DAWN.COM

KARACHI, Oct 24: Rider Waheed presented the owner-trainer duo a brace of winners to hog limelight in a small five-race card of the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Wednesday.

First, he pulled off the only upset of the day galloping long shot four-year-old bay colt Hot Black to a commendable eight lengths victory over bay horse Lucky Gem to claim the class VII division V second race run over five furlongs. Colt Punchi was placed third four lengths away while public fancy chestnut horse Liverpool completed the board finishing a further two-and-a-half lengths behind among eight horses.

Making amends for the Sunday’s loss, the rider then piloted colt Taurus home by a length to land the day’s feature event – class V div I and II and class VI and VII div I – which was also the concluding race.

The winning horse beat co-favourite Asoor for the honours.

With Waheed in the saddle, Taurus was beaten by Dancing Rain by nine lengths in the last run. Both Hot Black and Taurus belonged to the stables of M. R. Hussain and trained by S. A. Zaidi.

At the outset, favourite mare Salome Baby obliged all and sundry edging past mare Easy Match by half-a-length to pick up spoils in the opener.

Dancing Doll and Black Berry followed the top two among eight starters after colt Front Page was withdrawn before the race.

Co-favourite Sher Dil, an unknown pedigree bay colt, made amends to the successive loses by striking top place in the third race. He beat Eager Saint as he pleased by nine lengths.

Another co-favourite chestnut horse Concept atoned for the Sunday’s poor performance by getting the better of colt Sher Ka Bacha by a length and-a-quarter in the fourth race.

In the only punishment, rider Ashiq Ali II was suspended for two months and fined Rs5,000 for ‘unsatisfactory’ riding his mount Humsafar in the second race.

According to an official announcement, the next Gymkhana race meeting will be held on Nov 4 (Sunday). Meanwhile, rider Wasim, who got his right leg fractured after being fallen from Babu on Sunday, was successfully operated at a local hospital the other day.

Results:
THE ARAB PLATE FOR UNKNOWN HORSES 4 ½ F:
Salome Baby (Syed Rashid Ali) 8-11 M. Amjad 1, Easy Match 8-9(cr8-3) Ashiq Ali II, 2, Dancing Doll 8-4 M. Sajjad 3, Black Berry 9-3(cr8-10) M. Naeem 4.
Won by ½ L, ¾ L, Neck. Time: One minute 2 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ramzan A.

THE ARAB PLATE CLASS VII DIV V 5 F:
Hot Black (Mr. M. R. Hussain) 8-0 Waheed 1, Lucky Gem 8-12 M. Manzoor 2, Punchi 8-0(cr8-8) M. Nasir 3, Liverpool 8-12(cr8-5) M. Nawaz Bilal 4.Won by 8 L, 4 L, 2 ½ L. Time: One minute 6 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by S. A. Zaidi.

THE ARAB PLATE CLASS VII DIV III AND IV 5 F:
Sher Dil (Mr. Tauseef Ali Siddiqui)9-5(cr8-12) M. Naeem 1, Eager Saint 8-13(cr8-10) M. Sajjad 2, Star King 8-7(cr8-2) Asad Aksir 3, Karigar 8-10 Mohammad Essa 4.
Won by 9 L, 1 ¼ L, Neck. Time: One minute 6 seconds. Winner trained by Shahid Mannan.

THE ARAB PLATE CLASS VII DIV II AND III 5 F:
Concept (M/s Miss Zainab Ali and Iman Ali)8-10 M. Manzoor 1, Sher Ka Bacha 8-6 M. Amjad 2, Stall Wart Fighter 7-6 Asad Aksir 3, Rytham 7-11 Shahzad Gul 4.
Won by 1 ¼ L, 1 ¼ L, 7 L. Time: One minute 5 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Sharif.

THE ARAB PLATE CLASS V DIV I AND II AND CLASS VI AND VII DIV I 5 F:
Taurus (Mr. M. R. Hussain)7-4(cr8-0) Waheed 1, Asoor 9-0 Mohammad Essa 2, Tiny Terror 7-8 M. Sajjad 3, Phenominal 7-4(cr7-10) M. Amjad 4.
Won by 1 L, 8 L, ½ L. Time: One minute 3 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by S. A. Zaidi.