KARACHI, May 19: Baby Face making every post a winning one, galloped to victory in the main event at the Summer Gymkhana Meeting held on Sunday afternoon at the Karachi Racecourse.

The four-year-old bay filly having the services of jockey Ahmed once again in the saddle, presented owner Mohammad Rafiq Siddiqui, with another triumph, beating the bay filly Al Ashia by a comfortable margin of two and half lengths.

Turning for home, the two were engaged in a neck and neck duel, but Baby Face never let her large band of supporters down, pulling away to win the race with plenty to spare.

Queen Of Hearts and Ray Of Light chased the two front runners throughout the five furlong sprint.

The most disgraceful performance in the saddle was witnessed in the third event, when jockey Riaz Mohammad never allowed his mount Zabyan, to run on merit throughout the race.

Backed to the hilt for both a win and place chance by the racing fans, the rider Riaz Mohammad was on for mischief from the start, when he kept Zabyan a habitual front runner a bad fourth, behind Black Magic, Little Sunny and Wandering Eyes.

Nearing the bend, Zabyan urging to go, moved into the third spot behind Black Magic and Little Sunny, with the front runners engaged in a keen battle for supremacy.

Little Sunny smartly ridden by Abdul Jabbar took over the running from Black Magic as the runners sped for the winning post. But Riaz Mohammad still had a foul deed up his sleeve. Just 100 metres from the winning post, he pulled the reins once again and allowed Shahdad Star to pass him near the finishing line.

After the owner sent a written complaint to the Stewards that his mount was never allowed to run on merit, Riaz Mohammad was called up by the gentlemen in the glass box for an explanation and not being satisfied at all with Riaz’s fabricated story, they suspended the licence of the rider until further inquiries.

According to me this was not enough. Riaz Mohammad, a habitual offender in the saddle, should have been booted out lock, stock and barrel from the race course premises.

After all, the Stewards are trying their level best to keep this sport as clean as possible and the only way to achieve this target, such parasites as Riaz Mohammad should never be allowed to enter the premises of the racecourse ever again.

However, it will not surprise me in the least if the rider is fined and after the payment is made, Riaz Mohammad will be allowed to ride again to cause more heartache to the racing fans.

On the other side of the picture, Abdul Jabbar the rider astride the winner Little Sunny, was thrilled with his victory, registering a winner after nearly one and half years in the doldrums.

The opening race was won by the favourite Shining Rock ridden by Najam Iqbal, collaring front runner Abr-e-Noor half a furlong from the winning post.

The next event was bagged by Syed Ali Gouhar’s Shah bay Royal Wisdom partnered by riding boy Naveed, sprinting to victory ahead of Much Better, Law Of Nature and Prism Of Life.

Wonder Thunder finally made amends for his last failures, winning the fourth race from Great Bakht trying runaway tactics. Piloted by Ashiq Ali, the bay colt never gave the supporters any hiccups, winning the race comfortably by two and half lengths. Jadeem finished third in the far distance, while My Time, trailing the field for most part of the race improved tremendously in the straight to complete the frame.

The most thrilling race of the afternoon was witnessed in the fifth, when the thoroughbred bay horse Laurel with M. Nasir aboard, lowered the colours of many notable runners in this race.

Ali Faisal Farooq’s bay colt Hiawatha, with a flying burst in the straight, bagged the second spot with from the grey mare Blue’s Night, leading the pack for most part of the race. The raging favourite Donatello, came through a very bad fourth.

Blue’s Night although finishing third in this company, proved the suspicion of many racing fans, that the mare was not allowed to run on merit last week by riding boy Khalid Nawaz.

An inquiry should be made into the matter.

On a very hot and windy afternoon, where the mercury soared to 43 degrees Celsius, many runners were withdrawn from the afternoon’s programme by their respective owners.

The next racing programme is scheduled for Sunday, May 26.

Following were the results:

MULTAN PLATE CLASS XI DIV G-IV 5F