KARACHI, Dec 7: As predicted in these columns, Shah Mardan Shah II Pir Pagaro VII’s four-year-old bay filly Love ‘U’ Lady lifted the Quaid-i-Azam Trial Cup sprinting home to victory over the gruelling distance of 10 furlongs with seasoned jockey Sher Mohammad in the saddle.

Love ‘U’ Lady beat the late appearing Wonder Thunder by one and half lengths, with Lover’s Lady grabbing the third slot from On Song on Sunday.

When the race began, The Club Champion took the early lead followed by Show Time and Lover’s Lady with Shah The Great and On Song trailing the field.

Soon Show Time took over the running with Lover’s Lady and Love ‘U’ Lady in close pursuit. Turning for home Show Time was still in front but began to run out of steam.

A furlong from the winning post Lover’s Lady hit the front chased by Love ‘U’ Lady with Wonder Thunder joining the fray, as the vast band of racing fans cheered on lustily.

As the three runners raced for the winning post, Love ‘U’ Lady got her head in front as Lover’s Lady began to tire. Wonder Thunder made a valiant effort to wrest the initiative from Love ‘U’ Lady, but it was a trifle too late.

Love ‘U’ Lady crossed the finishing line ahead of Wonder Thunder, with the stout hearted Lover’s Lady finishing third ahead of On Song.

This victory enabled Pir Pagaro to finish the afternoon’s programme with a brace of winners. His first success came in the second event, when the chestnut two-year-old colt Dil Phaink came in with a rattling burst under jockey Murad Ali to beat Al Asif, trying to make it two winners in a row, by two and half lengths. Stable companion Sure Shot was a good third in his maiden appearance shutting out fancied Hunter Valley into the fourth slot.

With these two successes, trainer Mumtaz Ali also shared in the celebrations saddling both the winners, Dil Phaink and Love ‘U’ Lady.

Not to be left behind was jockey Sher Mohammad. Earlier he rode Your Opinion to a thrilling victory in the third event after Al Jarrar, tried desperately hard to make every post a winning one.

With this thumping victory, the bay colt Your Opinion completed a hat trick of winners for owner Khalid Ali.

Trainer Iftikhar Ali who trains Your Opinion also had his say with another winner in the fifth race of the afternoon, saddling Gillespie to victory which was piloted by jockey Kashif Ali holding off the challenge of Al Chemy and Trillion Winner.

But the biggest upset of the afternoon was witnessed in the Colts & Fillies Trial Cup, when the crowd fancy Blues Traveller with Sher Mohammad in the saddle was beaten by half a length by Ashraf Kothari’s highly bred colt Keen Winner.

When the race began Jugni with Tariq Mahmood astride set a scorching pace over the seven furlong journey but was closely followed by Blues Traveller and Keen Winner. As the three raced for the winning post, the quick pace set by Jugni began to take its toll as the game chestnut filly began to tire. Blues Traveller shot into the lead and just when it seemed that Ali Faisal Farooq’s cherished dream of winning the cup was coming true, Keen Winner in a final surge, urged on by jockey Ghulam Shabbir II, caught up with Blues Traveller and beat the bay colt by half a length. Jugni was third and Visitor came fourth in which only seven runners contested. The first race of the afternoon was won by Nawab ridden by jockey M. Rehman, beating the late appearing Snake River by two lengths. The most applauded winner however, came in the concluding event, when Rahat Sultan’s bay horse Khas Ul Khas won a pillar to post victory over the six furlong journey with M. Nasir in the saddle.

The winner was followed home by Edging Ahead and Dur-e-Yamen with Donatello completing the frame. But the biggest surprise in this race was the running of Don’t Panic, on course for a grand treble for the Pagaro stables. Instead the dark bay filly finished off the board and raised many eyebrows, after Murad Ali replaced the tired Sher Mohammad in the saddle.

The next race meeting is scheduled for Wednesday Dec 10.

Following are the results:

GOLDEN PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-I 5F