KARACHI, Dec 15: Gambling Girl partnered by M. Yousuf, ran away with the Quaid-i-Azam Trial Cup, beating the crowd fancy Steal The Show by one and half lengths, when the Winter Gymkhana Race Meeting got under way at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Owned by leading owner Syed Taufiq Kamal, the bay four-year-old filly from Cisco Well out of Madhu Bala, with a 24-pound advantage over Steal The Show, jumped out among the front runners and moving fluently over the turf, took over the lead approaching the bend with Lover’s Lady and Steal The Show in close pursuit.

Turning for home, all three runners sprinted for the winning post. In the melee, Gambling Girl near the railings bumped Lover’s Lady squeezed in between Steal The Show making his run from the outside. With the result, Lover’s Lady fell back. In the meantime, Steal The Show took over the lead one and half furlongs from the winning post.

With M. Yousuf urging his mount on, Gambling Girl in close pursuit this time interfered with the tiring Steal The Show which proved rather costly. Having a heavy impost of 10 stones on his back, the bay colt faltered and never recovered as Gambling Girl passed the winning post winning the 10 furlong journey by one and half lengths from Steal The Show. Lover’s Lady was a surprise third, with My Freedom completing the frame.

After the race was over, the prized colt Steal The Show was seen limping in the unsaddling enclosure and one hopes that the colt is fit to compete in the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup.

In the last race on the afternoon’s programme, the highly bred three-year-old bay colt Raqeeb-e-Azam completed a double hat-trick of triumphs, leaving the rest of the field cold in a seven furlong encounter.

Taking a flying start when the race began, Raqeeb-e-Azam was soon overtaken by The Speed Star and Paddock Fancy as the trio raced for the bend. But turning for home, jockey M. Nasir astride the winner calmly gave his mount a free hand, who it turn sprinted away leaving the rest of the field in his wake. Paddock Fancy was second with The Speed Star and Navaho Princess completing the frame.

The most impressive runner on the afternoon’s programme however, was Ali Faisal Farooq’s thoroughbred two-year-old bay colt Blue’s Traveller, participating in the third race.

Making his first appearance on the racing track, The Shareek - Persian Star sibling, never gave the connections any jitters, streaking to victory in the five furlong sprint in a magnificent time of one minute 3 2/5 seconds, an amazing time indeed for a two-year-old making his debut. Golden Voice was second nine and half lengths behind, with the rest of the field left far in the distance.

The opening race was picked by Delta Song with riding boy Najam Iqbal aboard, beating Mark and Silent Fire.

Sugar Daddy, having the services of jockey Shehzad in the saddle, came in with a flying burst from the outside, to register a narrow 3/4 length victory over Recent Command with the favourite Blue’s Night edging out Power Plus for the third spot.

As predicted in our column, Shah Mardan Shah II Pir Pagaro VII’s three-year-old thoroughbred filly Love U Lady ridden by Ghulam Shabbir II, won the fourth race of the afternoon. But the filly had to break into a sweat in overcoming the bay colt Donatello, who managed to get his head in front in the home stretch but soon faded away as Love U Lady changed gears.

The fifth event was won by the game five-year-old bay mare Guarantee, collaring front runner Al Jarrar while turning for home. Wonderful Peace after a dreadful start finished second, eight and half lengths behind the winner, with The Cleopatra grabbing the third berth from X’tasy.

The next race meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec 18.

Following are the results:

PAK PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-II 5F