KARACHI, Sept 7: Defence Day Cup to be run over six furlongs will highlight the 24th Day of the Karachi Summer races which will be held today (Sunday) at the local race club.

A lengthy card of eight races with the fields on the bigger side will make the winner picking difficult in most of the events. The days programme will begin at 1 pm.

The main attraction of the day will be a keenly contested affair between two form horses, Sweet Touch and Navahoo Princess. Sweet Touch was beaten last time out on the Independence Day when she appeared on the track after long absence and to add to her misery, her rider, had dropped the whip in the final stretch.

She was not handled properly on that day as her rider was instructed from the stable connections to adopt run away tactics which was mind-boggling.

With full support from the stable she should end the winning sequence of Navahoo Princess who has won on the trot in her four starts as classification means something and Sweet Touch is perhaps the best three-year-old.

Besides Sweet Touch, Syed Sadruddin Shah’s two three-year-olds, Hoor-e-Mehran and Raqeeb-e-Azam who had won their maiden races on the Independence Day are engaged in the seventh and last race of the day where they should not get beaten.

Raqeeb-e-Azam, will, however, have to put up her best foot forward to beat Hiawatha who is improving with every outing and had clocked a smart time of 1 min 4-3/5 secs without being extended by anyone.

In the opener, stable mates Spring Fair and Glamour Girl are the best of the lot and can do the trick if called upon. Century, however, should be a safe place bet.

In the second race, Major Dandy, on his last week’s run should have the blessings of the stable and run away with top honours. His stable mate, Royal Beauty is the next best. Striker with a level start can upset my calculations though he has no forward run to suggest anything spectacular.

Lawrence of Arabia on his last week’s run should beat the present lot with a repeat performance. Ever green, Sher Khan should not run out of frame.

In the fourth race, Fizza who has failed in her last three outings finishing second despite carrying a heavy impost of 9-5 looks best of the lot.

The stable connections to make her win more assuring should pick a rider who can avail maximum allowance. If she is once again partnered by her regular jockey, Rasheed, the race goers will be well advised to ignore her. Little Sunny will be a safe place bet. Noor-un-Nisa and Jadeem should fight for last remunerative berth.

In the fifth race, Order of the Day, Reincarnated, Winning Streak and Mark draw the attention most.

The way Order of the Day won he should make it two in a row unless Reincarnated upsets the applecart as he has come down in quite an inferior company and may win for mere asking.

The following are the runners and our selections:

DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV G V - ABT 5F