KARACHI, Dec 6: No less then half a dozen favourites including five predicted by Dawn obliged punters in a card of eight races as filly Sugar Sweet earned distinction by completing double hat trick in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

Having won five races on trot, Sugar Sweet faced no difficulty in overcoming bay captain Black by nine lengths to stretch her run with ace jockey Mohammad Essa in the saddle.

They were followed by mare Afroze Jehan who finished another seven lengths away while filly Baby John completed the board by crossing the finishing post further half length behind.

The six-in-a-row success of Sugar Sweet brought joy in the camp of prominent horse racing owner Pir Pagara as rider Essa did him proud by storming successive winners. As for trainers, Allah Judrio and Sher Mohammad saddled three winners apiece.

Essa completed a double when he piloted home three-year-old chestnut colt Giranari to a facile victory to make it three-in-a-row.

Giranari, the stablemate of Sugar Sweet, get past colt Mr. Mention Not by seven lengths for the honours.

However, another prominent jockey M. Nasir won the days riding honours with a treble including two cups.

He stunned racegoers by galloping outsider three-year-old bay filly Black Velvet to victory to land The Colts and Fillies Trial Cup in a mediocre time of one minute 33 3/5 seconds. She edged another filly Claim To Fame by short head to make it two on the trot.

Favourite filly The Victorious who was struck in the starting gate failed to make up for the loss and finished third while colt Sayeen Jee completed the board among four runners.

Nasir’s second success came in the seventh race when he steered favourite eight-year-old bay Naseeb to four-and-a-half lengths victory to claim The Quaid-i-Azam Trial Cup run over 10 furlongs.

Filly Taizper had to be content with second place followed by Crown Prince and Phapha Kutni.

His third winner was colt Play Boy who made amends to win the concluding race beating colt Mushki by six lengths.

Another jockey Arshad who is lying fourth in the rider’s winning table also gave notable performance bringing a brace of winners.

He powered filly After Shock to four lengths victory to win The Saphire Stakes in the fifth race while his other winner was colt Gold Victory who beat filly Nyx by four lengths.

Seven-year-old bay Manan Prince sent shock waves by winning the opener beating The Reyan by two lengths.

After Sindh Malook was withdrawn before the race, his stablemate Fast Track was well backed in the betting ring. He led the pack of nine runners until the bend when unfortunately his nose started bleeding which forced him to surrender.

The next gymkhana race meeting will be held on Dec 14 (Sunday).

Results:

THE FANTASTIC FACE PLATE CLASS VI 6F:

Manan Prince (Mr. Dawood Ahmed) 9-3 Mumtaz Ali 1, The Reyan 9-0 Arshad 2, Blind Date 8-6 Irfan Shawani 3, Dilruba 9-0 Zaheer Ahmed 4.

Won by 2L, 11L, 13 1/4L. Time: One minute 19 seconds. Winner trained by M. Pervaiz.

THE HADAL SHAH PLATE CLASS IV AND V DIV I AND II 6F:

Sugar Sweet (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 7-10 Mohammad Essa 1, Captain Black 7-12 Ghulam Shabbir II, 2, Afroze Jehan 8-10 Waseem 3, Baby John 8-6 M. Manzoor 4.

Won by 9L, 7L, 1/2L. Time: One minute 17 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE COLTS AND FILLIES TRIAL CUP – HANDICAP RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES – 7F:

Black Velvet (Mr. Gul Mohammad Rajar) 8-11 M. Nasir 1, Claim To Fame 8-11 Ghulam Shabbir II, 2, The Victorious 8-11 Arshad 3, Sayeen Jee 9-0 Mohammad Essa 4.

Won by S. Head, 3L, 3L. Time: One minute 33 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.

THE FIRST LADY PLATE DIV III CLASS VII 5F:

Gold Victory (Mr. Irfan Mehdi)8-4 Arshad 1, Nyx 8-13 Tauheed Ali 2, Haroon Prince 9-1 M. Yousuf 3, Sonia 8-4 Tajamul Hassan 4.

Won by 4L, 1/2L, 3 1/2L. Time: One minute 7 seconds. Winner trained by G. Hassan.

THE SAPHIRE STAKES – HANDICAP RACE FOR TWO-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES 5F:

After Shock (Syed Hassan Khurram) 8-4 Arshad 1, Army Of One 8-7 Fahim K 2, Lil Kimm 8-11 Ghulam Shabbir II, 3, Shooter 8-4 Tariq Baran 4.

Won by 4L, 2L, 1/2L. Time: One minute 6 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Channa.

THE FIRST LADY PLATE DIV II CLASS VII 5F:

Giranari (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 9-0 Mohammad Essa 1, Mr. Mention Not 8-7 Pervaiz Ali 2, Chun Chun Chun 8-10 Mohammad Umer 3, Navaho’s Glory 9-2 Shahzad Gul 4.

Won by 7L, 8L, 3L. Time: One minute 4 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE QUAID-I-AZAM TRIAL CUP – HANDICAP RACE FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD AND UPWARD PAKISTANI HORSES – 10F:

Naseeb (Mr. M. R. Hussain) 10-00 M. Nasir 1, Taizper 8-5 Mohammad Essa 2, Crown Prince 7-10 Fahim K 3, Phapha Kutni 9-0 Zaheer Ahmed 4.

Won by 4 1/2L, 3 1/2L, 6L. Time: Two minute 10 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Pervaiz.

THE FIRST LADY PLATE DIV I CLASS VII 5F:

Play Boy (Mr. Ghulam Dastagir Rajar) 8-6 M. Nasir 1, Mushki 8-10 Fahim K 2, Persian Blue 8-11 Ghous Bux 3, Sona 8-7 Mohammad Essa 4.

Won by 6L, 2L, 3L. Time: One minute 5 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.