Haseeb Thunder 8	7-8

Book Fav: Moni Prince | Book Place: Haseeb Thunder | Book Fluke: Construct Craft

My Fav: Bunty Bella | My Place: Moni Prince | My Fluke: Construct Craft

My reasoning: The most analytically compelling race of the day and the sharpest divergence from the book. Bunty Bella (9-0) — formerly Luna Afzaal — carries the outright top weight in Division I, II & III over 1200m, 2 pounds ahead of Moni Prince and a full 9 pounds ahead of Construct Craft, 16 pounds ahead of Power Show and 18 ahead of Haseeb Thunder. The book makes Moni Prince (8-12) the favourite while designating Bunty Bella entirely outside its selections — and Haseeb Thunder (7-8) as place concedes an extraordinary 16 pounds to the top weight over 1200m. This is the Winter Meeting's most recurring analytical pattern applied to its most senior race: the book consistently selects form horses at mid-to-low weights while the top weight — carrying the handicapper's unambiguous class statement — is ignored or demoted. At 1200m in Division I, II & III, Bunty Bella's 9-0 allocation is decisive and my favourite is clear. Moni Prince (8-12) is my place — the book's favourite has legitimate form claims and at second weight carries the next strongest structural position. Construct Craft (8-5) is my fluke — the book agrees, and its track record across the meeting cycle has established it as the most reliable cup-race performer in Division II & III regardless of weight. The four supplementaries are unknown quantities but the declared weight structure strongly favours the top-weight selection.

Maaz Sadaqat's fairytale rise stuns cricket world

 

By Asher Butt

In a story that embodies the power of dreams and perseverance, young batter Maaz Sadaqat has announced his arrival on the international stage in spectacular fashion, going from the narrow alleys of Peshawar to becoming Pakistan's newest batting sensation within a month.

The left-handed opener's journey is one of sheer grit. Hailing from a modest family in Peshawar, Maaz faced severe financial hardships in his early years. Unable to afford proper cricket gear, he honed his skills playing tape-ball cricket in local streets and worked long shifts at a roadside tea stall – a chai dhabba – just to save money for his first cricket bat and a pair of shoes.

His struggle and meteoric rise were highlighted by former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan, who recalled Maaz visiting his home in Peshawar years ago along with his brother Haroon. Sharing the youngster's inspirational story, Rizwan said it should serve as a lesson for every aspiring cricketer.

"Never lose belief. Dreams take time to realize, but through hard work, patience, and faith in Allah, everything is possible," Rizwan said, quoting the message he gave to the young Maaz.

 

A life-changing 30 days

What followed in the last 30 days has been nothing short of a cricketing fairytale. Maaz Sadaqat produced three innings that have transformed him from a domestic prospect to a global name.

It started in the Caribbean Premier League, where he smashed the fastest century of the tournament – a breathtaking hundred off just 44 balls. He saved his best for the biggest stage, producing a match-winning 114 off 58 balls in the CPL final, single-handedly guiding his team to a competitive total of 170 for 9 and sealing the championship.

He carried that blistering form into his national team debut. Playing against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, the Peshawar-born batter played a fearless knock of 96 off just 51 balls, an innings decorated with 6 fours and 7 towering sixes, leaving the crowd and experts stunned.

Praise from Gary Kirsten

Maaz's fearless strokeplay has not only won hearts at home but also earned high praise from the opposition camp. Sri Lanka’s current head coach and former Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten was effusive in his praise for the youngster.

Kirsten, who has coached some of the greatest players in world cricket, termed Maaz as a rare talent with a mature match mindset. Pointing to his back-to-back centuries in the CPL under pressure, the South African legend said it is proof of his elite temperament.

“Pakistan cricket possesses deep talent reserves and in Maaz Sadaqat, Pakistan has secured a world-class player for the future,” Kirsten noted in his tactical assessment.

From serving tea to serving sixes on the international stage, Maaz Sadaqat’s journey from a chai dhabba in Peshawar to the bright lights of Rawalpindi is a powerful reminder that talent, when combined with relentless hard work, can overcome any hardship.

Farhan’s series, Imran’s promise, the middle-order question Pakistan cannot keep ignoring

 

Pakistan won the T20I series 2-1. The scoreline flatters them in one direction and undersells them in another — and the real story of three nights in Rawalpindi is not the result but what it revealed about who this white-ball side is becoming.

 

By Asher Butt

There is a version of this series that writes itself cleanly. Pakistan won 2-1 under a new captain, posted their second-highest T20I total at home, gave meaningful opportunities to several new faces, and did all of it in front of a record crowd of 17,535 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sahibzada Farhan struck three consecutive half-centuries across three matches as captain. Muhammad Imran, playing his second T20I, returned figures of 4-0-11-3 in the second match that were so frugal they felt almost fictional. Maaz Sadaqat hit 50 in the first match and 96 in the second, playing innings of such controlled aggression that he narrowly missed becoming only the second Pakistan batter to score a T20I century at home.

That version of events is true. It is also incomplete. Because in the same series, Pakistan’s middle order collapsed so thoroughly in the third match — sliding from 34 for 0 to 34 for 2 in four deliveries, then losing further wickets at regular intervals to limp to 168 for 8 — that a target Sri Lanka chased with 17 balls to spare. And the bowling attack that demolished Sri Lanka for 133 in the second match found no traction whatsoever in the third, conceding 172 for 2 in a reply that Kusal Mendis managed with the relaxed authority of a man completing a training exercise.

Both versions are Pakistan. That has always been the most accurate thing that can be said about this team.

 

The first match: Farhan announces himself

The first T20I was a creditable win built on a foundation that Pakistan’s recent white-ball cricket has too rarely offered: a substantial opening partnership and a composed middle-order contribution that gave the chase real momentum.

Sri Lanka’s 182 for 8 was built almost entirely by Lahiru Udara, whose 91 off 55 balls was a remarkable innings of sustained aggression. That Pakistan’s bowlers kept Sri Lanka to a competitive rather than commanding total — Naseem Shah’s three wickets and Mohammad Imran’s debut two for 21 were the highlights — was a useful containment effort against an in-form opener. The 18 wides conceded, however, were an early indication of the control issues that would resurface in the third match.

Farhan’s 89 off 53 balls in the chase was the innings of a player who understood the assignment completely — aggressive from the first delivery, decisive in his shot selection, and intelligent about managing the partnerships around him. His 92-run second-wicket stand with Maaz (50 off 29) was the partnership that won the match. Maaz’s debut half-century, combining clean hitting with a strike rate of 172, announced a batter whose instincts suit the format instinctively.

 

The second match: A statement of possible

The second T20I deserves its own paragraph in Pakistan’s recent white-ball history. Pakistan posted 215 for 3 — their second-highest T20I total ever, highest at home, first ever 200-plus at Rawalpindi — and bowled Sri Lanka out for 133. It was, in the simplest terms, complete cricket: a batting performance of exceptional quality followed by a bowling display of sustained pressure.

Maaz’s 96 off 51 balls was the innings of the series. Seven sixes — equalling the Pakistan record for a single T20I innings — combined with the technical discipline of a batter who rarely gave his wicket away cheaply. That Eshan Malinga denied him the century off the final ball with only five runs from the over is one of those cruel cricket endings that will frustrate Maaz for years. At 92 off 46 entering the last over, the century was his to lose and he nearly didn’t.

Farhan’s 73 off 44 in the same innings — his second consecutive fifty — confirmed this is not a one-match wonder. He is batting with the clarity and authority of a captain who has found the form of his life at the moment the responsibility was handed to him.

Muhammad Imran’s 4-0-11-3 in Sri Lanka’s chase was extraordinary. Eleven runs from four overs in a T20 match is not merely excellent — it is historically unusual. His economy rate of 2.75 in the format where economy rates below six are considered respectable tells its own story. He bowled his four overs on the trot, took two wickets in consecutive balls in the eighth over, and nearly completed a hat-trick. At just his second T20I appearance, he looks like the fast-bowling find Pakistan’s white-ball attack has been seeking.

 

The third match: The questions return

And then came Tuesday.

Maaz Sadaqat, who had scored 50 in the first match and 96 in the second, was out for 0 in the third. Fakhar Zaman, who had contributed solid starts in the first two matches, departed for 12. Pakistan lost both in the fourth over, leaving their captain to hold together an innings that was increasingly dependent on his own imperviousness. He did — 76 off 47 balls, three sixes, seven fours, the innings of a leader dragging a collapsing structure upright by force of will — before falling on the penultimate delivery to leave Pakistan at 168 for 8.

The number was competitive rather than commanding. Against a Sri Lanka side containing Kusal Mendis in his current form, competitive was never going to be enough. Mendis’s 87 not out off 48 balls was the mirror image of Pakistan’s second-match authority — composed, punishing, utterly in control. His 98-run unbroken third-wicket stand with Kamindu (40 not out) closed the chase with 17 balls unused.

Pakistan’s bowling attack, which had Mohammed Imran among the wicketers again, could not replicate the second match’s precision. Salman Mirza went for 40 in three overs. Razaullah for 37 from 3.1. The margin of 82 runs from Tuesday had become a margin of 8 wickets by Tuesday.

 

The verdict: Farhan’s captaincy, Imran’s debut, and one persistent worry

Sahibzada Farhan was the player of the series — three consecutive half-centuries as captain, a strike rate above 165 across three matches, and the ability to anchor and accelerate depending on what the innings required. He is the most consistent white-ball performer Pakistan have produced in this format in some time, and the captaincy appears to have settled something in him rather than burdened him. That is a rare and valuable quality.

Muhammad Imran’s emergence is the genuinely exciting development of the series. In two T20I matches, he has taken five wickets at an average below 7 and an economy rate below 5. The third match’s figures were less striking but his first-over breakthrough — trapping Lahiru Udara, the man who had scored 91 in the first match — showed that his performance in the second match was not an aberration. He is a fast bowler with line, length, and the ability to move the ball at pace. Pakistan need those attributes.

Maaz Sadaqat showed in two matches and a duck that he is a match-winner when in form and a liability when not — which is true of most T20 specialists but bears watching as the format’s demands evolve.

The persistent worry, visible throughout this series despite the 2-1 scoreline, is the fragility of the batting structure below Farhan. When he and the top two are firing, Pakistan are capable of 215. When they are not, 168 with eight wickets down is the floor. In the knockout rounds of the ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka that now follows, that floor may not hold.

The series is won. The questions, as always with Pakistan, travel with them to the next venue.

 

Pakistan won the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka 2-1, with all three matches played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sahibzada Farhan was named player of the series. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England now contest an ODI tri-series beginning 18 October in Rawalpindi, with the final scheduled for 31 October at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Mixed but revealing day at LRC

By Asher Butt and Abid Sultan

 

There has been a mixed but revealing day here at the Lahore Race Club with all having tasted predicted and surprising outcomes.

Book favs hit 2 / 5

My favs hit 1 / 5

Fluke winners 1

Upset winners 2

My frame hits R1 R2 R4

Race-by-race results

Race	1st	2nd	3rd	Book fav	My fav
R1 · Maiden Div VII 900m	1Talent Again	2Mirza Prince	3Akbar Prince	Talent Again ✓	Talent Again ✓
R2 · Div VI&VII 900m	1Thunder Pride	2Zaman Sahib	3American Star	Zaman Sahib — 2nd	Dani Princess — out
R3 · Div I&II 1100m	1Rafah	2Falco	3Moni Prince	Rafah ✓	Moni Prince — 3rd
R4 · Div III&IV 1000m	1Imperius	2Safe Bet	3Be A Man	Safe Bet — 2nd	Be A Man — 3rd ✓
R5 · Div V 1000m	1Singhar	2Piyari/Dogar photo	3/4Roxy	Fakhar-e-Sardar — out	Fakhar-e-Sardar — out

Selection hit map

R1 Both favs won ✓My place 2nd ✓My fluke 3rd ✓

R2 My fav out My fluke won ✓ Book fav 2nd ✓

R3 My fav 3^rd Book fav won ✓ My fluke framed ✓

R4 My fav 3rd ✓Book fav 2^nd My place 3rd ✓

R5 Both favs out Book place 2^nd My fluke 2nd ✓

Result type

R1 Both favs won

R2 Fluke won

R3 Book fav won

R4 Upset — Imperius

R5 Upset — Singhar

— Two favourites, two upsets and a fluke, with the most notable outcome being Race 1’s clean sweep of all three positions by my selections. Here is the full verdict:

Race 1 — Division VII Maiden (900m): The day’s cleanest result and the most satisfying for the weight-based system. Talent Again (9-0) won as the agreed favourite, Mirza Prince (8-12, my place) ran second, and Akbar Prince (8-4, my fluke) completed the frame in third. All three of my selections landed in the correct positional order — a rare clean sweep at 900m in a maiden race, the division that has most consistently resisted weight logic throughout the meeting cycle. The book’s choice of Grace (7-8) as place — conceding 16 pounds to the top weight — was entirely unplaced, confirming that the 6-horse field was small enough for weight authority to assert itself clearly.

Race 2 — Division VI & VII (900m): Thunder Pride, my fluke and the book’s fluke, won outright — its second frame finish in consecutive meetings (second in Race 1 on Day 5, winner today). Zaman Sahib (book’s favourite, my fluke within my hierarchy) ran second. American Star completed the frame in third as a surprise from 7-10. My favourite Dani Princess (9-0) was entirely unplaced — the meeting’s most consistent top-weight failure at 900m continues. The result confirms that Thunder Pride is building genuine momentum and should no longer be treated as a fluke selection.

Race 3 — Division I & II (1100m): Rafah (7-12), the book’s favourite at the bottom of the weight range, won convincingly over 1100m in the senior division — beating Falco into second and my favourite Moni Prince (9-0) into third. This is now the clearest possible statement about Division I & II at LRC: the book’s form-based bottom-weight selections are winning even at 1100m in the most senior division, defeating 9-0 top-weight horses with regularity. Construct Craft (my place) was unplaced — a disappointing miss for one of the meeting’s most reliable horses. Falco running second and Moni Prince third means two of the nine runners from outside the top-weight group filled the podium.

Race 4 — Division III & IV (1000m): Imperius won under rider Abdullah Amir — a genuine upset over four joint 9-0 horses. This is the most analytically significant result of the day: four horses sharing the 9-0 ceiling — Imperius, Dar Princess, Counter Strike, Alaska — and not one of them won. Imperius, carrying 9-0, did win, but as the designated “upset” horse it appears the other three 9-0 allocations all failed. Safe Bet (book’s favourite, 8-4) ran second and Be A Man (my favourite/place, 8-10) ran third. My selections covered second and third cleanly while the book’s favourite also framed — the frame was largely correctly predicted, just not the winner within it.

Race 5 — Division V (1000m): Singhar produced the day’s final upset — beating both the agreed favourite Fakhar-e-Sardar (9-0) and the book’s fluke Dogar Choice (both my and the book’s selections) entirely out of the frame. Piyari and Dogar Choice went to a photo finish for second place — my fluke Dogar Choice framing in that photo. Roxy completed the podium. Fakhar-e-Sardar (9-0), which I backed emphatically as the banker of the closing race, was completely absent. This is a painful miss — Fakhar-e-Sardar has now failed to win in two consecutive Winter Meeting appearances despite carrying proven credentials and top weight.

Day 6 summary: The most balanced day of the meeting — Race 1 delivered the cleanest analytical result of the entire Winter cycle, while Races 2 and 5 reconfirmed that 900m and 1000m at LRC in Division V and below remain resistant to top-weight prediction regardless of how compelling the form history appears. Rafah’s 1100m win in Race 3 in Division I & II over a 9-0 horse is the Winter Meeting’s definitive statement: at LRC, form and pace win races at every distance, and the weight allocation — however commanding — is a signal of ability rather than a guarantee of conversion.