KARACHI, Oct 21: Lahore’s champion rider Shahid Rehman, was the toast of the racing fans over here, when he registered a splendid hat trick at the Winter Gymkhana Meeting held on Sunday at the Karachi Racecourse.

The handsome young rider had his first success in the Performance Cup, a terms race for two-year-old thoroughbred and half bred horses, when he rode M. Shafiq’s highly bred bay colt Black Ransom to victory, holding off the late challenge by Amin Farooq’s bay filly Chantilly Lace with Shehzad in the saddle.

In the very next event, Shahid displayed his riding talent by piloting the bay filly Crusade to victory, beating Gambling Girl in a photo-finish.

In fact Crusade was a beaten filly 100 yards from the winning post, when Gambling Baby smartly ridden by M. Yousuf finally got her head in front after a neck and neck encounter in the home stretch.

But Shahid refusing to give up in a hurry, got his mount back into reckoning as the two fillies passed the winning post matching each other stride for stride.

The magic eye of the camera however, awarded the race to Crusade by a short head. Both runners clocked one minute four seconds over the five furlong sprint on a very heavy course.

Then to put the icing on the cake, Shahid partnering Steal The Show, a bay colt making his appearance on the track after nearly a year, to a marvellous victory over seven furlongs, collaring the speedy Edging Ahead, a furlong from home. Gambling Princess was third with Dur-e-Yamen completing the frame.

Watching Steal The Show’s performance on Sunday, this Flaming Arrow - First Lady sibling is indeed a strong contender for the Pakistan Derby in Lahore next year.

Shahid is the only Pakistani rider to have won a race in England. In his short stay over there last year, Shahid had one winner, was placed second thrice and once fourth, in the nine outings he had.

Also joining in the celebrations with a treble apiece, was the beaming owner M. Shafiq and trainer Aurangzeb Khan.

Not to be left behind was trainer Sarwar, who had a brace of winners through Double Your Money in the opener and Golden News in the third.

Double Your Money partnered by M. Bashir, beat Shining Rock and Pride Of Performance, after the raging favourite Glamour Girl went lame approaching the bend.

Golden News was another long odds winner with Shafi Mohammad astride, holding off the late challenge by another raging favourite Feasible by a short head.

As predicted in our columns, Satellite Star with Asif Sullah aboard, won the second event as he pleased, beating nearest rival Meri Shahzadi by eight and half lengths.

The grey thoroughbred New Challenge after his disappointing performance last week under Raees Ahmed, made amends on Sunday, sprinting to victory with the same rider in the saddle. Seven and half lengths behind came My Lucky Star, trying runaway tactics, followed by Tomahawk and Welcome Shahtab.

The next race meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Oct 28.

Following were the results:

THATTA PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-IV 5F