Fancied Sahil gallops to victory in Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup
KARACHI: Justifying his credentials incumbent Derby winner and public fancy four-year old bay colt Sahil achieved another feat when he galloped to a fascinating eight lengths victory over four-year old bay colt Shorawak to lift the showpiece event of Karachi Race Club (KRC) — the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup — at the Karachi Racecourse on Saturday.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sahil had defeated Shorawak, formerly Governor, in this year’s Derby also.
The 50 to 100 thoroughbred horse overtook front-runners one by one before surging ahead at the bend and kicked up speed in home stretch to win hands down.
The packed to capacity stand greeted the victorious horse by giving him a standing ovation as he entered the paddock with celebrated jockey Aftab Chaudhry in the saddle.
“I was confident of completing a double — Derby and Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup — the same year and I proved it,” an elated Aftab told Dawn. He had accomplished this feat in 2019 as well.
Lahore-based Aftab had already achieved a rare honour of completing a hat-trick on the same horse (Big Bravo) in the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup from 2017 to 2019.
Defending champion bay horse Royal Ransom had to be content with the third place falling four lengths behind while Big Faith completed the frame edged by head. Both the horses are from the same pedigree as Sahil.
Winning owner of Sahil, Khawaja M. Atif received a purse of Rs0.7 million and the glittering trophy from Sindh Governor Imran Ismail alongside KRC president Syed Sadruddin Shah amid applause. A total amount of over Rs3 million was at stake in the day’s races.
The 2000 Guineas of Pakistan ended in a blaze of glory for bay colt Fantastico after favourite and front-runner Warrior’s Call became lame while negotiating the bend.
Favourite filly Queen’s Pride clinched the Nursery Cup by getting the better of American Gangster by two-and-a-half lengths in a start to finish bid.
Another favourite bay colt Churchill obliged all and sundry imposing to three lengths victory over G Sarkar to annex the X-Mas Cup.
Yet another favourite filly Chile repeated her winning feat registering seven lengths victory over Regardless to win the M. Rasheed Jung Memorial Cup.
A trio of riders — Aftab, Zaki Zakir and Sohail Ahmed — excelled in their cadres by piloting home a brace of winners apiece.
Ace trainer Ghulam Shabbir II partnered a treble while owners M/s Syed Ismail Shah and Hammad Farooq Fikri completed a double namely the Nursery Cup and the X-Mas Cup.
Results:
THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER VII 4½ F:
Faris (Ayan) 9-0 Sohail Ahmed 1, Burraq 8-13 Safdar Hussain 2, Fair Deal 9-0(cr8-11) Adnan Khan 3, Stella 9-0 Aftab Chaudhry 4.
Won by 10 L, 2½ L, ½ L. Time: 0.56 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by M. Hanif.
THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER V & VI 4½ F:
Balochistan Queen (Haji Abdul Majeed) 8-9 Asad Aksir 1, Victor 8-0(cr8-4) M. Manzoor 2, Smart Girl 9-0(cr8-9) Kashif Arshad 3, Galileo Lady 8-3 M. Zulfiqar 4.
Won by 1¼ L, 2¼ L, 2½ L. Time: 0.57 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by owner.
THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER IV & V 5 F:
Kuwait Edition (M/s Ehtisham Malik & Waiz Malik) 8-7 M. Zulfiqar 1, Thunder Smile 8-1(cr8-4) Tahir Abbas 2, Flame of Love 9-0(cr8-9) Kashif Arshad 3, Saghir Love 8-13(8-8) Sajid Hussain 4.
Won by 5 L, ½ L, 10 L. Time: One minute 2 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Naseem.
M. RASHEED JUNG MEMORIAL CUP SCALE ORDER III & IV 5 F:
Chile (Farhan Essa Abdullah) 7-12 Zaki Zakir 1, Regardless 8-13 Aamir Pervaiz 2, Jugni 8-8 Riaz Ahmed 3, Wild Fire 9-0 M. Manzoor 4.
Won by 7 L, 3 L, 2 ½ L. Time: One minute 1 4/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.
THE X-MAS CUP SCALE ORDER I & II ROUND BEND 6 F:
Churchill (M/s Syed Ismail Shah & Hammad Farooq Fikri) 8-0 Zaki Zakir 1, G Sarkar 8-0 Waheed Baran 2, Princess Maria 7-11 Asad Aksir 3, Young Gun 7-0(cr8-6) Kamran II 4.
Won by 3 L, 4 L, 5 L. Time: One minute 14 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.
THE NURSERY CUP — A TERM RACE FOR TWO-YEAR OLD THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED COLTS & FILLIES — ROUND BEND 6 F:
Queen’s Pride (M/s Syed Ismail Shah & Hammad Farooq Fikri) 8-8 Aftab Chaudhry 1, American Gangster 8-11 Sohail Ahmed 2, Thunder Crown 8-4 Tahir Abbas 3, Blazing Arrow 8-1 M. Manzoor 4.
Won by 2½ L, 8 L, 10 L. Time: One minute 15 1/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.
THE 2000 GUINEAS OF PAKISTAN — A TERM RACE FOR THREE-YEAR OLD THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED HORSES — 1 M:
Fantastico (Syed Sibghatullah Shah Pir Pagara) 8-7 Sohail Ahmed 1, Queen of Spades 8-4 Aamir Pervaiz 2, Eye of the Tiger 8-7 A. Raza 3, Flatterer 8-7 Tahir Abbas 4.
Won by 5 L, 4 L, 4 L. Time: One minute 44 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Mohyuddin.
THE QUAID-E-AZAM GOLD CUP — A HANDICAP RACE FOR THREE-YEAR OLD AND ABOVE THOROUGHBRED AND HALF-BRED HORSES — 10 F:
Sahil (Khawaja M. Atif) 8-7 Aftab Chaudhry 1, Shorawak 7-11 Aamir Pervaiz 2, Royal Ransom 8-8 Waheed Baran 3, Big Faith 7-13 A. Raza 4.
Won by 8 L, 4 L, Head. Time: Two minutes 6 2/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.
THE QUAID PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:
Shan-e-Sikandar (Haji Sahib Jan Braech) 8-13 Safdar Hussain 1, Hello Youmzain 8-6 Kashif Arshad 2, Sheba 8-10 M. Zulfiqar 3, Non Stop 9-2 Kamran II 4.
Won by 8 L, 2 ½ L, 3 L. Time: 0.51 3/5 seconds.
Winner trained by Amjad Ali.
Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2021
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