KARACHI: Rider Waheed Baran piloted home a brace of winners to dominate a five-race card in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

Baran first guided favourite unknown pedigree bay filly Shandar Love home by a length-and-a-quarter to claim the opener and then partnered second favourite colt Star Gold to two lengths victory in the next to complete a quick double.

This was Shandar Love’s second straight triumph of the year by prevailing over filly Fly Free who finished four lengths ahead of mare Beautiful Rose as filly Sonia Again completed the frame among seven starters.

However, by getting the better of fancied chestnut horse Choco Bar in the second race, second favourite Star Gold opened its New Year account. Colt Silk Master finished behind by 14 lengths to seize third place while mare Money Penny finished fourth.

Another second favourite that created quite a stir was three-year-old bay filly Gamez Over who presented its owner Syed Ismail Shah a New Year surprise under rider Sohail Ahmed. The victorious filly overcome pair of favourites Honey Queen and Famous King, the latter become lame following fracture of one of his legs and finished off the board.

Tiny Terror and Meri Sahiba followed the top two in same order.

Rank outsider All The Way, a five-year-old bay horse with no form worth, surprised the pundits when he canters home by three-and-a-half lengths over fancied colt Karobar in the fourth race. Ridden by Zaki Zakir, the winning horse was trained by champion trainer Mohyuddin.

Five-year-old chestnut horse Gold City atoned for its last loss by imposing to six lengths victory over dark bay horse Arkadian in the fifth and concluding race.

Results:

THE JANUARY PLATE SCALE ORDER VII 5 F:

Shandar Love (Jahangir Khan Mengal) 8-9, Waheed Baran 1; Fly Free 8-10 (cr8-8), Ghous Bux 2; Beautiful Rose 9-0, Mohammad Essa 3; Sonia Again 8-13, M. Amjad 4. Won by 1¼ L, 4 L, Head. Time: One minute 8 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Pervaiz.

THE JANUARY PLATE SCALE ORDER V AND VI 5 F:

Star Gold (M. Shakeel) 7-10 (cr8-2), Waheed Baran 1; Choco Bar 7-9 (cr7-13), Sohail Ahmed 2; Silk Master 7-13, Zaki Zakir 3; Money Penny 9-2 (cr8-11), Ghous Bux 4. Won by 2 L, 14 L, 1½ L. Time: One minute 5 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mujahid Ali.

THE JANUARY PLATE SCALE ORDER IV 5 F:

Gamez Over (Syed Ismail Shah) 9-0, Sohail Ahmed 1; Honey Queen 8-6, Mohammad Essa 2; Tiny Terror 8-4, Nazil Hussain 3; Meri Sahiba 8-0, Waheed Baran 4. Won by 1 L, 8 L, 3½ L. Time: One minute 5 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.

THE JANUARY PLATE SCALE ORDER II AND III 5 F:

All The Way (M. Zaid Khan Tessori) 7-9, Zaki Zakir 1; Karobar 8-5 Wasim 2, National Hero 7-12 Shahzad Gul 3, Drone 8-4 Zubair Ahmed 4. Won by 3½ L, 7 L, 2½ L. Time: One minute 5 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohyuddin.

THE JANUARY PLATE SCALE ORDER I AND II 5 F:

Gold City (Haji Khuda Bux Rajar) 7-6, Mohammad Essa 1; Arkadian 8-9, Waheed Baran 2; Gold Horse 9-8, Zubair Ahmed 3; Snow Fairy 7-0, Riaz Ahmed 4. Won by 6 L, S. Head, 7 L. Time: One minute 3 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ali Gul.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2015

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