Expect some excellent racing at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, the definition being a fistful of fields packed with likely horses.

The 1600m Fillies Classic, first leg of the Triple Tiara, and the main event on the card, has developed into a duel between the Terzi and Stidolph yards. They will saddle the 8 runners between them and the race is due off at 15 40.

Gokhan Terzi has a strong hand with Pacifica, Sky, Ladies First and Betula Uber, with Fashion World the pace setter, perhaps.

Bridget Stidolph sends out Duffi’s Call, Second Guessing and Hunyani – all interesting entries.

Hunyani, seen here with Ryan Munger up.

With Andrew Fortune in the irons the Lecture (USA) filly, Pacifica, is probably the Terzi yard’s elect. She finished a heartbeat behind Road To Dubai in the 1100m Hachiman Sprint, her only start in Harare. This three-year-old filly won three races in Gauteng ranging from 1200m to 1450m and she will jump from the number 8 stall on Sunday.

Betula Uber, by Ideal World (USA), hasn’t shown much since winning the Breeders Fillies Mile in 2015, when Second Guessing ran second. Last time out in the 1600m Guineas Trial she finished 4.20 lengths off the winner, Cool Solution, and was the only filly in the race. Drawn 4, Francois Herholdt rides Betula Uber for Terzi, and I don’t think we should give up on her just yet.

Juan Paul van der Merwe gets off the Ideal World filly to ride Sky. By Warm White Night out of a Jallad mare, Sky won a 1700m Maiden Plate on November 15 and has been placed in her other four starts. Earlier this month she was 4.25 lengths off Windigo in an 1800m Novice Plate and from her number 2 draw, Sky should not be overlooked.

To date the lightly raced Silvano (GER) filly, Ladies First, has not lived up to expectations. However she is out of an Al Mufti (USA) mare and with that breeding will more than likely love the 1600m trip. Lance Pagel has the ride and Ladies First is drawn 7.
All the above provides food for thought and we haven’t got to the Stidolph charges yet.

Bridget won the 2015 Fillies Classic with Print The Pounds, and will be aiming for a repeat. Stable jockey, Fanie Chambers rides the Horse Chestnut filly, Hunyani, and she impressed at the last race meeting when finishing close behind Al Cobalena over 1600m, with some reasonable horses behind her. Hunyani is drawn 6 on Sunday.

The AP Answer (USA) filly, Duffi’s Call, already has feature race experience. She finished third to Call Me Earl in both the 1200m Jacaranda Free Handicap and the 1600m Tote Free Handicap, and on both occasions her stable mate Super Good ran second. Duffi’s Call doesn’t have to worry about either of them this time. Brendon McNaughton has the ride and Duffi’s Call has drawn 5.

The last of the Stidolph runners, Second Guessing, gets a chance to renew rivalry with the Terzi runner, Betula Uber. This pair has history. The Tamburlaine (IRE) filly, Second Guessing, won a 1600m Maiden Juvenile Plate, finishing 1.25 lengths clear of Betula Uber. Then the Ideal World (USA) filly turned the tables on Second Guessing in the Breeders Fillies Mile in July.

Second Guessing did not appear again until finishing 5.75 lengths off Windigo over 1800m at the last Borrowdale Park race meeting. That run should have brought her on and Apprentice Callan Murray will be aboard. Second Guessing has drawn 1.

Pacifica will probably top the betting boards but three-year-old fillies can be unpredictable. The rain this week may result in a change in the going so it all adds up to an exciting race.

The afternoon begins at 12.45 with a 1200m Graduation Plate. In the last race, a 1300m Open Handicap, all of Approval Rating, Road To Dubai, Super Trouper and Principled Man, to mention but a few, clash again. This will be a cracker.

The next race meeting at Borrowdale features MOTA’S Ipi Tombe Stakes, which will be run on Valentine’s Day.

Photograph of Hunyani by Zimbabwe Equine News