KARACHI: Outsiders swept a small three-race card as punters suffered in the winter Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.

Five-year-old bay horse Salam-e-Kaif, who ended the year on a winning note, opened 2019 in the same vein by cruising home in the feature event, which was combined scale order I, II and III, by a length-and-a-half.

Rider Pervez Ali, who had galloped the horse to triumph in its last run on Dec 30, repeated the feat by getting the better of mare Baab-e-The Rani as favourite bay horse Ghazi Gift finished third in this the last race of the day.

Dhannak completed the frame as the field was reduced to four following withdrawal of Swarovski.

In an earlier race, unknown pedigree bay mare Duran Duran, who finished off the frame in the preceding week, created quite a stir lowering the colours of favourite Native Prince by two lengths to win the supporting event.

Tip Top seized third place beaten by three lengths and further pushed Don Khalifa by neck for fourth place among five starters.

At the outset, long shot chestnut horse I Gold overcome victory jinx by imposing to a length-and-a-quarter victory over Mehak to claim the opening race.

Two horses — Black Smoke and Fire N Furry — could not make it to the race leaving just six horses in fray.

Sonia Again and Big Boy Blue followed the two in same order on board.

Results:

THE BROAD PEAK PLATE SCALE ORDER V, VI & VII 4½ F:I Gold (Fida Hussain) 8-10 (cr8-6), Ali Raza II 1; Mehak 7-4, Mohammad Qais 2; Sonia Again 8-3, Wasim 3; Big Boy Blue 7-2, Zaki Zakir 4.Won by 1¼ L, 6 L, ¾ L. Time: One minute 0 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Hanif.THE BROAD PEAK PLATE SCALE ORDER IV & V 4½ F:Duran Duran (S.M. Wasi Zaidi) 7-13 (cr8-2), Sohail Ahmed 1; Native Prince 8-11, Mohammad Qais 2; Tip Top 9-0, Zohaib Qamar 3; Don Khalifa 8-1 (cr8-6), Nazil Hussain 4.Won by 2 L, 3 L, Neck. Time: 0.58 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mohyuddin.THE BROAD PEAK PLATE SCALE ORDER I, II & III 4½ F:Salam-e-Kaif (Saeed Raza) 8-4 (cr8-5), Pervez Ali 1; Baab-e-The Rani 7-5, Zaki Zakir 2; Ghazi Gift 8-6, Mohammad Qais 3; Dhannak 8-2, Sohail Ahmed 4.Won by 1½ L, 2 L, 8 L. Time: 0.58 seconds. Winner trained by Nazir.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2019