KARACHI: Favourite Saphire, an unknown pedigree bay colt, lifted The Independence Day Cup as all but one outsider swept the six-race card in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Thursday.

On the whole, the day belonged to turf accountants as the race-goers suffered heavily on a day of upsets.

Saphire was the lone public fancy horse, who obliged all and sundry, by galloping to a facile seven-length victory to make it three triumphs on the trot. The victorious colt got the better of colt Touching Star in a start-to-finish bid.

He was ridden home by seasoned rider Mohammad Essa who had also piloted the horse to victory in his last two outings.

Bay horse Janab Sahab settled for third place two lengths behind while National Queen completed the frame finishing

further 14 lengths away among seven starters.

Winning owner Zaid Rahim received the glittering cup from Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani, in the paddock soon after the race.

The horse was trained by Sher Mohammad.

Favourite Fly Free bit the dust as colt Star Gold went past Meri Sahiba by a length-and-a-half to claim the opener with rider M. Sajjad astride.

The former had to be content with third place.

Sajjad went on to complete a double when he powered long shot filly Wait A Minute to five lengths victory over favourite Current Account in the next race.

Another outsider colt The King’s Best defeated the fancied co-favourite pair of First Night and Simple Lady to pick up spoils in the third race.

The King’s Best prevailed over First Night by seven lengths to win the honours.

Colt Sher Dil brought an element of surprise while upsetting the fancied pair of The Destroyer and Happy Lady for the honours in fourth race while chestnut horse Gold Horse followed the suit while imposing to three lengths victory over filly Dancing Queen as favourite Amazing Power finished third.

President of the KRC, Syed Sadruddin Shah, who is also Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, KRC chairman Faisal Farooq and Dr Farhan Essa were prominent among others who witnessed the day’s action.

Results: THE AZADI PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII-UK 5 F:

Star Gold (M. Shakeel) 8-1, M. Sajjad 1; Meri Sahiba 8-7, Mohammad Essa 2; Fly Free 9-2, Mohammad Naeem 3; Vieto Power 9-3, Riaz Ahmed 4.

Won by 1½ L, 7½ L, 4½ L. Time: One minute 8 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mujahid Ali.

THE AZADI PLATE SCALE ORDER V, VI AND VII 5 F:

Wait A Minute (Nannad Kumar) 7-7, M. Sajjad 1; Current Account 9-4, Pervez Ali 2; Bugash Bugash 7-9 (cr7-13), Sohail Ahmed 3; Gumnam 9-0, Wasim 4.

Won by 5 L, 7 L, 2 L. Time: One minute 5 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Rafiq K.

THE AZADI PLATE SCALE ORDER IV 5 F:

The King’s Best (Syed Ismail Shah) 8-7, Ghulam Shabbir II 1; First Night 8-9, Mohammad Essa 2; Medusa 8-7 (cr8-10), M. Nasir 3; Simple Lady 8-7, Ashiq Ali 4.

Won by 7 L, 3½ L, 6 L. Time: One minute 3 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Rafiq K.

THE AZADI PLATE SCALE ORDER III 5 F:

Sher Dil (Syed Ali Gohar Shah) 8-9 (cr8-4), Abdul Hakeem 1; Happy Lady 8-13, Zubair Ahmed 2; The Destroyer 8-12, Ghulam Shabbir II 3; Jal Pari 8-13, Zaki Zakir 4.

Won by 3½ L, 5 L, 6 L. Time: One minute 5 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Manzoor Baran.

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CUP – A HANDICAP RACE FOR PAKISTANI HORSES -- 6 F:

Saphire (Zaid Rahim) 7-0, Mohammad Essa 1; Touching Star 8-11, Mohammad Naeem 2; Janab Sahab 8-13, Wasim 3; National Queen 9-9, Zubair Ahmed 4.

Won by 7 L, 2 L, 14 L. Time: One minute 16 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.

THE AZADI PLATE SCALE ORDER I AND II 5 F:

Gold Horse (M. Zaid Khan Tessori) 9-0, Zubair Ahmed 1; Dancing Queen 8-4, Pervez Ali 2; Amazing One 8-1, Mohammad Essa 3; Gold City 8-6, Ashiq Ali 4.

Won by 3 L, 2½ L, 5 L. Time: One minute 4 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohyuddin.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2014