35th Day — Lahore Winter Meeting 2025–26

 

35th Day — Lahore Winter Meeting 2025–26

Sunday, 3rd May 2026  |  7 Races  |  All Class VII  |  

Race 1 · 6:30 PM  Class VII Div VI & VII — 1000m

Field of 12

Book FavSea Of Class

Book PlacePrincess Arooj

Book FlukeAnni Power

My FavAnni Power

My PlaceSea Of Class

My FlukeHaseeb Thrill

My reasoning

Anni Power carries 9-0 joint top weight and has been knocking on the door — it ran second on the 34th day as the book's fluke, and that near-miss deserves an upgrade to favourite this time. Sea Of Class (9-0) is the book's pick and a legitimate contender; I keep it onside as my place. Haseeb Thrill (8-9) returns and was the book's favourite last week before being upset by Self Belief — a bounce-back run is likely, making it my fluke at a workable weight.

1	Anni Power (9-0)	Book fluke / My fav
2	Sampras (8-12)
3	Chhota Multani (8-12)
4	Coach House Pari (8-9)
5	Dogar Choice (8-9)
6	Miss Coca Cola (8-9)
7	Haseeb Thrill (8-9)	My fluke
8	Bilal One (8-0)
9	Sea Of Class (8-0)	Book fav / My place
10	Silent Melody (7-12)
11	Princess Arooj (7-10)	Book place
12	Sosig Go (7-8)	−2 lead

Race 2 · 7:05 PM  Class VII Div VI — 1000m

Field of 9

Book FavZaman Sahib

Book PlaceFakhar-e-Sardar

Book FlukeZindagi

My FavFakhar-e-Sardar

My PlaceZaman Sahib

My FlukeSelf Belief

My reasoning

Fakhar-e-Sardar (8-10) carries joint top weight alongside Fakhar-e-Sardar and has shown consistent form — placed or thereabouts in recent weeks. I elevate it to favourite over the book's Zaman Sahib, which ran second two weeks running and may now be vulnerable to weight pressure. Self Belief won Race 1 on the 34th day outright and now steps into Division VI — that winning run deserves respect as my fluke, even if the book ignores it entirely.

1	Fakhar-e-Sardar (8-10)	My fav — top weight
2	King Asia (8-10)
3	Zaman Sahib (8-8)	Book fav / My place
4	Lucky Macs (8-4)
5	Zindagi (8-1)	Book fluke
6	Rashid Prince (8-0)
7	Self Belief (8-0)	My fluke — last race winner
8	Sher Dil (8-0)
9	American Star (8-0)	+4

Race 3 · 7:40 PM  Class VII Div IV & V — 1000m

Field of 9

Book FavPiyari

Book PlaceTiger of Sultan

Book FlukeAbsolutely Not

My FavZaid Prince

My PlacePiyari

My FlukeAbsolutely Not

My reasoning

Zaid Prince tops the weights at 8-10 in this nine-horse field and is completely overlooked by the book — that is where I find my favourite. Piyari, the book's pick, upset last time and is now weighted accordingly at 8-2; the handicapper has responded and I keep it as my place rather than favourite. Absolutely Not won Race 2 on the 34th day as a complete surprise — it now moves divisions and carries 8-2. An upset-winning profile in unfamiliar company makes it my fluke, a view shared by the book.

1	Zaid Prince (8-10)	My fav — top weight
2	Emerging Star (8-6)
3	Raja The Great (8-2)
4	Absolutely Not (8-2)	Book & My fluke
5	Piyari (8-2)	Book fav / My place
6	Ammara's Dream (8-2)
7	Tiger of Sultan (8-0)	Book place
8	Debate Princess (8-0)
9	Fayyum (7-13)

Race 4 · 8:15 PM  Class VII Div I & II — 1000m

Field of 7

Book FavNew York City

Book PlaceGolden Heart

Book FlukeTomorrowland

My FavLuna Afzaal

My PlaceNew York City

My FlukeHaseeb Gladiator

My reasoning

Luna Afzaal (9-0) is the top weight in a seven-horse field at the highest division on show today — that is a significant allocation and the book completely ignores it. My favourite. New York City is the book's pick and ran a solid race previously; I keep it as place. Haseeb Gladiator won Race 5 last week outright from the fluke position — it steps into a stronger division but that winning confidence should carry over, and at 8-4 it is not overburdened. My fluke over Tomorrowland.

1	Luna Afzaal (9-0)	My fav — top weight
2	Wynx (8-10)
3	Haseeb Gladiator (8-4)	My fluke — last race winner
4	Golden Heart (7-12)	Book place
5	Tomorrowland (7-10)	Book fluke
6	Ex Gambler KRC (8-2)
7	New York City (8-3)	Book fav / My place

Race 5 · 8:50 PM  The May Cup — Class VII Div I (3yo Term) — 1200m

Field of 6

Book FavChasing Eden

Book PlaceMayya

Book FlukeGhuroor

My FavChasing Eden

My PlaceGhuroor

My FlukeMaverick

My reasoning

Chasing Eden won the April Cup at 1200m and now returns to the exact same trip in the May Cup — full agreement with the book on the favourite. This horse has already proven it stays the distance in a term race. I swap the place and fluke: Ghuroor ran second in the April Cup behind Chasing Eden and knows how to compete at this trip; it gets the place slot over Mayya. Maverick (8-2) is an unknown quantity but small six-horse fields at 1200m have a habit of producing a shock from an unexpected source.

1	Chasing Eden (8-11)	Book & My fav
2	Mayya (9-0)	Book place — top weight
3	Ghuroor (8-2)	Book fluke / My place
4	Kamal (8-2)
5	Mister Sardar (8-2)
6	Maverick (8-2)	My fluke
7	Samara (7-13)

Race 6 · 9:25 PM  Class VI — 1000m

Field of 7

Book FavQueen Of Pharoah

Book PlacePresent Queen

Book FlukeDaaku

My FavWinx

My PlaceQueen Of Pharoah

My FlukeCrown Pharoah

My reasoning

Winx carries 9-2, the heaviest weight in this Class VI field, and is completely ignored by the book. In a seven-horse race at this level, top weight commands respect — my favourite. Queen Of Pharoah caused a massive upset on the 33rd day by winning Race 5 outright; the book now makes it favourite. I believe that run will have attracted attention from the handicapper; I keep it as place behind Winx. Crown Pharoah (8-0) ran in that same race and now meets a smaller field — an intriguing each-way fluke.

1	Winx (9-2)	My fav — top weight
2	Daaku (8-10)	Book fluke
3	Khokhar One (8-0)
4	Present Queen (7-10)	Book place
5	Crown Pharoah (8-0)	My fluke
6	Queen Of Pharoah (7-10)	Book fav / My place
7	Ameera (7-10)	−2

Race 7 · 10:00 PM  Class VII Div II & III — 1000m

Field of 11

Book FavMoni Ka Rehman

Book PlaceGul-e-Jalal

Book FlukeCinderella's Dream

My FavMoni Ka Rehman

My PlaceCasino KRC

My FlukeCinderella's Dream

My reasoning

Moni Ka Rehman (8-12) carries joint top weight with Casino KRC and is the book's favourite — full agreement. Casino KRC ran with significant credit in the previous week and carries 8-12 here in a deeper field of eleven. The book ignores it for place; I do not — Casino KRC is my place over Gul-e-Jalal. Cinderella's Dream is the book's and my shared fluke: in an eleven-horse closer to the season's end, a horse with this profile at 8-8 can easily land a late surprise.

1	Moni Ka Rehman (8-12)	Book & My fav
2	Casino KRC (8-12)	My place — joint top wt
3	Cinderella's Dream (8-8)	Book & My fluke
4	Ustrana Love (8-5)
5	Counter Strike (8-4)
6	Metro Queen (8-3)
7	Gul-e-Jalal (8-2)	Book place
8	Prince of Gujrat (8-2)
9	Chaman (8-2)
10	Little Master (8-0)
11	Haseeb Gladiator	+4

 

35th Day — Lahore Winter Meeting 2025–26 Sunday, 3rd May 2026 · Seven Races · All Class VII ·

---Race-by-Race Analysis — 35th Day

Race 1 (6:30 PM) — Class VII Div VI & VII, 1000m, 12 runners

A wide-open opener with twelve runners and a congested weight band. The book goes to Sea Of Class as favourite, but Anni Power has been the more consistent performer in recent weeks — it ran second as the book's fluke on the 34th day and that near-miss earns it an upgrade to my favourite. Sea Of Class carries 8-0 against Anni Power's 9-0, a 12-pound pull, which is telling in itself. Haseeb Thrill was the book's favourite last time and was upset; a bounce-back run here at 8-9 is likely and makes it my fluke. The book's place pick of Princess Arooj at 7-10 carries a massive concession.

Race 2 (7:05 PM) — Class VII Div VI, 1000m, 9 runners

Fakhar-e-Sardar tops the weights jointly at 8-10 and has been consistently placed in recent weeks. The book makes Zaman Sahib favourite despite Zaman Sahib having run second twice in succession — the market may be over-rewarding that consistency. I swap them: Fakhar-e-Sardar as favourite, Zaman Sahib to place. Self Belief, who upset this very field two weeks ago, now enters Division VI carrying 8-0 — a recent winner stepping up in class is always a dangerous fluke proposition.

Race 3 (7:40 PM) — Class VII Div IV & V, 1000m, 9 runners

The book makes Piyari favourite, and while Piyari won Race 2 on the 33rd day as a complete shock, the handicapper has since weighed it in at 8-2 — a response to that victory. I prefer Zaid Prince at 8-10, the top weight ignored by the book. Piyari drops to my place. Absolutely Not shares the same recent history of causing upsets and now meets this division for the first time — the book and I agree it is the fluke.

Race 4 (8:15 PM) — Class VII Div I & II, 1000m, 7 runners

Luna Afzaal carries 9-0 — top weight at the highest division on the card — and the book does not mention it at all. That is where I find my Race 4 favourite. New York City is a solid book pick and my place. The most compelling selection here is Haseeb Gladiator as fluke: it won Race 5 last week outright from exactly the fluke position, and a horse carrying that winning momentum into a new race at 8-4 deserves respect regardless of what the book says.

Race 5 (8:50 PM) — The May Cup, 1200m, 6 runners

The card's prestige event. Chasing Eden won the April Cup at this exact distance and is the standout selection — both the book and I agree without reservation. The May Cup over 1200m for three-year-olds rewards horses that have already proven their stamina, and Chasing Eden has done exactly that. My divergence is to promote Ghuroor from book fluke to my place, having run second to Chasing Eden in the April Cup. Mayya carries top weight of 9-0 as book place — a legitimate each-way candidate, but Ghuroor's proven form at this trip tips the balance.

Race 6 (9:25 PM) — Class VI, 1000m, 7 runners

The step up to Class VI brings Winx into the reckoning at 9-2, the highest weight on this race card by some margin. The book ignores it entirely in favour of Queen Of Pharoah, which caused a famous upset three weeks ago. I respect Queen Of Pharoah but make Winx my favourite — at this level, a 9-2 allocation is a strong signal. Crown Pharoah as fluke adds an intriguing family rivalry angle to the finish.

Race 7 (10:00 PM) — Class VII Div II & III, 1000m, 11 runners

A fitting finale for what will likely be the closing day of the Lahore Winter Meeting. Moni Ka Rehman is the book's and my shared favourite — joint top weight of 8-12 and the most credentialled horse in this field. Casino KRC, also carrying 8-12 and previously impressive, is my place over the book's Gul-e-Jalal. Cinderella's Dream is a shared fluke — in an eleven-horse finale, a horse at 8-8 with something to prove can easily gate-crash the frame and send the season out with a final flourish of surprise.