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KARACHI, Dec 25: Fancied four-year-old bay filly Big Show, with celebrity Shahid Rehman in the saddle, in a late burst shrugged off the challenge by sprinting to glory in the 12 furlongs high profile Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup at the Karachi Racecourse on Tuesday.
She overcame co-favourite filly Eswarah by three-and-a-half lengths to land the coveted cup in style amidst thunderous applause from the holiday crowd.
Seven-year-old bay Naseeb occupied the third place, finishing further four lengths behind, while filly Abhi Abhi completed the frame.
At the eleventh hour the connection opted to back Big Show over stable mate Naseeb by changing their declared riders.
Abhi Abhi and Makina took a brisk start and led the field of eight runners till the final bend. Eswarah and Big Show who were running on their heels picked up momentum and surged ahead. However, Big Show found another gear from the last furlong and kicked away.
It was sweet revenge for Big Show who lost to Eswarah by half-a-length under the same rider in the Quaid-i-Azam Trial Cup earlier this month.
The triumph enabled the trio of owner, trainer and rider (Rajar, Mushtaq Rehman) to end the day on a promising note with a treble which included three cups; the other two being the 2000 Guineas of Pakistan and the Christmas Cup.
Earlier, Rehman galloped three-year-old bay colt Fair Diamond to a two-and-a-half lengths victory over colt Dream Rose to claim the 2000 Guineas of Pakistan in the fifth race while in the eighth he piloted Cash Flow home by two lengths to pick the Christmas Cup.
“It’s the happiest moment of my life to capture the maiden Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup in the city,” a jubilant 32-year-old Rehman, who specially came from Lahore, told Dawn after the feat.
He became the first jockey in the country’s history of equine sport to get the President’s Pride of Performance award this year.
Local hero Ghulam Shabbir II did not lag behind and stole the limelight by storming home five winners which included the remaining two cups — the Eid-ul-Azha Cup and the AKD Nursery Cup.
Three-year-old chestnut colt Back In Action made amends edging Desert Hawk by seven and three-quarters of a length to lift the Eid-ul-Azha Cup while two-year-old bay filly Claim To Fame edged The Victorious by a distance to annex the AKD Nursery Cup.
Shabbir’s other three winners were colt Black Jack who made it two-in-a-row, filly Diamond In Dust and filly Sahibzadi.
Rider S. Khan stormed Silver City to six-and-a-half lengths victory to land the opener while former champion rider Essa steered Al Zarrar to hat trick outpacing Bacaradi by three lengths.
Results:
THE CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV V
CLASS VII 5F:
Silver City (Syed Ali Gohar Shah) 8-12 S. Khan 1, Fancy II 8-10 Fahim K 2, Poply Billy 7-11(cr7-6) A. Ahmed 3, Eye Lady 7-10(cr7-7) Zaki Zakir 4. Won by 6 1/2L, 7 1/4L, 3 3/4L. Time: One min 8 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by Talib Hussain.
THE CHRISTMAS PLATE
DIV IV CLASS VII 5F:
Al Zarrar (Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara)8-10 Mohammad Essa 1, Bacaradi 8-13 M. Hanif 2, Lucky Gem 8-11 M. Yousuf 3, Full ‘N’ Final 8-13 Farmanullah 4. Won by 3L, 2 1/2L, 2 1/4L. Time: One min 6 1/5 sec.
Winner trained by Sher Mohammad.
THE CHRISTMAS PLATE
DIV III CLASS VII 5F:
Black Jack (Syed Ismail Shah) 9-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Reyan The Great 8-11 Mohammad Essa 2, Beyond Belief 8-10 Fahim K 3, Sweet Grandy 8-3 Faisal Qamar 4. Won by 3/4L, 7 1/2L, 1/2L. Time: One min 4 4/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham.
THE EID-UL-AZHA CUP 2007
DIV II CLASS VII 5F:
Back In Action (Syed M.A. Mehmood) 9-4 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Desert Hawk 9-0 M. Nasir II, Mr. Mention Not 7-12 Sohail Ahmed 3, NYX 8-5 Mohammad Essa 4. Won by 7 3/4L, 2 1/2L, 1/2L. Time: One min 3 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham.
THE 2000 GUINEAS OF
PAKISTAN 2007 IM:
Fair Diamond (Ghulam Dastagir Rajar) 8-7 Shahid Rehman 1, Dream Rose 8-7 Kashif Qamar 2, Janu Manu 8-7 Mohammad Essa 3, Crown Prince 8-7 Sohail Ahmed 4. Won by 2 1/2L, 2L, Dist. Time; One min 43 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.
THE CHRISTMAS PLATE DIV I
CLASS VII 6F:
Diamond In Dust (Syed Ismail Shah) 8-10 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Sonu Love Mani 9-5 Pervaiz Ali 2, Your Honour 8-10 Yousuf Ikram 3, Haibat Nak 8-5 M. Waseem II, 4. Won by Dist, Dist, 3 3/4L. Time: One min 15 3/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham.
THE AKD NURSERY CUP 2007 6F:
Claim To Fame (Syed Sadruddin Shah) 8-8 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, The Victorious 8-8 Aamir Pervaiz 2, Tier Jee 8-4 Arshad 3, John Player 8-4 Mohammad Essa 4. Won by Dist, 2 1/2L, 4L. Time: One min 15 2/5 sec.
Winner trained by S. Ehtisham.
THE CHRISTMAS CUP 2007
CLASS V DIV I AND II 6F:
Cash Flow (Haji Khuda Bux Rajar) 9-0 Shahid Rehman 1, Savabeel 8-13 M. Hanif 2, Taiz Per 7-10 Ghulam Shabbir II, 3, Awan 8-2 M. Nasir 4. Won by 2L, 3L, 3L. Time: One min 16 ¾ sec.
Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.
THE QUAID-I-AZAM GOLD CUP
2007 12F:
Big Show (Ghulam Dastagir Rajar) 8-2 Shahid Rehman 1, Eswarah 8-9 Ghulam Shabbir II, 2, Naseeb 8-4 Kashif Qamar 3, Abhi Abhi 7-13 Arshad 4. Won by 3 1/2L, 4L, Neck. Time: Two min 42 4/5 sec.
Winner trained by Mushtaq Ali Khan.
THE CHRISTMAS PLATE CLASS VI 6F:
Sahibzadi (Murtaza Mirza) 9-0 Ghulam Shabbir II, 1, Sweetie Pie 8-0 Zaki Zakir 2, Paidagir 8-6 Mumtaz Ali 3, Thanks Naeem 8-8 Pervaiz Ali 4. Won by 2 1/2L, 3L, 2 1/2L. Time: One min 19 2/5 sec.
Winner trained by Allah Judrio.
