KARACHI: It was jockey Mohammad Essa’s day at the Karachi race track yesterday (Sunday), as he brought in five winners, including the Sprint Championship Cup in a card of eleven events.

Essa was seen at his brilliant best astride Abhi Abhi in the Sprint Championship Cup. He rode his mount in copybook style by keeping it in a handy position behind the two front runners Diamond In Dust and Fair Diamond until the heads were turned for home.

It was in the home stretch the fun started when he gave his mount its head.

The horse responded beautifully at his bidding, collared the front runners in a blinking of an eye and went on to win the race in a smart timing of one minute 14-1/5 seconds. Fair Diamond finished a close second with early leader Diamond In Dust having to settle for third position.

Essa started the day on a light note by winning the first three races on the card. All of them were first favourites and they won without giving anxious moments to the connection and his followers.

They were King Of Kinjher (late Silver Prince), Marista and Sayeen Jee. Incidentally, all of them were ‘The News’ first choice runners.

Essa ended the day in the same style when he rode Dilruba to victory for the fifth and Pir Sahib’s third of the day.

Claim To Fame won the Admiral Stakes beating Moomal by a comfortable margin of four lengths.

Odds-on favourite The Victorious ran a disappointing race finishing off the board altogether.

Another rank outsider Kartoos won the Eid Millan Cup at the expense of its own stablemate Shooter.

The combination beat hot fovourite Army Of One. We would be hearing a lot about these two horses in the future as this was their very first feel of the track.

Crown Prince, Ace Of Base, Guess Its Me and Royal Loyality also obliged ‘The News’ by winning their respective actions with plenty to spare.