July 25, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 09, 1428

KARACHI, July 24: Three-year-old bay filly Fantastic Baby completed a hat-trick when she ended pretensions of co-favourite filly Friendly Fire to land The Top Most Cup 2007 in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Tuesday.

Ridden by Ghulam Shabbir II, Fantastic Baby thwarted the challenge from Friendly Fire imposing seven lengths victory to equal latter’s three wins feat.

Friendly Fire could not perform true to her potential the reason being jockey Essa handled the mount in place of champion rider M. Nasir who received fatal injuries by falling from Wardha Love Janu in the second race and rushed to hospital.

Five-year-old bay Jawan Bakht finished nine-and-a-half lengths away to secure third place while colt Khyber completed the frame.

Outsider three-year-old chestnut colt Mr. Mention Not edged past Rokara by five lengths out of a blue to claim The Jockey’s Cup 2007. He was ridden home by Mumtaz Ali.

Chestnut Big Brother who was installed favourite settled for third to be followed by King Of Mehran. It was a field day for turf accountants as four favourites, a joint favourite besides four outsiders won the races.

Experienced jockey Ghulam Shabbir II ended the day on high note with a treble. Apart from Fantastic Baby his other winners were favourites Phapha Kutni and Rolex.

The former galloped to nine lengths victory over Tharkyee in the third race while the latter coasted home by seven lengths over Thanks Naeem in the sixth.

When the betting for the sixth race started, filly Sugar Sweet from the stables of Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara was installed second favourite and subsequently backed heavily. However, shortly before race apprentice rider of Trust Again Mohammad Naeem was replaced with Essa changing the scenario which saw hue and cry by the crazy punters who felt cheated. Sugar Sweet finished off the board while Trust Again finished fourth.

Essa also came out with a brace of winners – guiding filly Love Pakistan to two-and-a-half lengths win in the opener and then piloting favourite colt Fair Diamond to facile lengths victory in the fourth race.

Earlier, odds on favourite bay colt Wardha Love Janu stumbled after negotiating the bend and turning for home as a result rider Nasir also received severe injuries. The horse was immediately destroyed. Taking advantage of the mishap, filly Gwenivare stormed to three lengths victory over Kat Mandu to claim honours. Filly Make Millions bay Daruwala picked up spoils in the last two races.

Results:

THE LIBERTY PLATE DIV III CLASS VII 5F: Love Pakistan (Mr. Sher Mohammad) 8-6 Mohammad Essa 1, On Looker 8-1(cr8-3) Mumtaz Ali 2, Smiling Face 9-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 3, Sher-e-Awan 9-0 M. Nasir 4. Won by 2 1/2L, Head, 1 1/4L. Time: One min 4 2/5 sec.

Winner trained by owner.

THE JOCILINE PLATE CLASS V DIV I AND II 6F: Gwenivare (Mr. Ghazanfar Hussain Hidayatullah) 8-8 M. Khizar 1, Kat Mandu 7-7 Ghulam Shabbir II, 2, Lady Conqueror 8-2 Dasrat 3, Sweet Smile 9-0 Mohammad Naeem 4. Won by 3L, Dist, 2 1/2L. Time: One min 20 3/5 sec.

Winner trained by Shoukat Hussain.

THE SILVER PLATE CLASS IV AND V DIV I 6F: Phapha Kutni (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 9-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Tharkyee 8-0 Lateef 2, Arab Hi Arab 7-10 Zaki Zakir 3, Savabeel 8-13 M. Amjad 4. Won by 9L, 3/4L, 9L. Time: One min 18 sec.

Winner trained by Allah Judrio.

THE HASEEN PLATE 7F: Fair Diamond (Mr. Ghulam Dastagir Rajar) 8-0 Mohammad Essa 1, King Of Sanghar 8-10 Arshad 2, Makina 8-10 Ghulam Shabbir II, 3, Sindh Malook 7-8 Sohail Ahmed 4. Won by 8L, 1 1/4L, Dist. Time: One min 29 1/5 sec.

Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.

THE TOP MOST CUP 2007 CLASS VI 6F: Fantastic Baby (M/s Tanveer Mirza/Kamal Farooq) 8-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Friendly Fire 8-0 Mohammad Essa 2, Jawan Bakht 8-13 M. Yousuf 3, Khyber 8-12 M. Khizar 4. Won by 7L, 9 1/2L, 3 1/2L. Time: One min 17 3/5 sec.

Winner trained by M. Rafiq K.

THE LIBERTY PLATE DIV I CLASS VII 5F: Rolex (Mr. Wazir Ali) 8-3 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Thanks Naeem 8-13 M. Yousuf 2, Harry Potter 8-11 Mumtaz Ali 3, Trust Again 8-3 Mohammad Essa 4. Won by 7L, 3 1/2L, 3 3/4L. Time: One min 5 2/5 sec.

Winner trained by Mansoor Alam.

THE JOCKEY’S CUP 2007 DIV II CLASS VII 5F: Mr. Mention Not (Haji Peer Bux Junejo) 8-8 Mumtaz Ali 1, Rokara 8-7 M. Yousuf 2, Big Brother 8-2 Mohammad Essa 3, King Of Mehran 9-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 4. Won by 5L, 3 1/2L, 1/2L. Time: One min 3 4/5 sec.

Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.

THE LIBERTY PLATE DIV IV CLASS VII 4 1/2F: Make Millions (Mr. Irfan Mehdi) 8-11 M. Amjad 1, Taneez 9-0(cr8-11) M. Waseem II, 2, Breaking News 8-5 Mumtaz Ali 3, Mrs. Jack 8-8 Ghulam Shabbir II, 4. Won by 3L, 2L, 1/2L. Time: One min 0 2/5 sec.

Winner trained by G. Hassan.

THE LIBERTY PLATE DIV V CLASS VII 4 1/2F: Daruwala (Mr. Mohammad Yousuf Khan) 8-9(cr8-2) M. Naeem I, Hamza Prince 7-11 M. Alam 2, Desperado 7-10 Mohammad Essa 3, Raaz 8-12(cr8-5) Faisal Ali 4. Won by 3/4L, 4L, Neck. Time: One min 2 1/5 sec. Winner trained by M. Aslam Khan.