KARACHI: Taking advantage of the leap year, the Karachi Race Club (KRC) has announced to stage the Leap Year Cup which figures prominently in a five-race card that has been drawn for the winter Gymkhana race meeting at Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

The cup race which has seven acceptors has been classified under scale order IV and V and will be contested over four-and-a-half furlongs. It is the fourth race in order as well as days feature event.

A similar number of horses will vie for honours in the concluding and supporting event, scale order V, VI and VII over four-and-a-half furlongs.

Besides the cup, the KRC has named the remaining four plates after leap year.

The first three races that are of lower classifications will be run over four furlongs and have a field of seven horses apiece.

Meanwhile, a quartet of horses — Star-e-Sehar, Storm Fire, Kamyaab, Noor-e-Sehar — will make their debut at the course on Saturday.

The KRC has slightly changed schedule of back-to-back meetings in view of the Pakistan Derby which is being held at Lahore on March eight (Sunday).

According to an announcement, the next meeting at the KRC will be held on March five (Thursday).

The first race starts at 3pm.

Following is the field and selection:

THE LEAP YEAR PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII (MAIDEN) 4 F:

Star-e-Sehar 9-0, Storm Fire 9-0, Velocity 8-6, Who Is Next 8-6, Sana Choice 7-12, Usman Chandiwala 7-12, Fakhr-e-Kasur 7-10.

Win: Sana Choice.

Place: Fakhr-e-Kasur.

THE LEAP YEAR PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:

Kamyaab 9-0, Noor-e-Sehar 9-0, Secret Of Life 8-10, Hawwaam 8-10, Wifi 8-7, Mera Dost 8-6, Tahzeeb 8-4.

Win: Hawwaam.

Place: Secret Of Life.

THE LEAP YEAR PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:

Fast Catcher 9-0, Darshan 8-12, Risky 8-10, No Try 8-10, Meri Chahat 8-10, Adeel Prince 8-10, Sweet Of All 8-10.

Win: Fast Ctcher.

Place: Risky.

THE LEAP YEAR CUP SCALE ORDER IV AND V 4 ½ F:

Sher Khan 9-4, Piyara Faisal 8-11, Smart Giorl 8-8, Abdullah Prince 8-6, Aya Sultan 8-4, Raven 7-10, Zorawar 7-10.

Win: Abdullah Prince.

Place: Piyara Faisal.

THE LEAP YEAR PLATE SCALE ORDER V, VI AND VII 4 ½ F:

Golra Pride 9-6, Jugni 9-2, King Of Kohistan 8-12, Starka 8-10, Lakshmi 9-8, Justify 8-3, Sanober 7-7.

Win: King Of Kohistan.

Place: Justify.

Published in Dawn, February 29th, 2020