KARACHI: Favourite bay horse Shan-e-Kaif returned to winning ways after back-to-back failures to clinch the feature event in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

After opening his account on Aug 4, Shan-e-Kaif was among those who also ran in the Independence Day Cup and the Defence Day Cup.

Backed by connection, Shan-e-Kaif obliged all and sundry by getting the better of stable mate four-year-old bay colt Salam-e-Kaif by five lengths to clinch his second race of the season.

Lahore’s debutant mare Meri Saba settled third four lengths behind while mare Dhannak fall back two-and-a-half len­gths away to complete the frame among half-a-dozen starters.

Shan-e-Kaif was piloted home by rider Sohail Ahmed in the scale order III and IV combined race gone over four-and-a-half furlongs. Sohail had galloped the horse home two months back also.

Making amends, rank outsider dark bay horse Believe Me created quite a stir by winning the preceding supporting event scale order VI and VII run over four furlongs as favourite mare Dazzling Diva failed to find a place on board.

The eventual champion prevailed over bay horse Mamoon by a length-and-a-quarter. Mare Sanam Kaif, stable-mate of the pair of Shan-e-Kaif and Salam-e-Kaif, was placed third edged by short head with bay horse Little Rascal completing the frame beaten by one length.

At the outset, bay horse Fakhr-e-Kashmir picked up spoils in his second outing on the course defeating co-favourite chestnut horse Sarwan Rose by five lengths.

It may be mentioned that Fakhr-e-Kashmir seized third place on his debut in the Air Force Day Cup.

Murad Queen and Leading spirit followed the two in same order.

Results:

THE OCTOBER PLATE SCALE ORDER VII AND VIII 4 F:

Fakhr-e-Kashmir (Mohammad Ashraib and Hashir Abbasi) 9-1, Asad Aksir 1; Sarwan Rose 8-8, Mohammad Qais 2; Murad Queen 7-0, Ali Raza II 3; Leading Spirit 7-4, Mohammad Sajjad 4.

Won by 5 L, 10 L, 3½ L. Time: 0.55 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Tanvir Abbasi.

THE OCTOBER PLATE SCALE ORDER VI AND VII 4 F:

Believe Me (Yasmeen Azhar) 8-9, Mohammad Sajjad 1; Mamon 9-0, Zohaib Qamar 2; Sanam Kaif 8-8, Pervez Ali 3; Little Rascal 8-11, Riaz Ahmed 4.

Won by 1¼ L, S. Head, 1 L. Time: 0.53 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.

THE OCTOBER PLATE SCALE ORDER III AND IV 4½ F:

Shan-e-Kaif (Saeed Raza) 8-10, Sohail Ahmed 1; Salam-e-Kaif 8-8, Pervez Ali 2; Meri Saba 8-2, Wasim 3; Dhannak 7-6 (cr7-3), Mohammad Qais 4.

Won by 5 L, 4 L, 2½ L. Time: 0.57 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Nazir.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2018