All things being equal the 1600m Ipi Tombe Stakes (L) to be run at Borrowdale Park on Sunday would be an exciting race – but they are not equal – which means super exciting in this case.

The four-year-old Futura filly, Dindingwe, is going for a hat-trick having won the 2000m Pioneers & Heroes Tankard on December 19, and the 1600m Pinnacle Plate 100 on January 23. She trounced Sunday’s runners Wantage, Finchatton and What A Dandy in the Tankard and sceptics said “Dindigwe went to the front and they were expecting her to come back to them and she didn’t. It won’t happen again”.

Then came the Pinnacle Plate where Dindingwe (57kgs) beat Holy Land (60 kgs) by a length, and Wantage (58 kgs) by two lengths. Wantage, with claiming apprentice Walter Shumba riding, will carry 56 kgs to Dindingwe’s 57.5 kgs on Sunday. Except for Bugatti Blue, who will have Apprentice Munashe Josi in the irons, all the other runners are set to carry 60 kgs and, make no mistake, they all have the credentials to win this on their day.

On paper, Dindingwe will have to dig deep to get the better of Wantage and Holy Land this time, and Captain of Tortuga will be having his third outing at Borrowdale Park. He broke the course record over 1200m in top company on November 6, but was 4.75 lengths off the winner, Coachella, in the Swift’ s Gold Cup, also 1200m.

By Captain Al and out of a Jet Master mare, Captain of Tortuga has won over 1600m at Turfffontein, so this will be interesting.

The going was heavy at the last Borrowdale meeting but there hasn’t been much rain since then. However, who knows what will have happened by Sunday. The weather seems unpredictable this year.

The 2022 Ipi Tombe runners are listed below. Of course, I would love to see the baby in this race, Dindingwe, win again – but I don’t think we can count on it.

1 Draw 7 CAPTAIN OF TORTUGA 60.0 (MR98) Penny – Bridget Stidolph – Captain Al – Ebony Flyer by Jet Master – 5 wins 1200m – 1600m

2 Draw 8 WHAT A DANDY 60.0 (MR97) Satombo – Debra Swanson – Just As Well (USA) – Leba (IRE) by King’s Best (USA) – 12 wins 1000m – 1800m

3 Draw 5 HOLY LAND 60.0 (MR96) Matsunyane – Vanessa Birketoft – Ideal World (USA) – Lalibela by Silvano (GER) – 7 wins 1450 – 1800m

4 Draw 1 FINCHATTON 60.0 (MR95) Danielson – Gokhan Terzi – Right Approach (GB) – Rose Lipped Maiden by Fort Wood (USA) – 8 wins 1400m- 1800m

5 Draw 3 FAREEQ (AUS) 60.0 (MR93) Derere – Vanessa Birketoft – Nadeem (AUS) – Azwa (AUS) by Haafhd (IRE) – 7 wins 110m – 1800m

6 Draw 6 WANTAGE 60.0 (MR92) *Shumba (4.0) – Bridget Stidolph – Ato – Angora by Tamburlaine (IRE) – 8 wins – 1200m – 2000m

7 Draw 2 BUGATTI BLUE 60.0 (MR90) *Josi (4.0) – Debra Swanson – Traffic Guard (USA) – Vintage Event by Braashee (GB) – 8 wins 1600m – 2400m

8 Draw 4 DINDINGWE 57.5 (MR97) Takawira – Debra Swanson – Futura – Miss Delish by Jallad (USA) – 8 wins 1000m – 2000m.

Same Trainer (1,6) (2,7,8) (3,5) – Photographs by Jenny Stock