KARACHI: Apprentice rider Mohammad Qais missed out equalling the Independence Day quadruple feat of Mohammad Sajjad when he piloted home a treble in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

Qais guided the 60 to 100 favourite unknown pedigree bay mare Zarnatta to avenge her last defeat when she beat mare Duran Duran as she pleased by 11 lengths to clinch the Starcruz Cup in style. This was also maiden triumph of Zarnatta.

It is pertinent to mention that Duran Duran had edged Zarnatta by head in the previous meeting on Aug 26.

Mare Salam Kashmir had to be content with third place beaten by length and-a-quarter while mare Afreen completed the board further edged by neck.

Bay horse Achievement was withdrawn before the race leaving seven horses in fray.

Favourites, meanwhile, bit the dust in the remaining three races as punters suffered on a day of upsets.

At the outset, outsider four-year-old bay filly My Beauty overcome the pair of favourites Sweet Lady and Don Again to clinch the opener by three-quarter-of-a-length.

Filly Popular Pride completed the board.

Another unknown chestnut horse Olympus lowered the colours of fancied Minister of Bhakkar by galloping to a length-and-a-quarter victory to annex the next race.

Both the horses belonged to the same connection and the experts the fancied horse was not on job.

Lovely Baby and Doctor followed the two in same order.

Long shot Faryad Prince overtook front runners to post a two lengths victory to clinch the last race and made it two wins on the trot.

The pair of co-favourites Bijli with Qais astride and Super Star with Sohail in the saddle, run neck-and-neck for most part of the race before they were overtaken by the fast-chasing Faryad Prince.

Super Star had to be content with the second place and was followed by Race and Bijli.

All the three horses that Qais galloped hone belonged to the stables of owner-cum-trainer Zia-ur-Rehman.

Meanwhile, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Thursday (Sept 21).

Results:

THE STARCRUZ PLATE SCALE ORDER IV AND V 5 F:

My Beauty (Mohammad Yamin) 8-7 (cr8-4), Mohammad Qais 1; Sweet Lady 9-4, Mohammad Sajjad 2; Don Again 7-8, Zaki Zakir 3; Popular Pride 8-10, Ghulam Shabbir II 4.

Won by ¾ L, 4 L, Distance. Time: One minute 4 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

THE STARCRUZ PLATE SCALE ORDER I AND II 5 F:

Olympus (Zia-ur-Rehman) 9-2, Mohammad Qais 1; Minister of Bhakkar 8-8, Waheed Baran 2; Lovely Baby 7-7, Zaki Zakir 3; Doctor 9-3, Pervez Ali 4.

Won by 1¼ L, 2½ L, 11 L. Time: One minute 3 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by owner.

THE STARCRUZ CUP SCALE ORDER VII AND VIII 4½ F:

Zarnatta (Zia-ur-Rehman) 8-2(cr7-13), Mohammad Qais 1; Duran Duran 9-0 (cr8-11) Shahzad Gul 2; Salam Kashmir 9-1, Zaki Zakir 3; Afreen 9-2, Mohammad Nasir 4.

Won by 11 L, 1¼ L, Neck. Time: 0.58 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by owner.

THE STARCRUZ PLATE SCALE ORDER VI AND VII 4½ F:

Faryad Prince (Shahzad Emanual) 8-0, Wasim 1; Super Star 8-8, Sohail Ahmed 2; Race 8-8, Waheed Baran 3; Bijli 7-13, Mohammad Qais 4.

Won by 2 L, 6 L, Head. Time: 0.58 4/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohammad Tufail.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2017