KARACHI: Half money favourite five-year-old bay mare Sweet Victory overcame a jinx by galloping to two-and-a-half lengths victory to win The Snow Dome Cup in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

Sweet Victory was on song as she set the pace from the word go to post maiden triumph in fifth attempt of the year to open her account. It was also the days feature event top scale order I, II and III gove over five furlongs.

After being placed second twice, Sweet Victory managed to complete the board in the preceding two runs last month.

Owned by KRC Steward Irfan Mehdi and sent by trainer Yousuf S, Sweet Victory gets the better of four-year-old bay filly WhatsApp. She was efficiently ridden home by experienced rider Zaki Zakir.

Bay horse Toofan occupied third place three-and-a-half lengths behind followed by Sher Khan.

A race earlier another bay horse Skype opened his year’s account imposing to a five-and-a-half lengths win over Parac­huter.

Tip Top fell another six lengths behind to grab third place followed by Duran Duran among half-a-dozen starters.

Skype was given a perfect ride by Lahore-based Aftab Chaudhry who rode home a brace of winners.

Earlier, Chaudhry powered favourite Kahkashan to five lengths victory over Sassy Gold to present owner Ali Raza Zia with maiden winner of the year.

Sharapova and Quetta Queen followed the two in same order among eight starters. Sonia Again was withdrawan before the race.

Rank outsider three-year-old chestnut colt Give Away pulled off the only upset by getting the better of Sohrab-e-Bhakkar by three quarter-of-a-length in the second race.

Mare Pari settled third while another mare Dazzling Diva completed the frame. Odds on favourite War Drums failed to finished on the board.

Rider of Don Khalifa Ashiq Ali was suspended for two months for ‘unsatisfactory’ riding in the second race.

Meanwhile, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Saturday (March 16).—Anwar Zuberi

Results:

THE SNOW DOME PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:

Kahkashan (Mr. Ali Raza Zia) 9-0 Aftab Chaudhry 1, Sassy Gold 8-10 Nazil Hussain 2, Sharapova 8-13 Aksir A 3, Quetta Queen 9-2 Asad Aksir 4.

Won by 5 L, 3 L, 3 ½ L. Time: 0.53 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanveer Abbasi.

THE SNOW DOME PLATE SCALE ORDER IV, V, VI AND VII 4 ½ F:

Give Away (Haji Sahib Jan Barech) 8-10(cr8-13) Yousuf Ikram 1, Sohrab-e-Bhakkar 7-11 Aftab Chaudhry 2, Pari 8-4 Zohaib Qamar 3, Dazzling Diva 7-11(cr7-7) Ali Ehsan 4.

Won by ¾ L, 6 ½ L, 4 L. Time: 0.58 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Amjad Ali.

THE SNOW DOME PLATE SCALE ORDER III AND IV 4 ½ F:

Skype (Mr. Ali Raza Zia) 8-0 Aftab Chaudhry 1, Parachuter 8-4 Zaki Zakir 2, Tip Top 9-0 Zohaib Qamar 3, Duran Duran 8-0(cr8-3) Sohail Ahmed 4.

Won by 5 ½ L, 6 l, 7 ½ L. Time¨0.56 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanveer Abbasi.

THE SNOW DOME CUP SCALE ORDER I, II AND III 5 F:

Sweet Victory (Mr. Irfan Mehdi) 7-0(cr7-1) Zaki Zakir 1, WhatsApp 7-0(cr7-5) Mohammad Qais 2, Toofan 10-0 Asad Aksir 3, Sher Khan 8-0 Sohail Ahmed 4.

Won by 2 ½ L, 3 ½ L, 2 L. Time: One minute 3 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Yousuf S.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2019