17 April 2005	Sunday	07 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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KARACHI, April 16: The three-year-old bay colt Super Conqueror splendidly ridden by champion jockey M. Nasir lifted the PIA Boeing 777 Challenge Cup, beating front runner Makina in a photo-finish, at the Winter Gymkhana Race Meeting held on Saturday afternoon at the Karachi Racecourse.

With only five runners vying for the spoils going over the sprinting distance of six furlongs, Harry Potter hit the front followed by Makina and Tharkyee. Super Conqueror who usually loves to run in front was fourth, with City Honour bringing up the rear. Approaching the bend Makina, having the services of M. Hanif, especially flown in from Lahore, took over the running ahead of Harry Potter and Tharkyee. Turning for home, Super Conqueror moved in to the second spot and soon a neck and neck tussle with Makina ensued.

With the crowd roaring on their approval, Super Conqueror seemed to be falling behind, but jockey Nasir using his hands and heels for good measure, got his mount motivated once again and as the two runners matched each other stride for stride racing towards the finishing line, Super Conqueror in his last gasp put his head in front and won the race by a short head. Four lengths further adrift came Harry Potter and three and half lengths further down the line galloped in Tharkyee, followed by City Honour.

The first event on the afternoon’s card was won by Sardar Abdul Aziz’s chestnut horse Welcome Pachino, making it two winners in a row for jockey Tariq Baran and trainer Cajetan Colaco.

Following Welcome Pachino home were Sea Biscuit, Afzal Prince and Super Time.

Shah Mardan Shah II Pir Pagaro VII’s chestnut colt Some Time, piloted by riding boy Mohammad Essa, won the second race with ease, lowering the colours of Raaz and Azam The Great.

Savabeel, a half bred three-year-old filly owned by Murtaza Hussain sped to victory in the third race on the afternoon’s card, ending the pretensions of Leopard and Pied Paper, both backed for a song by their respective connections. In a very interesting race with the crowd roaring on their approval, Yaqoob Butt’s five-year-old bay horse Snake River came in with a thundering burst from behind to collar the early front runner Al Zarrar and then Issey Miyke, after the favourite seemed certain to pick up the spoils.

As mentioned in these columns, Safeena-e-Arab registered his hat trick of victories romping home to victory ahead of stable companions Noor-e-Arab and Bahar-e-Arab, with Sonia completing the frame. Aie Bahar a bay four-year-old filly from the Pagara stables with Sher Mohammad astride, won a very exciting encounter in the seventh event, getting the better of the much talked about thoroughbred colt from Lahore Ceanu Reeves, with Sarazan sprinting in from behind to push the dark bay filly Excalibur into the fourth spot.

Owner Murtaza Hussain had the satisfaction of sharing the afternoon’s proceedings with Shah Mardan Shah II, Pir Pagaro VII, after his three-year-old chestnut filly Fantasia with jockey Arshad in the saddle, never gave the racing fans any anxious moments, beating the chestnut colt Sharp Cat by two and half lengths, with Killer Instincts and Penny completing the frame. Our racing column was once again on top with five winners through Welcome Pachino in the opener, Super Conqueror and Safeena-e-Arab in the fifth and sixth events, Aie Bahar in the seventh and Fantasia in the concluding event.

The next race meeting is scheduled for Sunday April 24.