KARACHI: Second favourite bay colt Wild Fire created quite a stir on Saturday registering a fluent two-and-a-half lengths victory over favourite bay horse Geo Jalal in the December Cup of the Gymkhana meet here at the Karachi Racecourse.

Wild Fire, whose last victory came six weeks ago, was on song as he set the pace right from the word go to post an exciting victory among four contestants after a similar number of horses were scratched in the morning declaration for being unfit.

The quartet includes Jugni, Sher Garh Queen, King’s Ransom and Sugar Rush.

Filly Queen’s Retort grabbed third place falling half-a-length behind while bay horse Piyara Faisal completed the frame edged by distance.

The victorious horse who belonged to the stables of Irfan Mehdi and was sent by trainer Ghulam Shabbir II, was ably ridden home by M. Sajjad who stole the limelight with a treble.

Sajjad’s earlier victories came in the first and fourth race when he steered public fancy horses mare Sheba and colt Roderick home.

Mare Star Queen galloped to a length-and-three-quarters victory over Princess of Hope in the second race while chestnut Geo Channa won the third race when he got the better of Airborne by a length-and-a-half.

Results:

THE DECEMBER PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:

Sheba (Nazeer Ahmed) 7-11 M. Sajjad 1, Meri Chahat 9-0 Zaki Zakir 2, Race 8-2 (cr8-0) Shahzad Gul 3, Well Wisher 8-8 Shahid Ali II 4.

Won by 5 L, ¾ L, 3 L. Time: 0.53 1/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Ijaz Ahmed.

THE DECEMBER PLATE SCALE ORDER VII 4 F:

Star Queen (M. Shakeel) 8-3 Lateef 1, Princess of Hope 8-13 (cr8-6) M. Asim 2, Non Stop 8-3 (cr8-8) A. Raza 3, Sassy Gold 8-7 (cr8-4) Adnan Khan 4.

Won by 1¾ L, 2 L, 5 L. Time: 0.52 4/5 seconds.

Winner trained by M. Tufail.

THE DECEMBER PLATE SCALE ORDER VI & VII 4½ F:

Geo Channa (P.K. Ahuja) 8-6 Asad Aksir 1, Airborne 8-10 M. Manzoor 2, Faster Than You 9-0 Nazil Hussain 3, Soldier Girl 8-5 Waheed Baran 4.

Won by 1½ L, 2 L, 3 L. Time: 0.59 seconds.

Winner trained by Gh. Channa.

THE DECEMBER PLATE SCALE ORDER IV & V 4½ F:

Roderick (Jaffer Abbas Moheyuddin) 9-0 M. Sajjad 1, Take Care 8-3 Asad Aksir 2, Front Man 8-6 Shahid Ali II, Balochistan Queen 8-6 (cr7-13) M. Asim 4.

Won by 6 L, 4 L, 5 L. Time: 0.57 2/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Mohyuddin.

THE DECEMBER CUP SCALE ORDER III & IV 5 F:

Wild Fire (Irfan Mehdi) 8-0 M. Sajjad 1, Geo Jalal 8-6 Asad Aksir 2, Queen’s Retort 8-3 Safdar Hussain 3, Piyara Faisal 9-2 Shahzad Gul 4.

Won by 2½ L, ½ L, Dist. Time: One minute 2 3/5 seconds.

Winner trained by Gh. Shabbir II.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2021