KARACHI, Dec 26: The Pakistan Derby winner King Fisher, added another trophy to his vast collection, by running away with the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup contested over 12 gruelling furlongs, beating nearest rivals Shah The Great and Steal The Show by two and quarter lengths, at the Karachi Racecourse on Christmas Day.

The invader from Lahore, a four-year-old bay colt from Dexter out of Young Dancer, equalled the record of that great Stride By Stride, by winning two of Pakistan’s most prestigious races in the same year, the Pakistan Derby and the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup.

Owned by Sohrab Khan, King Fisher collaring front runner Shah The Great when heads turned for home, was splendidly ridden by jockey Salahuddin II.

For Salahuddin it was indeed a wonderful moment when he crossed the winning post ahead of the two Karachi challengers. Last year he also won this prestigious race astride Hard Press.

Picking up the Nursery Cup on the bay filly Freedom Dancer, who scored a scorching victory over Ali Faisal’s fancied bay colt Blue’s Traveller, Sohrab Khan and Salahuddin’s bid to go home with a hat trick received a setback when chestnut colt Red Ransom never even figured on the board in the 2000 Guineas of Pakistan.

When the Gold Cup race began, My Freedom partnered by M. Mazhar, took the lead, closely followed by Shah The Great. King Fisher and Steal The Show were content to stay behind with the rest of the pack in this nine horse race.

Approaching the eight furlong marker, Shah The Great took over the running followed by stable companion and gold cup trials winner Gambling Girl, King Fisher and Steal The Show. Quite surprisingly Gambling Girl ridden by Majid Khan, began pacing with her stable companion for two furlongs, which made Shah The Great exert more pressure on himself.

Turning into the straight, Shah The Great was still in the lead but running out of steam was soon overtaken by King Fisher and Steal The Show. As the three raced for the winning post, Steal The Show ridden by Shahid Rehman, was aggravated by his previous leg injury and fell back as King Fisher passed the winning post. Shah The Great making a last desperate dash, nipped Steal The Show by a short head at the post to finish second, with Karachi’s favourite horse Steal The Show limping in once again, a sad third.

The 2000 Guineas of Pakistan, the main supporting event on the afternoon’s programme was won by Messrs. Shoukat Awan & Humayun Mirza’s prized colt Raqeeb-e-Azam. Ridden by M. Nasir and trained by Taj Mohammad, Red Ransom registered his seventh victory in a row, beating former stable companion Hoor-e-Mehran by five lengths.

Nasir and Taj had another triumph for owner Shoukat Awan, when the chestnut colt Shining Steel galloped away with the J.C.P. Cup, in the second race, beating Saligna by two and half lengths.

In fact trainer Taj finished the day’s programme with a grand treble, when he saddled the bay mare Rashmee to victory, ridden by Mujahid Ali in the opener.

The fourth trophy up for grabs was the Nursery Cup contested by six highly bred two year-old colts and fillies, after Jugni was withdrawn from the race before coming under the starter’s orders.

In this race the home favourite Blue’s Traveller took a flying start over the six furlong distance but was soon engaged in a keen tussle with former stablemate King Cobra. As these two battled it out for supremacy, Freedom Dancer lying third waited patiently for the two front runners to tire themselves out.

The two front runners did tire while turning for home and Salahuddin urged his mount on. Responding magnificently, Freedom Dancer whizzed past to win the race by a healthy margin of 4 1/4 lengths from

Blue’s Traveller. King Cobra finished third in the far distance.

Fire Of Desire, made it two winners in a row for trainer Allah Judrio. Ridden by stable jockey Ghulam Shabbir II, never gave the connections any jitters, while winning the fourth race by five lengths from Lover’s Way, with the game mare Guarantee picking up the third spot.

The most impressive winner however, was M. Ateeq’s four-year-old bay colt The New Champion, leaving the rest of the field in his wake, while sprinting to victory over the six furlongs, in an amazing time of one minute 14 2/5 seconds on a heavy track with jockey Shahzad in the saddle.

The curtain was drawn on day’s racing, when Deniro partnered by Sher Mohammad, beat Aziz Love by three and a quarter lengths. Satellite Star with a tremendous burst from the outside was third, while Wonder Thunder completed the frame.

The next racing programme is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 28.

Following were the results:

SANA PLATE CLASS IX DIV G-I 6F