LAHORE:
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday attended the Pakistan Derby Race 2025 – held at the Lahore Race Club – where a horse named Sardar delivered an outstanding performance to claim victory.
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, along with a number of dignitaries, also attended the event. Zardari distributed prizes among the winners.
The four-year-old Sardar covered the 2400-meter distance in 3 minutes and 2 seconds to secure the win.
A total of 15 horses participated in the derby race, but Sardar outpaced them all to emerge victorious.
Several jockeys sustained injuries after falling during the race. The owner of the winning horse and the spectators expressed their joy over the victory.
A total prize pool of one crore rupees was allocated for the winners, adding more excitement to the competition. Throughout the day, 11 races took place at the Lahore Race Club, featuring horses aged between two and four years.
The owner of Sardar, Muhammad Ashfaq, shared that he named the horse after his late father and felt immense pride in his victory.
Meanwhile, sources dismissed media speculations, saying there was no meeting planned between President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore.
A party leader clarified that Zardari’s primary reason for visiting Lahore was to attend the Derby races, adding that the political leaders also have lives beyond their political engagements.
