Favourites reassert control as Pakiza steals spotlight

By Asher Butt and Abid Sultan

The second day of the Lahore Winter Meeting 2026–27 produced a sharp contrast to the opening card, as four favourites—Roxy, Singhar, Sultan Again and Bellatrix—lived up to expectations. However, the final race again reminded race followers of the unpredictability of the Lahore Race Club circuit when Pakiza emerged with a notable upset victory.

The five-race programme, held on Sunday, featured cups named in honour of Pakistan’s war heroes, including recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider. Before the meeting, Roxy, Singhar, Sultan Again and Bellatrix had been identified as leading runners in their respective events.

Roxy opens card in style

Favourite Roxy began the meeting on the right note by winning the opening Defence Day Cup in a time of 55 and 2/5 seconds.

Roxy’s victory confirmed the pre-race assessment, but the following places produced an unexpected finish. Bella Nova, who had not been regarded among the strongest place prospects, ran well to secure second position. One Side also exceeded expectations by completing the top three.

The result showed that while the favourite delivered, the supporting positions remained difficult to predict. Roxy’s success gave the day a more orderly start than the first Winter Meeting, where favourites had struggled throughout the programme.

Result: Roxy — Bella Nova — One Side

Singhar delivers under Safdar Ali

The second race, the Naik Saif Ali Janjua Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup, saw favourite Singhar produce a convincing winning performance under rider Safdar Ali.

Singhar had been among the leading selections and delivered with authority, confirming the confidence placed in the runner before the race. However, the fight for the minor positions again produced surprises.

Royal Stone, a largely overlooked entry, surged into second place, while Naveed-e-Sehar finished third. The unexpected finishing order behind Singhar emphasised that form analysis may correctly identify a winner but still struggle to predict the complete podium.

Result: Singhar — Royal Stone — Naveed-e-Sehar

Sultan Again rules third event

Favourite Sultan Again continued the trend in the third race, the Hawaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup, winning in 53 and 4/5 seconds.

The runner’s victory represented another successful favourite on the card, but Sea Of Class surprised observers by claiming second place. Princess Arooj, also not among the leading anticipated performers, finished third.

Sultan Again’s performance was especially notable for its quick time and demonstrated strong speed over the short distance. The race also confirmed a developing feature of the day: favourites were winning, but the exacta and place positions remained unpredictable.

Result: Sultan Again — Sea Of Class — Princess Arooj

Bellatrix shines in 53 seconds

The fourth event, the Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup, belonged to favourite Bellatrix, who produced one of the strongest performances of the meeting.

Bellatrix completed the race in 53 seconds, demonstrating pace and control to justify favouritism. The runner’s success further strengthened the day’s pattern, with four of the first four favourites converting their status into victories.

Behind Bellatrix, Mister Sardar surprised by finishing second, while Emerging Star took third position. The two minor-place outcomes showed that, despite the favourites’ dominance, the supporting market selections did not consistently translate into podium results.

Result: Bellatrix — Mister Sardar — Emerging Star

Pakiza produces final-race upset

The final event, the Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider Cup, broke the favourite-winning pattern when Pakiza produced an upset victory.

Pakiza completed the race in one minute and overcame fluke selection Construct Craft in the closing stages. Construct Craft fought well but had to settle for second place, while First Love and Imperius were involved in a dead heat behind the leading pair.

The final race offered an important reminder that no card can be treated as predictable simply because favourites have performed earlier. Pakiza’s victory ensured that the meeting ended with a surprise, just as the first Winter Meeting had delivered a series of shock results across all seven races. The opening meeting had seen upset winners in Midnight Grace, Ghazal, Dogar Choice and Emerging Star, showing that the Lahore Winter circuit has remained highly competitive.

Result: Pakiza — Construct Craft — First Love / Imperius (dead heat)

Results at a Glance

Race	Cup	Winner	Second	Third	Time	Assessment
1st	Defence Day Cup	Roxy	Bella Nova	One Side	55 2/5 sec	Favourite won; minor places surprised
2nd	Naik Saif Ali Janjua Shaheed NH Cup	Singhar	Royal Stone	Naveed-e-Sehar	Not stated	Favourite won; unexpected place finishers
3rd	Hawaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed NH Cup	Sultan Again	Sea Of Class	Princess Arooj	53 4/5 sec	Favourite won; surprise runners placed
4th	Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed NH Cup	Bellatrix	Mister Sardar	Emerging Star	53 sec	Favourite won; unexpected second and third
5th	Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed NH Cup	Pakiza	Construct Craft	First Love / Imperius	1 min	Upset win; dead heat for lower position

Prediction Analysis

The pre-race analysis accurately identified four winners:

• Roxy won the opening race as favourite.
• Singhar justified favouritism in the second event.
• Sultan Again delivered in the third race.
• Bellatrix completed a strong winning run in the fourth contest.

The only favourite to miss out was Rafah in the fifth race, where Pakiza emerged as the upset winner. Construct Craft, selected as the fluke entry, ran a highly creditable race to finish second and validated its status as a danger runner.

However, the results also showed that the place selections did not perform as expected. Grace, Largess, Messi, Falco and Classic Mystery failed to occupy the predicted principal positions. Instead, Bella Nova, Royal Stone, Sea Of Class, Mister Sardar, Emerging Star and First Love/Imperius emerged as the surprise performers.

What the card revealed

The meeting offered a useful lesson for racing observers. Backing a favourite to win and correctly predicting the complete finishing order are two very different challenges.

The day’s pattern was clear:

• Four favourites won, suggesting that the leading runners were well assessed in the win market.
• Place outcomes remained volatile, with several unheralded horses securing second and third positions.
• Short-distance races rewarded early speed, particularly in the victories of Roxy, Sultan Again and Bellatrix.
• The final event produced a late upset, proving that one favourite-friendly card does not remove the risk of surprise results.
• Construct Craft’s second-place finish highlighted the importance of identifying capable fluke runners in competitive fields.

The second Winter Meeting therefore offered more confidence for favourite followers than the first card, but it also confirmed that Lahore racing remains difficult to read beyond the winner. The next meeting will test whether this was the beginning of a more reliable form pattern or simply another temporary shift in an unpredictable season.