KARACHI, Sept 8: Abdul Raza’s four-year-old My Freedom won the Defence Day Cup beating odds on favourite Sweet Touch at the Karachi Summer races Sunday.
My Freedom recorded his second successive win over Sweet Touch who led the field for major part of the race. But My Freedom, who was kept all along at a striking distance by Shahzad, collared the front runners about a furlong from home and went on to record a facile win.
Sweet Touch, who on classification looked a racing certainty, put up a backward run and, in fact, the filly did not produce her last run as she did on Independence Day.
Sweet Touch’s poor showing made race-goers bite their nails in shock. The favourite’s poor run, however, should not belittle My Freedom’s performance who was just brilliantly ridden for Shahzad which once again proved that he is still on the best riders in Karachi.
My Freedom was sent out by trainer Mansoor Alam who earned the honour of completing a fine treble.
One of the leading owners, Syed Sadruddin Shah, had an excellent day once again when his two three-year-olds — Hoor-e-Mehran and Raqeeb-e-Azam — made their rivals bite the dust. Raqeeb-e-Azam, in fact, humiliated Hiawatha who had impressive runs to her credit by just hacking the field, holding promise for the future.
Both Sadruddin Shah’s winners were ridden by Ghulam Shabbir and were sent out by Allah Judrio.
In the fourth race, Fizza, beaten to second place in her last three starts, put up a most backward run by finishing third behind Sunny and Much Better who were definitely inferior mounts.
The stewards after the race, suspended her rider Mazhar Ali for two months and fined Rs5,000. The stewards took note of the poor running of the rest of the field and every runner was fined Rs2,000 except Baa Wafa, who stalled in the gates, and Last Love, a fresh arrival from Lahore.
The following are the results:
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV G V-ABT 5F:
Darbari Malang (Mohammad Farooq) 9-1 Kashif Qamar 1, The Messenger 8-1 M. Rehman 2, Fast Spin 8-0 Naveed 3, Century 8-1 Yousuf Ikram 4.
Won by: 9-1/2L, 1L, Dist Time 1 Min 12-2/5 secs. Winner trained by Ghulam Asghar.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV GIV-ABT 5F:
Rolling Thunder (Mr Agha Noman) 8-6 Arshad 1, Gharnata 9-3 M. Rehman 2, Striker 8-7 M. Amjad 3, Speed Fire 9-0 M. Khursheed 4.
Won by: 3-1/2L, 8L, 1L. Time 1 Min 10-2/5 secs. Winner trained by Mansoor Alam.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV GIII-ABT 5F:
Just In Fun (Mr G.R. Baloch) 9-0 Kashif Ali 1, Jaimaima 8-10 Muzaffar H 2, Clever Cat 8-13 M. Amjad 3, Lawrence Of Arabia 9-0 Akmal 4.
Won by: 2-1/2L, 2-1/2L, 1/2L. Time 1 Min 7-3/5 secs. Winner tained by Mansoor Alam.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV GII-ABT 5F:
Littly Sunny (Mr M. Tariq) 9-0 Amir Ali 1, Much Better 8-11 Raees Ahmad 2, Fizza 9-5 cd 8-12 Mazhar Ali 3, Kali Nagan 8-8 Latif 4.
Won by: 4-1/4, 7L, Dist. Time 1 Min 9-1/5 secs. Winner trained by Haroon.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV GI-ABT 5F:
Wonder Thunder (Mr M. Qaqoob Butt) 8-0, Muzaffar H1, Dushtiyani 8-2 Shahzad 2, Winning Streak 8-9 Zubair Ahmad 3, Order Of The Day 8-13 M. Mazhar 4.
Won by: Sh-Hd, 4L, Hd. Time 1 Min 6-3/5 secs. Winner tained by owner.
DEFENCE DAY CUP-ABT 6F:
My Freedom (Abdul Raza) 9-3 Shahzad 1, Sweet Touch 8-2 Raees Ahmad 2, Lover’s Lady 8-7 Ghulam Shabbir 3, Navahoo Princess 8-0 Zahid Faiz 4.
Won by: 2-1/2L, 3/4L, 4L. Time 1 Min 17 secs. Winner trained by Mansoor Alam.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV VIII -ABT 5F:
Hoor-e-Mehran (Syed Sadruddin Shah) 8-10 Ghulam Shabbir 1, Neelam Taab 7-12, Bashir K2, Sulman Love 9-0 Mazhar 3, Lover’s Line 7-11 Zahoor Ahmad 4.
Won by: h4L, 1/2L, 5L. Time 1 Min 5-3/5 secs. Winner tained by ALlah Judrio.
DEFENCE DAY PLATE DIV V & IV-ABT 5F:
Raqeeb-e-Qzam (Syed Sadruddin Shah) 8-6 Ghulam Shabbir 1 Hiawatha 8-8 Zahjid Faiz 2, Deniro 8-9 Bashir K3, My Darling 8-3 Tariq Mahmood 4.
Won by: 8-1/2L, 2-3/4L, 8L. Time 1 Min 3-3/5 secs. Winner trained by Allah Judrio.