KARACHI: In a late burst of speed, thoroughbred English filly So What overtook challenger and front-runner filly Tiggy Wiggy to post a magnificent victory in The Eid Millan Cup before a sizeable crowd in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Running on the heels of Tiggy Wiggy in the scale order II, III and IV combined race run over five furlongs, So What, with a win under her belt, kicked off in home stretch to win in a convincing three-length fashion besides defying the opponent to complete hat-trick.

Earlier when the betting for the cup race commenced, both So What and Tiggy Wiggy were opened 80 to 100 co-favourites.

Owned by KRC Steward Irfan Mehdi and trained by Shahid Mannan, the victorious horse was given a perfect ride by M. Manzoor, who had powered it to victory in the last outing also.

Colt Andaaz was placed third nine lengths away while filly Rainbow completed the frame further beaten by six and-a-half lengths among nine starters.

The winning owner, rider and trainer received the glittering cup from the KRC Steward Imamuddin Shouqeen, in the paddock soon after the race.

The triumph helped rider Manzoor to complete a back-to-back double as he had galloped colt Fantastic Game to two-length success over co-favourite colt King’s Hand in an earlier race.

Follow My Shadow and Sonia Again followed the top two in same order in a field of eight starters.

At the outset, public fancy bay mare Sun Shine, who is registered in Lahore, obliged punters while chalking up his maiden victory on the course here. It was her third run on the course and she put up an scintillating performance winning hand’s down by 10½ lengths over filly Lovely Baby.

Sun Shine was beaten by Loot Lo in her last outing last month.

Shadman was withdrawn before the race leaving 10 horses in fray.

Fancied three-year-old bay colt Leading Star made an impressive debut by defeating colt Popular Prince by two lengths-and-a-half to win the fourth and last race.

The pair of debutants — Leading Star and Pretty Baby — were opened co-favourites. The latter had to be content with fourth place behind third-placed filly Satisfy. Dark bay horse Kaliya was withdrawn before the race.

A minute silence was observed before the Eid Millan Cup for the legendary social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi, who died on Friday.

Results:

THE EID MILLAN PLATE SCALE ORDER VII AND VIII 4½ F:

Sun Shine (M. Iqbal) 8-0, Sohail Ahmed 1; Lovely Baby 8-12 (cr8-7), Mohammad Qais 2, Duran Duran 7-10 (cr8-0), M. Amjad 3; Khush Naseeb 7-12 (cr8-4), Abdul Hakeem 4.

Won by 10½ L, 3¾ L, 6½ L. Time: 0.58 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Abid Ali Jan.

THE EID MILLAN PLATE SCALE ORDER V, VI AND VII 4½ F:

Fantastic Game (Nand Kumar Goklani) 9-0, M. Manzoor 1; King’s Hand 9-1, M. Nasir 2; Follow My Shadow 8-6, Nazil Hussain 3; Sonia Again 9-2, Wasim 4.

Won by 2 L, 11 L, 3 L. Time: 0.59 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.

THE EID MILLAN CUP SCALE ORDER II, III AND IV 5 F:

So What (Irfan Mehdi) 7-6, M. Manzoor 1; Tiggy Wiggy 8-6, Mohammad Essa 2; Andaaz 8-2, Sohail Ahmed 3; Rainbow 9-0, M. Sajjad 4.

Won by 3 L, 9 L, 6½ L. Time: One minute 2 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Mannan.

THE EID MILLAN PLATE SCALE ORDER IV AND V 4½ F:

Leading Star (Zainab Ali and Aariz Nawaz) 8-2, Mohammad Essa 1; Popular Prince 8-4, A. Ahmed 2; Satisfy 8-5, M. Manzoor 3; Preety Baby 8-2, Sohail Ahmed 4.

Won by 2½ L, 3 L, Neck. Time: 0.58 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Sharif.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2016