With already two victories under his belt, Naseeb beat closest rival and last year’s Derby winner Gold Krik by five lengths in the annual prized event run over 12 furlongs with a holiday crowd on hand to applaud the champion.
Owned by JCP Steward M.R. Hussain and trained by M. Pervez, Naseeb was galloped home by former champion jockey and its regular rider M. Nasir.
Nasir received a hero’s welcome and a standing ovation from all and sundry as he entered the paddock after winning the race.
“This is second time I have won the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup the last being in 2004 when I powered The First Lady to victory,” he told Dawn.
Owner Hussain, who has won many a laurel in the past, was also elated on his maiden triumph in the Quaid Cup which he received from the KRC patron Pir Pagara who drove into the paddock in his vehicle.
“A better horse won,” Chaudhry Mohsin Ali Asghar, owner of the Gold Krik who specially flew from Lahore, told Dawn. He was ridden by celebrity Shahid Rehman.
Mare Abhi Abhi finished half-a-length away to secure third place while her stablemate filly Taizper completed the frame among seven runners following the withdrawal of Crown Prince.
Earlier, Nasir piloted four-year-old favourite bay colt Inside Story to four lengths victory over Persian Blue in the top division of class VII to complete a double.
But it was jockey Mohammad Essa who enthralled the punters with his shining performance and ended the year on successful note by claiming half-a-dozen races including four cups besides a hat-trick.
He opened the day by steering favourite filly Jadu Jantar to victory in the opener and rounded off by leading another public fancy debutant bay Khabardaar to maiden victory in the concluding race.
In between he rode home filly Dilruba (X-Mas Cup) in the second, colt Giranari (Winter Cup) in the third, colt Silver Victory (AKD Nursery Cup) in the fourth, and filly The Victorious (2000 Guineas Of Pakistan) in the sixth.
Jockey Ghulam Shabbir II claimed The KRC Stewards Cup edging out Silver City by half a length.
Chestnut Victory Prince pulled off an upset, beating favourite Spider Man by two-and-a-half lengths.
Meanwhile, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Jan 11 after 10th Moharram.
Results:
THE GOLDEN PLATE DIV III CLASS VII 5 F:
Jadu Jantar (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 8-2, Mohammed Essa 1; Gold Victory 9-0, Arshad 2; Samreen 7-13, Ghous Bux 3; Sonu Love Inshu 8-10 (cr8-3), Irfan Shawani 4.
Won by Head, 6 1/2L, 3 1/4L. Time: One minute 5 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.
THE X-MAS CUP – FOR PAKISTANI HORSES IN
CLASS V DIV I AND II - 6 F:
Dilruba (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara) 7-11, Mohammad Essa 1; Mannan Prince 9-3, Fahim K 2; Closing Argument 9-1, Mumtaz Ali 3; 3 Knot 3 7-12, Shakeel Mahmood 4.
Won by 4 1/2L, 1/2L, 3 1/2L. Time: One minute 17 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.
THE WINTER CUP CLASS VI 6 F:
Giranari (Kamal Farooq and Mohammad Ali) 9-0, Mohammad Essa 1; Blind Date 8-8, Irfan Shawani 2; Sweet Girl 8-7, Arshad 3; Lion of Arab 8-10, Tariq Baran 4.
Won by 7L, 1/2L, 1 1/2L. Time: One minute 16 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.
THE AKD NURSERY CUP – A HANDICAP RACE FOR TWO-YEAR-OLD PAKISTANI COLTS AND FILLIES – 6 F: Silver Victory (Irfan Mehdi) 9-4, Mohammad Essa 1; Zarkava 8-1, Fahim K 2; Group Captain 8-4, Aamir Pervez 3; Blanchine 8-8, Ghulam Shabbir II 4.
Won by S. Head, 3L, 3 1/4L. Time: One minute 17 seconds. Winner trained by G. Hassan.
THE GOLDEN PLATE DIV I CLASS VII 5 F: Inside Story (Haji Khuda Bux Rajar) 8-5 (cr8-6), M. Nasir 1; Persian Blue 8-12, Arshad 2; Moon Dazzler 8-10 (cr8-3), M. Rashid 3; Royal Loyalty 9-2, Fahim K 4.
Won by 4L, 3 1/2L, 1/2L. Time: One minute 4 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.
THE 2000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN - A TERM FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND FILLIES - ONE MILE: The Victorious (Irfan Mehdi) 8-4, Mohammad Essa 1; Sayeen Jee 8-7, Naseer Ahmed 2; Black Velvet 8-4 (cr8-6), M. Nasir 3; The Reyan 8-7, Shakeel Mahmood 4.
Won by 1/2L, 7L, 5 1/2L. Time: One minute 47 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.
THE GOLDEN PLATE DIV IV CLASS VII 5 F: Victory Prince (S. Zafar Sajjad) 8-8 (cr8-5), Asif Nazir 1; Spider Man 9-4 (8-11), Rehan Ahmed 2; Silent Love 9-2 (cr8-9), Zaheer Ahmed 3; Ferocity 8-6, Naseer Ahmed 4.
Won by 2 1/2L, 3 1/2L, 2L. Time: One minute 6 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Nazir.
THE QUAID-I-AZAM GOLD CUP – A HANDICAP RACE FOR PAKISTANI HORSES FOUR-YEAR-OLD AND UPWARDS - 12 F:
Naseeb (M.R. Hussain) 8-2, M. Nasir 1; Gold Krik 8-1 (cr8-3), Shahid Rehman 2; Abhi Abhi 8-2, Mohammad Essa 3; Taizper 7-13, Wasim 4.
Won by 5L, 1/2L, 12L. Time: Two minute 36 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Pervez.
THE KRC STEWARDS CUP DIV II CLASS VII 5 F:
Army of One (Syed Zafir Shah) 8-2, Ghulam Shabbir II 1; Silver City 8-11 (cr8-4), Tajammul Hassan 2; Reyan The Great 8-12, Shakeel Mahmood 3; Mr Mention Not 8-8, Pervez Ali 4.
Won by 1/2L, 3/4L, 5L. Time: One minute 5 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Rafiq K.
THE GOLDEN PLATE DIV V CLASS VII 5 F:
Khabardaar (Nasrullah) 9-0, Mohammad Essa 1; Eager Saint 8-12 (cr8-5), Irfan Shawani 2; Baaz Babaaz 8-12, S. Khan 3; Rangilee 8-13 (cr8-6), Tajammul Hassan 4.
Won by 6L, 1/2L, 3L. Time: One minute 7 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.