KARACHI: Favourite bay horse Shan-e-Sikandar made amends for failing to win its previous race by clinching the Winner Cup in the Gymkhana race meeting at the Karachi Racecourse on Sunday.

After a runner-up finish in its last outing on Feb 26, Shan-e-Sikandar galloped home by three lengths over bay horse Gladiator One to justify his billing.

Mare Little Darling was third a length-and-a-quarter behind while another mare Soldier Girl completed the frame further three-and-a-half lengths away among nine starters.

Another favourite bay horse, Kuwait Edition, returned to winning ways when it overcame Gift of Gold in the home stretch to register three lengths victory and win the day’s feature event.

The race was preceded by re-betting after Thun­der Star was scratched at the starting gate leaving only three horses in fray. Mind of Promise was placed third further pushed by nine lengths.

The victorious horse was piloted home by rider M. Manzoor who had earlier steered rank outsider Burraq to a facile three lengths victory over public fancy Faris in the opening race. Croissant and Shaista Sanam followed the two in same order.

Three horses — Airborne, Geo Baba and Lady Challenger — could not make it to the first race as they were scratched in morning declaration.

Bay horse Robert obliged all and sundry defeating Choice of the Day by four-and-a-half lengths to pick spoils of the second race.

The fifth and concluding race ended in a blaze of glory for grey horse Smart Boy who coasted to two-lengths-and-a-quarter victory over Meri Chahat. The race left eight horses in the competition following scratching of Arkedian, Gul Choice and Sassy Gold in the morning.

Veteran trainer Hanif laid to rest

KARACHI: Veteran horse racing trainer M. Hanif who died on Saturday morning, was laid to rest at Gizri Graveyard later in the day. He was 60.

The deceased, who was elder brother of senior trainer Mohyuddin, is survived by a widow.

He inherited horse racing from his late father Faqir Mohammad in 1979 and won many honours including 2,500 winners. His trained horse Incredible had won the Pakistan Derby in 2014.

Hanif later became an owner and his dark bay horse Robert gave him a warm send-off by winning the second race at the KRC on Sunday, when a one-minute silence was observed for the departed soul.

Results:

THE WINNER PLATE SCALE ORDER V & VI 4½ F:

Burraq (Syed Wajihuddin) 7-12(cr8-5) M. Manzoor 1, Faris 7-12(cr7-13) Mamraiz Khan 2, Croissant 7-12 Lateef 3, Shaista Sanam 7-12 Asad Aksir 4.

Won by 3 L, Dist, Dist . Time: 0.57 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Ghulam Shabbir II.

THE WINNER PLATE SCALE ORDER III & IV 4½ F:

Robert (M/s M. Hanif & Jaffer Abbas) 8-1 Mamraiz Khan 1, Choice Of The Day 9-0(cr8-7) Kamran II 2, Piyara Faisal 9-4 Asad Aksir 3, Cracks Man 8-1 Adnan Khan 4.

Won by 4½ L, 2½ L, 3 L. Time: 0.57 2/5 seconds. Winner trained by M. Hanif.

THE WINNER PLATE SCALE ORDER I & II 5 F:

Kuwait Edition (M/s Ehtisham Walik & Waiz Malik) 7-8(cr8-4) M. Manzoor 1, Gift Of Gold 8-0 Zakir Zakir 2, Mind Of Promise 8-12 Zohaib Qamar 3.

Won by 3 L, 9 L. Time: One minute 2 3/5 seconds. Winner trained by Naseem.

THE WINNER CUP SCALE ORDER VII 4 F:

Shan-e-Sikandar (Haji Sahib Jan Braech) 8-13 Riaz Ahmed 1, Gladiator One 8-6 M. Manzoor 2, Little Darling 9-0(cr8-7) Kamran II 3, Soldier Girl 8-8(cr8-1) Ali Raza II 4.

Won by 3 L, 1¼ L, 3½ L. Time: 0.51 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Naveed Baran.

THE WINNER PLATE SCALE ORDER VIII 4 F:

Smart Boy (Ali Raza Zia) 8-13 Shehzad Gul 1, Meri Chahat 9-4 Adnan Khan 2, Shabnam 7-10 Zaki Zakir 3, Ayyan Prince 8-0 Wasim 4.

Won by 2¼ L, 1 L, 5 L. Time: 0.54 1/5 seconds. Winner trained by Zia-ur-Rehman.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2022