August 25, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 22, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 24: Former champion jockey Mohammad Essa ruled the track with a scintillating performance, returning home half of the winners in a card of 10 including two cups while his contemporary M. Nasir shone with a hat-trick in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Three-year-old bay filly The Victorious avenged her Independence Day cup defeat by getting the better of favourite filly Claim To Fame by five lengths to land The Aberdonian Stakes run over seven furlongs.

The Victorious from the stables of Irfan Mehdi and trained by G. Hassan was piloted home by Essa.

Colt Discreet Cat was beaten to third place by a distance so did Dark Secret who completed the board among the four runners.

Fresh from the triumph, Essa presented owner Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara

With The Fantastic Stakes galloping favourite filly Phapha Kutni to a three lengths’ victory over bay Bharosa in the very next race.

The win enabled Phapha Kutni to make it two-in-a-row following her success in The Sanghar Cup on Aug 14.

Diamond In Dust and Desert Hawk followed the two in same order for the places.

Earlier, Nasir stormed two-year-old colt Big Bang to a facile seven lengths victory in the fourth race to land The Youngster Cup contested over the sprinting distance of four furlongs.

Nasir’s other two winners were favourite colt Remy Martin in the third and long shot Bacaradi in the fifth. The former edged past Manan Prince by one and three quarters of a length while the latter prevailed over Voo Doo Doll by three-and-a-half lengths. Colt Stryde By Stryde who was favourite in the fifth race was unfortunate as he hit the railing while negotiating the bend and settled for third.

Essa did Pir Pagara proud by presenting him three more winners — Sweetie Pie in the second, Dilruba and Sayeen Jee — in the last two races.

Jockey Shabbir galloped favourite four-year-old bay colt Die-Na-Might to an impressive victory in the opener while Chun Chun Chun won the eighth race outpacing favourites Royal Loyalty and Marista.

As far as trainers were concerned, Sher Mohammad sent out three winners followed by Taj Mohammad’s two.

Results:

THE MELA PLATE DIV IV

CLASS VII 5F:

Die-Na-Might (Syed Ismail Shah) 9-0, Ghulam Shabbir II 1; Jaguar 8-13, Pervez Ali 2; Raj Kumari 9-0 (cr8-7), Rehan Ahmed 3; Dream Prince 8-9 (cr8-2), Abdul Mutlib 4.

Won by Dist, 2 3/4L, 4L. Time: One min 6 3/5 sec. Winner trained by M. Rafik K.

THE MELA PLATE DIV III

CLASS VII 5F:

Sweetie Pie (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-12, Mohammad Essa 1; Jadu Jantar 8-8 (cr8-1), Zaheer Ahmed 2; NYX 8-5 (cr7-12), Shahzad Gul 3; Princess Rozi 9-4, Sohail Ahmed 4.

Won by 5L, 4L, Neck. Time: One min 4 2/5 sec. Winner trained by Allah Judrio.

THE MANAN PLATE CLASS VI 5F:

Remy Martin (Shahbaz Younus) 9-0, M. Nasir 1; Manan Prince 9-5, M. Yousuf 2; Closing Argument 9-3, Ghulam Shabbir II 3; Reyan The Great 8-2, Zulfiqar Ali 4.

Won by 1 3/4L, 3L, 4 3/4L. Time: One min 4 2/5 sec. Winner trained by Taj Mohammad.

THE YOUNGSTER CUP FOR TWO-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES 4F:

Big Bang (Syed Khurram Anwar Ahmed) 8-7, M. Nasir 1; Stratusfaction 8-4, Ghulam Shabbir II 2; Tulip 8-4, M. Manzoor 3; Army Of One 8-7, Latif 4.

Won by 7L, 14L, 7L. Time: 50. 3/5 sec. Winner trained by Ghulam Channa.

THE MAHAM PLATE

CLASS IV AND V DIV I AND II 5F:

Bacaradi (Shahbaz Younus) 9-4, M. Nasir 1; Voo Doo Doll 7-9, Abdul Mutlib 2; Stryde By Stryde 7-10, Ghulam Shabbir II 3; Diamond Typhoon 7-6, Tauheed Ali 4.

Won by 3 1/2L, 5L, 12L. Time: One min 5 sec. Winner trained by Taj Mohammad.

THE ABERDONIAN STAKES — A HANDICAP RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES 7F:

The Victorious (Irfan Mehdi) 8-11, Mohammad Essa 1; Claim To Fame 9-1, Ghulam Shabbir II 2; Discreet Cat 9-0, Tariq Baran 3; Dark Secret 8-9, Latif 4.

Won by 5L, Time: One min 30 sec. Winner trained by G. Hassan.

THE FANTASTIC STAKES- FOR FOUR-YEAR AND UPWARD PAK HORSES 7F:

Phapha Kutni (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 9-0, Mohammad Essa 1; Bharosa 8-12, M. Nasir 2; Diamond In Dust 7-8, Ghulam Shabbir II 3; Desert Hawk 7-7, Zaki Zakir 4.

Won by 3L, 1/2L, S. Head. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE MELA PLATE DIV V

CLASS VII 5F:

Chun Chun Chun (Beenish Hasan) 9-0 (cr8-7), Abdul Mutlib 1; Royal Loyalty 8-8, Nasim Ahmed 2; Marista 8-5, Mohammad Essa 3; Victory Prince 8-7, Arshad 4.

Won by 3/4L, 3L, 1/2L. Time: One min 7 sec. Winner trained by Abid Ali Jan.

THE MELA PLATE DIV II

CLASS VII 5F:

Dilruba (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-2, Mohammad Essa 1; Bullet Of Arab 7-12, Zaki Zakir 2; Blind Love 8-7, M. Manzoor 3; Leading Of Arab 7-10, Wasim 4.

Won by 6L, 5L, 3L. Time: One min 4 3/5 sec. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE MELA PLATE DIV I

CLASS VII 5F:

Sayeen Jee (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-0, Mohammad Essa 1; Ace Of Base 9-4, Tariq Baran 2; Arab Hi Arab 8-7 (cr8-4), Zaki Zakir 3; Listen 8-6, Asghar Ali 4.

Won by 3L, 12L, 5L. Time: One min 3 2/5 sec. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.