LRC plans seven War Heroes Cups

 

Asher Butt

War Heroes Cups are set to engage equine sport lovers at Lahore Race Club on Sunday, 6th September 2026 | 7 Races | First Race 5:00 PM Distances: Races 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 over 1000m | Races 4, 5 over 1200m

 

Race 1 · 5:00 PM — Captain Kernal Sher Khan Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division VI & VII (Maiden) — 1000m

Field of 14

#	Horse	Weight
1	Fair Diamond 6	9-0
2	Golden Hawk 15	9-0
3	One Side 8	9-0
4	Talent Again 5	9-0
5	Tehran Shan 2	8-12
6	Happy Time 10	8-11
7	Al Mutrajiz 11	8-10
8	Roxy 4	8-8
9	Bella Nova 7	8-7
10	Mid Night Grace 9	8-7
11	Myuna 13	8-4
12	Grace 12	8-3
13	Raees Sahib 14	8-2
14	Chota Zaman 3	8-1

Book Fav: Tehran Shan | Book Place: Grace | Book Fluke: Chota Zaman

My Fav: Fair Diamond / Golden Hawk / One Side / Talent Again (joint top) | My Place: Tehran Shan | My Fluke: Happy Time

My reasoning: This is the largest and most complex field of the entire meeting card — fourteen horses in a maiden cup race. Four horses share the outright top weight of 9-0: Fair Diamond, Golden Hawk, One Side, and Talent Again. The book ignores all four and makes Tehran Shan (8-12) the favourite, despite it conceding 2 pounds to the joint top weights over 1000m in maiden company. The Summer Meeting's Day 10 showed that Quiz won a maiden at 7-10 — but the Day 8 card showed Messi won a maiden at 9-0. On 1000m the full distance rewards weight authority more than 900m. Among the four joint 9-0 horses, Fair Diamond is my primary favourite — the name appears first in the racecard and the handicapper's equal allocation across four horses means each carries identical confidence. One of these four will win. Tehran Shan (8-12) is the natural place at just 2 pounds below the ceiling — the book's favourite is too quality a selection to ignore entirely, and its fifth-position weight makes it a strong place. Happy Time (8-11) at sixth weight is my fluke — sitting just below the top cluster and above the mid-field, with enough of a weight advantage over the bottom half to sneak third. Grace (8-3) as the book's place is too far down the weight ladder at 11 pounds below the top for me to support on 1000m in a cup race.

 

Race 2 · 5:35 PM — Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division VI & VII — 1000m

Field of 11

#	Horse	Weight
1	Royal Stone 7	9-0
2	Largess 8	8-12
3	Tatla One 6	8-10
4	Babbar Sher 5	8-10
5	Bilal One 2	8-4
6	Ghazal 4	8-2
7	Naveed-e-Sahar 9	8+2
8	Star Crown 10	7-12
9	Packet Power 3	7-8
10	American Star 11	7-8

Book Fav: Pocket Power | Book Place: Tatla One | Book Fluke: Babbar Sher

My Fav: Royal Stone | My Place: Largess | My Fluke: Tatla One

My reasoning: This race features the clearest weight argument of the card and my sharpest divergence from the book. Royal Stone (9-0) carries the outright top weight — 2 pounds ahead of Largess, 4 ahead of Tatla One and Babbar Sher, and a full 6 pounds ahead of Pocket Power, the book's favourite at 7-8. Royal Stone is one of the most decorated horses of the entire Summer Meeting — it won Race 2 on Day 5 from 9-0 over 1000m, has been a consistent top-weight performer across multiple meetings, and the handicapper has retained its 9-0 allocation for this cup race. The book making Pocket Power (7-8) the favourite — a horse 6 pounds below the top weight over 1000m — while ignoring Royal Stone entirely is the most analytically indefensible call on the entire card. My favourite is Royal Stone with complete conviction. Largess (8-12), second highest in the field at just 2 pounds below the top, is the natural place — an eight-horse weight band from 8-0 to 9-0 gives Largess a clear structural advantage over the book's place selection Tatla One. Tatla One (8-10) drops to my fluke — joint third weight with Babbar Sher, competitive form, and proven cup racing experience. Babbar Sher (8-10) is equally credible but Tatla One's cup day consistency gives it the narrower edge in the fluke slot.

 

Race 3 · 6:10 PM — Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division V & VI — 1000m

Field of 12 (- 4 Div VI)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Sea of Class 11	9-0
2	Lucky Macs 8	9-0
3	Princess Arooj 6	9-0
4	Black Fire 2	8-12
5	Gold Nation 10	8-12
6	Sher Dil 9	8-10
7	Messi 5	8-8
8	Sky Warrior 13	8-8
9	Singhar 3	8-6
10	Zaman Sahib 12	8-2
11	Dogar Choice 7	7-13
12	Sultan Again 4	7-12

Book Fav: Sultan Again | Book Place: Black Fire | Book Fluke: Messi

My Fav: Sea of Class | My Place: Lucky Macs | My Fluke: Princess Arooj

My reasoning: The book makes Sultan Again (7-12) the favourite at the very bottom of the weight range — 16 pounds below the joint top weights of Sea of Class, Lucky Macs, and Princess Arooj (all at 9-0). This is the most dramatic form-over-weight call on the entire card. Three horses share the outright 9-0 ceiling and the book ignores all three. Sea of Class is my primary favourite — it won Race 2 on Day 10 of the Summer Meeting from the bottom weight (8-0) in what was a pace-driven result, and the handicapper has now elevated it dramatically to 9-0 for this cup, the most emphatic confidence signal of the entire meeting card. Lucky Macs (9-0) is my place — it has been one of the meeting's most consistent upper-weight performers, sharing the 9-0 allocation with Sea of Class and Princess Arooj, and has framed repeatedly when given the full 1000m. Princess Arooj (9-0) is my fluke — it won Race 1 on Day 8 as the book's fluke from 7-12, and now returns at 9-0 after that win. The weight rise is the most dramatic of any horse in this race. Sultan Again at 7-12 as the book's favourite — conceding 16 pounds to three joint top weights over 1000m — is a form call I simply cannot ratify analytically regardless of recent pace or gate speed.

 

Race 4 · 6:45 PM — Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division IV — 1200m

Field of 5 (+ 4 supplementaries)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Sardar Bey 5	8-8
2	Queen of Pharaoh 3	8-4
3	Green Card 4	8-2
4	Sher Khan 6	8-2
5	Public Star 2	7-12
+4	Supplementaries	—

Book Fav: Green Card | Book Place: Queen of Pharaoh | Book Fluke: Sardar Bey

My Fav: Sardar Bey | My Place: Queen of Pharaoh | My Fluke: Green Card

My reasoning: Sardar Bey (8-8) carries the outright top weight in this five-runner Division IV cup over the extended 1200m distance — the longest race on the card. At 1200m, weight authority becomes even more decisive than at 1000m: horses carrying top weight over the longer trip have a structural advantage that compounds as the race unfolds. The book makes Green Card (8-2) the favourite while designating Sardar Bey the fluke — a 6-pound concession to the top weight over 1200m is a significant structural disadvantage. My favourite is Sardar Bey. Queen of Pharaoh (8-4) at second weight is my place — the book agrees here and the weight profile supports a frame finish. Green Card (8-2) drops to my fluke — the book's form confidence is valid but the weight logic at 1200m places it below the top two. The four supplementaries are unknown quantities that could reshape this entirely — if any of them carry significant weight, the analysis will need to be revisited at declaration time.

 

Race 5 · 7:20 PM — Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VI Division I & II — 1200m

Field of 7 (+ 2 supplementaries)

#	Horse	Weight
1	Pakiza 4	9-0
2	Bella Two 3	8-6
3	Alaska (X Sarkar Raj) 6	8-4
4	Classic Mystery 5	8-4
5	First Love 8	8-2
6	Zohan The Thunder 6	8-0
7	Dawood Prince 2	8-0
+2	Supplementaries	—

Book Fav: Pakiza | Book Place: Dawood Prince | Book Fluke: Classic Mystery

My Fav: Pakiza | My Place: Bella Two | My Fluke: Classic Mystery

My reasoning: Full agreement on the favourite. Pakiza (9-0) carries the outright top weight — 8 pounds ahead of Bella Two and 12 clear of the book's place selection Dawood Prince (8-0). This is a Class VI race over 1200m — the highest class and longest distance pairing on the card, where weight authority is most pronounced. Pakiza won the Independence Day Cup on Day 8, ran third in the August Cup, and has been one of the most consistent performers across the senior divisions throughout the Summer Meeting. At 9-0 in Class VI over 1200m, Pakiza is the banker of the card and my favourite without reservation. The divergence is in the place: the book selects Dawood Prince (8-0) — winner of the Gujrat Cup match race on Day 4 and a proven distance performer — but at 12 pounds below Pakiza over 1200m, the weight gap is too wide for me to place it second. Bella Two (8-6) at second highest weight in the field is my natural place selection. Classic Mystery (8-4) is my fluke — it has won two cup races at this meeting from fluke positions and carries proven championship form. The book rightly identifies it as a fluke contender; I agree. Dawood Prince at 8-0 is the most dangerous supplementary threat but the weight concession is severe.

 

Race 6 · 7:55 PM — Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division II & III — 1000m

Field of 7

#	Horse	Weight
1	Saltanat 8	9-0
2	Shair-e-Niaz Baig 7	9-0
3	Falco 4	8-10
4	Bellatrix 3	8-10
5	Moni Ka Arman 6	8-8
6	Paddington 5	8-0
7	Construct Craft 2	7-12

Book Fav: Bellatrix | Book Place: Construct Craft | Book Fluke: Falco

My Fav: Saltanat | My Place: Shair-e-Niaz Baig | My Fluke: Bellatrix

My reasoning: The book ignores both joint top-weight horses and builds its selections entirely from the 8-10 weight band downward — I cannot follow that logic on a 1000m cup race in Division II & III. Saltanat (9-0) and Shair-e-Niaz Baig (9-0) share the outright top weight — both 4 pounds ahead of the book's favourite Bellatrix and fluke Falco (both at 8-10). Saltanat is my primary favourite — a new name at the 9-0 ceiling in Division II & III is a significant handicapper statement. Shair-e-Niaz Baig (9-0) sharing the top weight is my place — two joint top-weight horses in a seven-runner field means one of them should win and one should place. Bellatrix (8-10) drops to my fluke — it won Race 4 on the August Cup card and has been the most consistent frame finisher of the Division IV & V campaign. The book's confidence in it is entirely understandable from a form perspective, and at 8-10 it remains a serious threat. Construct Craft (7-12) as the book's place — 16 pounds below the joint top weights over 1000m in the senior division — is too extreme a weight concession for me to support.

 

Race 7 · 8:30 PM — Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup Class VII Division III, IV & V — 1000m

Field of 6

#	Horse	Weight
1	Safe Bet 3	9-2
2	Be A Man 6	9-2
3	Emerging Star 2	8-6
4	Best Call 4	8-2
5	Haseeb Thunder 5	7-10
6	Piyari 7	7-10

Book Fav: Be A Man | Book Place: Piyari | Book Fluke: Haseeb Thunder

My Fav: Safe Bet | My Place: Be A Man | My Fluke: Emerging Star

My reasoning: Safe Bet and Be A Man share the joint top weight of 9-2 — the highest allocation on the entire War Heroes Cup card. The book separates them by making Be A Man the favourite, and I make the opposite call. Safe Bet (9-2) won Race 5 on Day 5 at 8-10 and has now been elevated to 9-2 — the largest weight rise for any horse on this card and a statement of absolute confidence by the handicapper. Be A Man (9-2) has been one of the meeting's most competitive horses but has consistently finished second or third rather than winning outright — it won Race 4 on Day 7 but has also slipped to third multiple times since. Safe Bet's winning record at an elevated weight makes it my primary favourite. Be A Man (9-2) at joint top weight remains my place — the book's confidence is entirely justified and it will very likely frame. Emerging Star (8-6) is my fluke — it has carried 9-0 through much of this meeting and a reduction to 8-6 in a mixed Division III/IV/V race makes it a legitimate pace threat. Piyari (7-10) as the book's place at 16 pounds below the joint top weights over 1000m is the weakest book selection of the closing race.