KARACHI: Karachi Race Club’s flagship event, the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup, will be most-awaited feature of Saturday’s racing programme which will see nine races contested.

A full house is expected to be in attendance to cheer up their favourite horses as the day is public holiday.

Seven horses are in contention for the glory and if recent performance is any yardstick to measure the strength, incumbent Derby winner Sahil is likely to add another feather to his cap by overcoming half-a-dozen challengers.

Sahil returned with flying colours in the Quaid-e-Azam Trial Cup by getting the better of reigning Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup champion Royal Ransom by six lengths on Dec 4.

Besides Sahil and Royal Ransom, other five horses in the fray are Shahbaz, Thunder Snow, Big Faith, Shorawak and Roderick. They all possess strength to upset the applecart.

The Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup which is a handicap race for three-year old and above thoroughbreds and half-breds will be contested over 10 furlongs and is the eighth race in racing order. Besides the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup there are four cup races namely 2000 Guineas of Pakistan, Nursery Cup, X-Mas Cup and M. Rasheed Jung Memorial Cup.

A good number of 70-odd horses will make their appearance in the day’s meeting barring last minute withdrawal(s).

The first race starts at 12noon.

Following is the field and selection:

THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER VII 4½ F: Faris 9-0, Fair Deal 9-0, Stella 9-0, Burraq 8-13, Star Queen 8-13, Princess of Hope 8-13, Soldier Star 8-10, Soldier Girl 8-10, Janan 8-10, Kiran Princess 8-10, Smiling Again 8-8, Khairpur Star 8-4.

Win: Faris. Place: Fair Deal and Smiling Again. THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER V & VI 4½ F: Front Man 9-0, New Class 9-0, Smart Girl 9-0, Debonair 8-11, Balochistan Queen 8-9, Geo Channa 8-7, Faster Than You 8-3, Galileo Lady 8-3, Victor 8-0, Gladiator One 7-13. Win: Faster Than You. Place: Gladiator One and Victor. THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER IV & V 5 F: Flame of Love 9-0, Sugar Rush 8-13, Saghir Love 8-13, Robert 8-9, Kuwait Edition 8-7, Thunder Smile 8-1. Win: Kuwait Edition. Place: Thunder Smile. M. RASHEED JUNG MEMORIAL CUP SCALE ORDER III & IV 5 F: Wild Fire 9-0, Regardless 8-13, Piyara Faisal 8-12, Geo Jalal 8-10, Jugni 8-8, Sher Garh Queen 8-8, Chile 7-12. Win: Chile. Place: Wild Fire. THE X-MAS CUP SCALE ORDER I & II ROUND BEND 6 F: Whip’m 9-6, Spirit 8-6, Gift of Gold 8-6, Churchill 8-0, G Sarkar 8-0, Princess Maria 7-11, Young Gun 7-0. Win: Churchill. Place: G Sarkar. THE NURSERY CUP – A TERM RACE FOR TWO-YEAR OLD THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED COLTS & FILLIES – ROUND BEND 6 F: American Gangster 8-11, Queen’s Pride 8-8, Queen’s Retort 8-8, Thunder Crown 8-4, Blazing Arrow 8-1. Win: Queen’s Pride. Place: American Gangster. THE 2000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN – A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR OLD THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED HORSES – 1 M: Eye of the Tiger 8-7, Fantastico 8-7, Flatterer 8-7, Warrior’s Call 8-7, Queen of Spades 8-4. Win: Warrior’s Call. Place: Fantastico. THE QUAID-E-AZAM GOLD CUP — A HANDICAP RACE FOR THREE-YEAR OLD AND ABOVE THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED HORSES – 10 F: Royal Ransom 8-8, Sahil 8-7, Shahbaz 8-2, Thunder Snow 8-2, Big Faith 7-13, Shorawak 7-11, Roderick 7-11. Win: Sahil. Place: Royal Ransom. THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F: Meri Chahat 9-3, Non Stop 9-2, Sassy Gold 9-2, Shan-e-Sikandar 8-13, Sheba 8-10, Dubai Warrior 8-10, Hello Youmzain 8-6, Well Wisher 8-4, Smart Boy 8-2, Shabnam 8-0, Zahrish 7-13.
Win: Shan-e-Sikandar. Place: Sheba and Meri Chahat.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2021