October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, Oct 6: The fashionably bred chestnut filly Sweet Touch, after two miserable failures on the trot, finally proved her class, by registering her first victory for new owner S. Ehtisham H. Rizvi, in the main event of the Summer Gymkhana Race Meeting held on Sunday at the Karachi Racecourse.

Contesting in a field of only seven runners, after stable companion Steal The Show and Monstro were withdrawn from the race, Sweet Touch silenced her critics by beating Al Ashia, on the hat-trick trail, by one and half lengths after lying third at the bend.

The chestnut ridden by former champion rider Shafi Mohammad never let her vast band of supporters down, overtaking her half sister 100 yards from the winning post.

However, the most impressive winner on the afternoon’s programme was Shab-e-Noor, a bay filly from Taj Mohammad’s stables, scorching the turf over five furlongs in a smart time of one minute 3 3/5 seconds, with plenty to spare. The winner piloted home by jockey M. Nasir, beat Ali Faisal Farooq’s filly X’Tasy by four lengths, with Welcome Shahtab home third, ahead of the favourite chestnut colt Sarazen.

Although plenty of upsets were in store, racing was of the highest level. Of course the Stewards were at the fore, changing several riders in some events, when they felt something was amiss.

In the opener, Black Gift partnered by Nisar Ahmed, beat her nearest rival Super Boy by a street.

The first upset of the afternoon occurred in the next race, when Raysham with Muzaffar Hussain in the saddle, beat the favourite Superb Star. Hogen backed for a song for a place chance went lame and finished off the board.

M. Yaqoob Butt’s dark bay filly Black Magic, won the third event by a comfortable margin of five and half lengths from High Speed, after Khalid Nawaz replaced Najam Iqbal in the saddle at the starting gate.

The next race of the afternoon was picked up by the Lahore entry Rocket Fuel beating the bay gelding Black Door Man in the very last stride, with the racing fans roaring on their approval.

The biggest upset of the afternoon came however in the sixth event when outsider Guarantee ridden by riding boy M. Wasim, lowered the colours Ever Shine, stable companion Shama and the favourite Brave Shah.

The next race programme is scheduled for Oct. 13.

Following were the results:

OCTOBER PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-IV & V 5F

Black Gift (Mr. Akber Ali Qureshi) 8-3 Nisar Ahmed 1, Super Boy 8-1 Asif 2, The Messenger 7-10 Zubair Ahmed 3, My Baboo 9-5 Nazal Hussain 4.

Won by Dist., Neck, 1/2L. Time 1 min 10 1/5 sec. Winner trained by Mansoor Alam.

OCTOBER PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-III 5F

Raysham (Mr. Abdul Hameed) 8-12 Muzaffar Hussain 1, Superb Star 8-11 M. Bashir 2, Reasonable 7-13 M. Wasim 3, Do It 8-11 M. Kashif 4.

Won by 3L, 3L, 3/4L, 1 7 3/5 sec. Winner trained by Owner.