KARACHI: Making amends of successive failures, public fancy four-year-old chestnut colt Victor galloped to a facile six-lengths victory over bay horse Black Gold to lift the Iqbal Day Cup in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

Victor and mare No Try were the favourites who obliged all and sundry as long shot pair shared the day’s honours in a four-race card.

Victor, who finished off the frame in the last outing, the Kashmir Cup on Oct 27, emerged frontrunner in the home stretch and kicked up speed to win the race hands down. His stable-mate mare Sweet Victory was placed third two lengths behind followed by bay horse Nayyab who completed the frame another four lengths away among five starters.

Owned by KRC managing committee member Irfan Mehdi and partnered by trainer Yousuf S, the victorious horse was ably ridden by rider Mohammad Manzoor.

In an earlier race, running under new name No Try, formerly Diamond Doll, was on the job and tried by the connection as she sprinted to three-and-a-half lengths over dark bay mare Paris to justify her credentials.

Dance And Dance and Fast Lady, both mares, occupied the following two places respectively on board.

Favourites bit the dust in the opening and concluding races but rider Qadeer Ahmed excelled in his cadre with a smart double.

He met with first success when second favourite dark bay horse Public Fancy defeated dark bay horse Wifi by four lengths as Rich Venute was third beaten by Neck followed by Soldier Girl. Mare Winx, who was opened favourite, finished off the frame.

Another long-shot bay horse Janbaaz overtook two front runners just before the winning post to clinch the concluding race. Janbaaz edged bay horse Sultan by short head as another bay horse and favourite Cracks Man had to be content with third place. Current Option occupied fourth place.

Earlier, the field was reduced to six horses following scratching of three horses — Turbo Jet, Lovely Baby and Shining Arrow in the morning declaration for being unfit.

Meanwhile, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Nov 17 (Sunday).

Results:

THE IQBAL DAY PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII — 4 F:

Public Fancy (Nasim) 8-13, Qadeer Ahmed 1; Wifi 7-10, Mohammad Sajjad 2; Rich Venture 8-4, Riaz Ahmed 3; Soldier Girl 9-0, Wasim 4.

Won by 4 L, Neck, 2½ L Time: 0.54 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by owner.

THE IQBAL DAY PLATE SCALE ORDER VI & VII — 4 F:

No Try (ex-Diamond Doll) (Adnan Azam Khan) 7-13, Asad Aksir 1; Paris 8-1, Ali Raza II 3; Dance And Dance 7-9, Riaz Ahmed 3; Fast Lady 8-3, Yousuf Ikram 4,

Won by 3½ L, 3 L, 5 L. Time: 0.54 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

THE IQBAL DAY CUP SCALE ORDER 1, II & III — 4½ F:

Victor (Irfan Mehdi) 7-0, Mohammad Sajjad 1; Black Gold 7-12, Asad Aksir 2; Sweet Victory 9-4, Mohammad Manzoor 3; Nayyab 10-0, Yousuf Ikram 4.

Won by 6 L, 2 L, 4 L. Time: 0.57 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Yousuf S.

THE IQBAL DAY PLATE SCALE ORDER IV, V & VI — 4½ F:

Janbaaz (ex-Native Prince) (Mohammad Waqar Malik and Mohammad Waiz Malik) 8-9, Qadeer Ahmed 1; Sultan 8-10, Riaz Ahmed 2; Cracks Man 7-10, Sohail Ahmed 3; Current Option 8-10, Wasim 4.

Won by S. Head, 1½ L, 8 L. Time: 59 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Usman Sadiq.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2019