We are racing at Borrowdale Park on Wednesday and the feature is the 2022 Independence Trophy. There are nine acceptors and deciding who is most likely to succeed is extremely difficult – I think.

Holy Land won this 1600m event in 2020, carrying 54 kgs, but on Wednesday will heft 60 kgs while Finchatton, who headed Holy Land in the 2022 Ipi Tombe Stakes, also over 1600m, will be receiving 6 kgs from Holy Land on Wednesday. They met at level weights in the Ipi Tombe.

Claiming Apprentice Munashe Josi rides Finchatton and the more experienced Kabelo Matsunyane will be on Holy Land. However, * Josi has ridden Finchatton before when second to Fareeq over 1260m.

What A Dandy and Captain Of Tortuga, both carrying 60 kgs, ran third and fourth in the 2022 Ipi Tombe Stakes. This time they meet Holy Land on much better terms but will give weight to Finchatton.

On paper it seems Finchatton looks home and dry and I am going to stick my neck out and say that Yarraman, Bugatti Blue and Mr Greenlight will also find him hard to beat, although Yarraman will only carry 52,5 kgs when *Shumba has claimed.

But what about Lily Blue and True Beauty? Both girls are set to carry 53 kgs and have won well recently.

True Beauty moves up in class here, but Lily Blue recently scored in the Changa Champions Breeders Cup over 2000m and Bugatti Blue, Yarraman and Finchatton finished well behind her. Finchatton will probably prefer Wednesday’s shorter trip, but Lily Blue has won 12 races from 1200m to 2400m, and it is hard to ignore that.

The first race on Wednesday is off at 12 20 and the Independence Trophy is at 15 48.

Photographs By Zimbabwe Equine News