For the two Gokhan Terzi yards Saturday’s OK Grand Challenge race meeting was an unforgettable experience.

Apart from saddling the winner of the OK Grand Challenge – Finchatton – Terzi also sent out the winners of seven of the eight races on the Borrowdale Park card. Has that been equalled at a local race meeting before?

Finchatton is a nine-year-old gelding by Right Approach (GB) out of a Fort Wood (USA) mare.  This was his third outing at Borrowdale and in his previous start he was a close second to Daffiq in the 1600m Independence Trophy.  Finchatton has now won 8 races and was bred by Wilgersbosdrift.

Congratulations to the owner Gengiz Goksel and winning jockey Diego de Gouveia, as well as to Gokhan and Wilgersbosdrift. The minor places went to Peggson, Holy Land and Fareeq – and Terzi trains Holy Land and Fareeq. Winning margins 0.50 lengths, 0.50 lengths, 1.50 Lengths. TIME: 106.11sec.

The Bridget Stidolph-trained Peggson also rates special mention having lost about three lengths at the start but managing to finish within half a length of the winner who was receiving 3.5 kgs.  I still don’t know how he did this.

OK Zimbabwe sponsor this prestigious 1800m event and must also be congratulated for pressing ahead, regardless, in these difficult times. 

Photographs by Laurent Viguie