KARACHI, Oct 13: Crusade, a thoroughbred sibling from My Noble Lord out of Meritre, although beaten last time out by Gambling Girl in the last strides, starts off as our day’s best, when the Winter Race Meeting gets underway at the Karachi Racecourse Sunday.

Owned by M. Shafiq, the three-year-old bay filly with Lahore’s champion rider Shahid Rehman perhaps in the saddle, is contesting in the last event along with 10 other runners going over the sprinting distance of six furlongs.

Crusade should be followed home by Al Ashia and Lover’s Lady.

All in all, six events are on the racing card. The first three to be contested over five furlongs and the next three over six.

The first race begins at 2.00 p.m.

Another runner that should not lose on Sunday afternoon is Kamal Farooq’s Shab-e-Noor in the second event. The bay filly a sibling from Flaming Arrow out of Aasania, is shaping very well in the morning workouts and has indeed the speed to overcome the other 16 runners in this race going over the sprinting distance of five furlongs.

The chestnut filly Lucky One, an impressive winner under jockey Tariq Mahmood last week over Satellite Star, should provide the main opposition along with another chestnut Magyar, with the top weight Pari Pakar, Even Top, and Gambling Baby joining the fray.

The roan gelding Leo is on song for a hat trick of triumphs in the fifth event with 14 runners in contention in the fifth race. However, Abdul Raza’s speedy bay colt My Freedom will be going all out to avenge a close defeat when the two last met. On present form the third spot should go to Jeetain Gay Hum.

In the opener with a big field of 18 runners vying for the top honours, Mark, a bay four year-old colt, now with only 7-13 on his back, should win this race hands down, with Aatash Fishan and Richy Rich chasing the winner throughout the race.

The five-year-old grey New Challenge, with jockey Raees Ahmed in the saddle, won his five furlong sprint last Sunday by four lengths over Al Jarrar, but not before interfering with Joan Of Arc while turning for home.

However, New Challenge will be put to the test this time by My Lucky Star, another impressive winner last week and Be Warn, seeking to complete his hat trick of victories in the third event.

The next event should witness a very interesting race when I’m The King, Ray Of Light and Nudrat resume their old rivalry. Last week going over the same distance, I’m The King beat Ray Of Light and the favourite Nudrat by three and half lengths with plenty to spare.

Nudrat will be going all out to made amends, but the bay five-year-old horse I’m The King, although penalised this time to carry the top weight of 9-0 on his back, is still fancied in our columns to beat Nudrat and Ray Of Light at the winning post.

Following is the field and our selections:

QUETTA PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-III 5F