KARACHI: Outsiders earned a lion’s share in a small four-race card as seasoned rider Zaki Zakir galloped home a double in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

The upset trend continued in the first three races while the race-goers have some respite in the fourth and concluding race which was also days feature event.

Unknown pedigree bay filly Jugni G succeeded in opening her account of the season while getting the better of bay horse Follow My Shadow by a length and-a-half in the opener.

Favourite filly Pari Packer had to be content with third place three lengths away while chestnut horse Fair Play completed the frame a length and-a-quarter away.

Jugni G had two third and one fourth place besides finishing off the frame once in the previous four outings. The filly was efficiently ridden home by Zakir.

Fresh from his triumph, Zakir completed the double guiding another unknown bay filly Shandar Love to three lengths and-a-half victory by lowering the colours of fancied mare Sea Gold in the third race.

Surprise and Royal Guest followed the top two in same order among six starters.

Another long shot bay colt Fantastic Game overcame second favourite colt Phatyal by a length-and-a-quarter to pick up spoils in the second race.

Favourite Fantastic Boy seized third place beaten by neck while bay horse Business Man completed the frame finishing a further six lengths away in a field of seven horses.

Public fancy three-year-old bay filly Celebrity celebrated her triumph when she edged dark bay horse Kaliya by distance in a close finish to land the fourth race.

The Destroyer was placed third beaten by two and three quarter-of-a-length while Lava Man completed the board 11 lengths away.

Meanwhile, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Thursday.

Results:

THE KRC PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4½ F:

Jugni G (M.R. Hussain) 8-0, Zaki Zakir 1; Follow My Shadow 8-0, M. Sajjad 2; Pari Packer 9-2, Riaz Ahmed 3; Fair Play 8-4, M. Manzoor 4. Won by 1½ L, 3 L, 1¼ L. Time: One minute 0 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by S. A. Zaidi.

THE KRC PLATE SCALE ORDER VII 4½ F:

Fantastic Game (Nanad Kumar) 8-9, M. Sajjad 1; Phatyal 8-12, Pervez Ali 2; Fantastic Boy 9-0, M. Manzoor 3; Business Man 8-4, Ashiq Ali 4. Won by 1¼ L, Neck, 6 L. Time: 0.59 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.

THE KRC PLATE SCALE ORDER V AND VI 4½ F:

Shandar Love (Jahangir Khan Mengal) 7-13, Zaki Zakir 1; Sea Gold 8-7, Wasim 2; Surprise 7-12 (cr8-1), M. Manzoor 3; Royal Guest 8-4, Pervez Ali 4. Won by 3½ L, 4 L, 4 L. Time: 0.59 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Pervaiz.

THE KRC PLATE SCALE ORDER III AND IV 5 F:

Celebrity (Syed Sibghatullah Shah Pir Pagara) 9-0, Zubair Ahmed 1; Kaliya 9-1, M. Manzoor 2; The Destroyer 8-5, Wasim 3; Lava Man 8-1, Shahzad Gul 4. Won by Distance, 2¾ L, 11 L. Time: One minute 2 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohyuddin.

Published in Dawn, February 29th, 2016