LRC marks a day of upsets with surprise wins by Melisande, Red Rock

LRC marks a day of upsets with surprise wins by Melisande, Red Rock

Asher Butt

The 32nd day of the Winter Meeting 2024-2025 at Lahore Race Club delivered a day of stunning upsets as Melisande and Red Rock defied expectations to claim the prestigious Nero's Dream Cup and Syed Wajid Ali Shah Memorial Cup respectively on Sunday.

The day was defined by surprise performances, with only one favorite, Black Fire, managing to secure victory as predicted. Underdog contenders Mafnood JR, Vartika, Qalandar, and One Man Band all produced astonishing performances to turn the form book upside down.

In the opening race of the day, The Decent Plate Class-VII Division-VI&VII, potential fluke winner Mafnood JR surged to victory, while Jhanbaz claimed a surprising second place and Thunder Prince completed the unexpected top three.

Black Fire provided the only moment of predictability in the second race, The Decent Plate Class-VII Division-V&VI, living up to its billing as favorite with a comfortable victory. However, the surprises continued with Pocket Power taking second place against expectations and Zaman Sahib finishing a surprising third.

The third race saw Vartika, who had been expected merely to place, kick clear of the field to win The Decent Plate Class-VII Division-III&IV. Shareeka surprised spectators with a second-place finish, while pre-race favorite Dubawi's Angel could only manage third.

Perhaps the most dramatic upset came in the fourth race when Qalandar emerged "out of the clouds" to claim victory in The Decent Plate Class-VII Division-III&IV (Maiden). Jupiter took a surprise second place, with Zaid Prince completing the unexpected trio in third.

The highlight Nero's Dream Cup produced another major upset as Melisende, who had been expected only to place, sizzled to victory. The fluke selection Suicide Blonde secured second position, with Swift Retort surprising in third.

In the Syed Wajid Ali Shah Memorial Cup, Red Rock, predicted only for a place, led from start to finish to secure an impressive victory. Pre-race favorite Feel My Love had to settle for second, while Sultan Prince claimed third as a fluke finisher.

The day of surprises concluded with One Man Band driving away from the field to win the finale, The Decent Plate Class-VII Division-II, much to the astonishment of spectators. Favored Public Star could only manage second place, while Black Master surprised with a third-place finish.

The day's results will have racing pundits reconsidering their assessment of form ahead of the next meeting at Lahore Race Club, as only one favorite from seven races managed to fulfill expectations on a day dominated by underdogs.