KARACHI: In a neck-and-neck run, chestnut mare Faster edged out mare Little Darling by short head to annex the Sun Shower cup in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Faster who was placed fourth in the last meeting on July 11, made amends to present owner Tariq Mahmood with a cup triumph. He was sent by trainer Sher Mohammad and saddled by rider Latif.

Half-a-dozen horses faced the starter after Well Wisher was scratched in the morning declaration. There was no single favourite in the race. Bay horse The Finisher finished third, beaten by a length, while another bay horse Punjabi Munda completed the frame another half length behind.

In a similar close finish, public fancy filly Jugni bit the dust after being edged out by rank outsider Wonderful Smile also by short head in the last race which was also the day’s feature event.

Wonderful Smile had finished fourth in his last three successive meetings and race goers alleged in-and-out running.

New Class and Balochistan Queen occupied the third and fourth places on board respectively among six contestants.

At the outset, co-favourite bay horse Epsom defeated mare Shabnam as he pleased by six lengths to clinch the opening race.

Another co-favourite Awaz-e-Sehar occupied third place on board and was followed by Star Queen.

Co-favourite mare Twenty Twenty galloped home by three quarters of a length over Mehbooba to win the second race as joint favourite Cracks Man had to be content with third place ahead of Easy Paisa.

Results:

THE SUN SHOWER PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII — 4 F:

Epsom (Jahangir Khan Mengal) 8-10, Mohammad Alam 1; Shabnam 9-2 (cr8-11), Adnan Khan 2; Awaz-e-Sehar 9-0 (cr8-9), Zohaib Qamar 3; Star Queen 8-7, Waheed Baran 4.

Won by 6 L, Neck, 1½ L. Time: 0.53 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Abdullah Khan.

THE SUN SHOWER PLATE SCALE ORDER V, VI & VII — 4 F:

Twenty Twenty (Zia-ur-Rehman) 7-13 (cr7-8), Kashif Arshad 1; Mehbooba 7-10, Adnan Khan 2; Cracks Man 8-6, Mohammad Qais 3; Easy Paisa 8-6, Mohammad Sajjad 4.

Won by ¾ L, 1 ¼ L, 3 L. Time: 0.52 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by owner.

THE SUN SHOWER CUP SCALE ORDER VII — 4 F:

Faster (Tariq Mahmood) 9-0, Latif 1; Little Darling 8-1 (cr8-4), Safdar Hussain 2; The Finisher 8-6, Mohammad Qais 3; Punjabi Munda 8-11, Mohammad Sajjad 4.

Won by S. Head, 1 L, ½ L. Time: 0.53 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE SUN SHOWER PLATE SCALE ORDER III, IV & V — 4 F:

Wonderful Smile (Waqar Malik and Waiz Malik) 9-4 (cr8-13), Zohaib Qamar 1; Jugni 8-8, Safdar Hussain 2; New Class 7-13, Waheed Baran 3; Balochistan Queen 8-12 (cr8-7), Adnan Khan 4.

Won by S. Head, 6 L, 1½ L. Time: 0.52 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Naseem.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2021