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KARACHI, Dec 26: Four-year-old filly, Fantastic Face, owned by Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara, lifted the prestigious Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup in the Winter Gymkhana race meeting before a large holiday crowd at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.
Tipped in our column, the filly crossed the finishing post beating Al Faris by one length as jockey Muhammad Essa who steered her to triumph got a standing ovation. She clocked 2 min 37 1/5 seconds for the distance.
Fantastic Face was jittery in the start and trailed behind Al Faris and King Of Sanghar in the pack of eight contestants in the 12 furlongs gruelling eighth race of the programme.
However, after negotiating the band she overtook the two in the last lap to pick up the spoils. Al Faris beat King Of Sanghar by neck while Leo completed the frame. Ghazan Prince who had won the preceding Trial Cup, failed to secure even a place.
In addition to the Cup, the winner got richer by Rs.0.4m, runners up took home Rs. 0.1m while the third and fourth position holders received Rs. 45,000 and Rs. 10,000.
While lady luck smiled on Essa who returned with a brace of winners, Pir Pagara earned a lion’s share with four triumphs in a card of 10 races.
Apart from Fantastic Face, his other three winners were Al Zarrar in the third, Yes Neighbour Yes in the fifth and Bang On Tagret (Christmas Cup) in the ninth.
All the four horses were piloted home by Essa and trained by Mumtaz Ali.
Jockey Shahid Rehman who had specially come from Lahore produced his mettle by performing a splendid double. After sprinting home three-year-old filly, Victory Road, to win the 2000 Guineas Of Pakistan he rode home bay colt, Dubawi in the sixth to clinch the AKD Cup.
Both the horses are owned by M. Shahrukh and trained by S. Ehtisham.
Eight-year-old Lovely Concept, ridden by Ghulam Shabbir 11, won the opener while four-year-old bay colt, Canon Ball, held sway in the second. Six-year-old mare, Fly To The Sky, pulled off a upset to win the concluding race.
Results:
CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV V 5F
Lovely Concept (Syed Sadruddin Shah) 8-0 Ghulam Shabbir 11 1, Piyari Mehbooba 9-5(cr8-12)Zaki Zakir 2, Laurel 8-2 Abdul Aziz 3, Bank Manager 7-10 (cr7-9) M. Waseem 11 4. Won by 3L, 2 1/2L, 2 3/4L. Time: 1 min 7 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by Allah Judrio
CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV 1V 5F
Canon Ball (Syed Ali Gohar Shah) 8-8 (cr8-3) Sheraz Ahmed 1, Daruwala 7-10 (cr7-12) Muhammad Essa 2, New Ferrari 8-13 Lateef 3, Lucky Seven 8-3 (cr7-10) M. Waseem 11 4. Won by 4L, 4 1/2L, 2 1/2L. Time: 1 min 6 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by Talib Hussain
CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV 111 5F
Al Zarrar(Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-7 Muhammad Essa 1, Baba Jani 7-12 Sohail Ahmed 2, Gold Disc 8-3 M. Zeeshan 3, Tag Team 7-11 M. Waseem 11 4. Won by 1 1/2L, 4 1/2L, 5L. Time: 1 min 4 2/5 sec.
Winner trained by Mumtaz Ali
2000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN 1M
Victory Road(Mr. M. Shahrukh) 8-4 (cr8-5) Shahid Rehman 1, Air Blue 8-4 Fahim K 2, Secret Conquest 8-7 Ghulam Shabbir 11 3, Harry Potter 8-7 Arshad 4. Won by 3L, 2 1/2L, 1 1/2L. Time: 1 min 43 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham
CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV 11 6F
Yes Neighbour Yes (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-5 Muhammad Essa 1, Lucky Step 7-12 Naseem Ahmed 2, Murad King 8-10 Aamir Pervaiz 3, Yes Naeem 8-7 Fahim K 4. Won by 9L, 2 1/2L, 3/4L. Time: 1 min 16 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by Mumtaz Ali
AKD NURSERY CUP 6F
Dubawi (Mr. M. Shahrukh) 8-4 (cr8-5) Shahid Rehman 1, Safari Queen 9-1 Abdul Aziz 2, Sher-e-Gujrat 9-4 M. Hanif 3, Conquest To Conqueror 8-4 Aamir Pervaiz 4. Won by 1L, 4 1/2L, 1L. Time: 1 min 16 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham
CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV 1 6F
Scarface (Syed Hashim Abbas) 8-10 Asghar Ali 1, Silver City 8-9 (cr8-6) Waheed Baran 2, Jawan Bakht 8-12 M. Hanif 3, Sweet Grandy 8-5 Ashraf Kamal 4. Won by 1 1/2L, 1 3/4L, 9 1/2L. Time: 1 min 18 sec.
Winner trained by Amjad Ali
QUAID-I-AZAM GOLD CUP 12F
Fantastic Face (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 7-13 Muhammad Essa 1, Al Faris 7-11 Abdul Aziz 2, King Of Sanghar 8-2 Arshad 3, Leo 8-6 Shahid Manan 4. Won by 1L, Neck, 5 1/2L. Time: 2 min 37 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by Mumtaz Ali
CHRISTMAS CUP 6F
Bang On Target (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-8 Muhammad Essa 1, Silent Angel 7-10 Abdul Aziz 2, Dragun Heart 7-10 Fahim K 3, Arab Hi Arab 9-7 M. Yousuf 4. Won by 5L, S. Head, 3/4L. Time: 1 min 16 sec.
Winner trained by Mumtaz Ali
CHRISTMAS PLATE 6F
Fly To The Sky (Mr. Rehaab Ateeq) 8-6 Fahim K 1, Sharp Cat 8-8 Shahid Manan 2, Arabian Queen 7-12 M. Zeeshan 3, Countess Mah Again 9-3 M. Kashif 4. Won by 2L, 3L, 1/2L. Time: 1 min 17 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by Muhammad Rasheed.
