KARACHI: Rank outsider bay filly Sugar Rush, who finished fourth last weekend, upset the applecart galloping to a length-and-a-half victory over bay horse Choice of the Day to lift the Monsoon Cup in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Public felt cheated as favourite filly Regardless was not on job and finished off the frame. Mare Starka fell behind eight lengths to finish third and was followed by Faster Than You further beaten by two lengths and a quarter.

Owned by M.R. Hussain and sent by S.A. Zaidi, Sugar Rush was piloted home by rider Safdar Hussain.

Co-favourite filly Amazing Lips came from behind to post two and a half lengths victory over frontrunner Jugni to clinch the next race and justify her credentials.

Mare Sher Garh Queen and chestnut horse Wonderful Smile occupied the next two places on board respectively.

Another co-favourite filly Smart Girl failed to finish on the board.

The day commenced on a happy note for the punters when favourite Easy Paisa obliged all and sundry to win the opening race.

Easy Paisa got the better of mare Sassy Gold by four and a half lengths.

Co-favourite Geo Ahsan made his mark by getting the better of Meri Chahat by three lengths in a start-to-finish bid to clinch the second race.

Results:

THE MONSOON PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII — 2½ F:

Easy Paisa (Farooq Lango) 9-4, Mohammad Sajjad 1; Sassy Gold 8-4 (cr7-13), Adnan Khan 2; Storm Fire 7-10, Riaz Ahmed 3; Shabnam 9-0, Yousuf Ikram 4.

Won by 4½ L, 3¼ L, 1 L. Time: 0.31 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ijaz Ahmed.

THE MONSOON PLATE SCALE ORDER VI & VII — 4 F:

Geo Ahsan (Haji Abdul Majeed) 8-7 (8-4), Adnan Khan 1; Meri Chahat 7-10 (cr7-7), Ali Ehsan 2; Airborne 9-0, Mohammad Sajjad 3; Awaz-e-Sehar 8-1 (cr7-12), Mohammad Ramzan 4.

Won by 3 L, 2½ L, ¾ L. Time: 0.52 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by owner.

THE MONSOON CUP SCALE ORDER IV & V — 4 F:

Sugar Rush (M.R. Hussain) 9-0, Safdar Hussain 1; Choice of The Day 8-8, Waheed Baran 2; Starka 9-0 (cr8-7), Israr Ahmed 3; Faster Than You 8-10, Mohammad Sajjad 4.

Won by 1½ L, 8 L, 2¼ L. Time: 0.51 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by S.A. Zaidi.

THE MONSOON PLATE SCALE ORDER II, III & IV — 4 F:

Amazing Lips (Waiz Malik) 9-6, Zohaib Qamar 1; Jugni 7-6, Riaz Ahmed 2; Sher Garh Queen 7-9, Mohammad Ramzan 3; Wonderful Smile 9-2, Kashif Arshad 4.

Won by 2½ L, 2½ L, 1¼ L. Time: 0.50 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2021