Lahore Race Club’s effort to revive the Horse Racing Sport in the country

Try not taking the breathe away from the breathe taking, horse racing sport of the country

As is the case with all the other sectors and industries, Pakistani horse racing industry has also fell victim to the prevalent economic scenario of the country that takes its roots from the political and social turmoil too. It is reflective from the fact
that the Lahore Racing Club had to cut down the number of races through the week from two to just one. Lahore stands out to be the second largest hub for equine sports after Karachi and it is putting in all the sincere efforts for the sake of giving the chance
to the sport to survive.

It is the means for earning for many such as the breeders, the trainers, the jockeys, the clubs, the stud-farms and the wagers too. However, affording the sport itself is becoming an issue due to the brutally restrictive economic conditions. As if dealing
with all the other miseries did not suffice, now there are people in the horse racing industry who are up to fraudulent activities as they are getting such horses entered in thoroughbred races that do not have the proper pedigree and thus are not entitled
to race.

Identifying a few is possible but the level at which this is being done, it is impossible to catch, correct and stop every individual. The sad part is that not only the horse but the trust with the trainer, owner and the jockey suffers and breaks away too.

A case reported was when an owner, Shabbir Ahmad with a leading and successful trainer, Rashid Latif got an imported English horse registered in the race that had an unknown mare pedigree. The owner was blacklisted by the Club and the trainer’s license was
withdrawn.

Unfortunately, from the number of horses that race each day, there is a significant amount of those that come from an unknown pedigree as compared to the thoroughbreds that are bred and trained for a specific reason and purpose. Just because the sport in
suffering through recession is no excuse for tampering with the quality of the races by inducting horses of bogus pedigree.   

It is an industry that at the end of the day will serve the interests of these very people only if they are at least fair and sincere towards it.

The event at the Lahore Race Club was equivalent to a New Year’s gift for the audience of Lahore, the event featured three and four-year-old thoroughbreds participating and turning it into a memorable spectacle by showcasing speed, strength and stamina through
the track that left the audience outrageously thrilled.

The event was worthwhile for the time, energy and money spent on it. Besides this it boosted the spirits of the trainers and owners who felt encouraged, motivated and confident upon the efforts that they had put it and inspired them for such future events
too.

For the year 2011, Syed Ismail Shah was entitled as the leading owner while M. Rafiq K was recognized as a successful trainer and Ghulam Shabbir received the credentials of being an outstanding jockey.

Two prominent names in the Pakistani horse racing are the Pagaro family and the Leghari family, the latter has not been actively involved since quite a while now. Boosting the sport will also demand efforts from the family fronts that have been into horse
racing before.

The people of our country need a breakthrough from the vicious monotony that they cannot find an outlet from. They are willing to pay for this source of entertainment thus recognizing it as an opportunity, the affiliations of the sport should put in serious
efforts for sustaining the sport.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=7858

Posted by Anita Khalid on Dec 31 2011. Filed under Editorial, Society, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry