There is racing at Borrowdale Park on Thursday – observing COVID-19 restrictions – and with the first race due off at 11.10 am.

The last race, eighth on the card, is the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes (GR 3) where the son of Master Of My Fate, Mind Master, takes on four fillies – Dindingwe (by Futura), Mazikeen (Twice Over (GB)), Safiyaa (Coup De Grace (USA)) and True Beauty (Skit Skizzle).

Juveniles can improve out of all recognition so this will be a particularly interesting race, and best of luck to the tipsters.

The seventh race, the 1800m Borrowdale Challenge, should also be a humdinger and in better times might have been the OK Grand Challenge. Four of the six runners – Peggson, Three To Tango, OwlInTheTree and Arte – ran in the 2000m Pinnacle Plate 100 on June 26, and are now joined by Tandava and Yarraman who are both formidable.

PRESUMABLY WITHOUT TELLYTRACK

Presumably racing will not be shown on Tellytrack but will be covered by a live stream posted by SandSport Live on Facebook. There will be a link on Racing At Borrowdale Park In Zimbabwe, shared on Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers, and hopefully posted on this site (Borrowdale Videos) for those who don’t do Facebook.

Things I have learned in the last two meetings without Tellytrack…if due to unforeseen circumstances the link goes down SandSport will set up another one and you must rejoin. If you have any difficulties try refreshing the page. A lot seems to depend on your server. Some have complained about the sound….so if you can borrow or steal speakers to attach to your laptop or PC – it definitely helps.

And that said I must admit I really don’t know what I am talking about. Speak to an expert.

If and when I receive the online racecard a link will be posted in all the usual places.

LAST MEETING THIS SEASON

This is the last race meeting of the 2019/2020 racing season in Zimbabwe. The Gokhan Terzi stable will be Champion Trainer – and congratulations to Vanessa Birketoft for managing this satellite yard so successfully.

On the riding front Norbert Takawira is riding high and probably can’t be caught either.

First race at 12 30 pm.
The Zimbabwe Oaks (L) is due off at 16 10.

Watch SandSport LIVE from Borrowdale on this site, or on https://www.facebook.com/zimracing/ 

If by some mischance the link goes down find SandSports LIVE on Facebook.

Enjoy your day.

Borrowdale Park’s darling, Lily Blue, comes out on Sunday in the Zimbabwe Oaks (L), and seems heading for a seventh successive victory.

Bred by Geoff Armitage, Lily Blue won two legs of the Triple Crown – the Zimbabwe Guineas and the Zimbabwe Derby – where she took on the boys.

The Black Minnaloushe (USA) filly already has two legs of the Triple Tiara under her belt – the Fillies Classic and the Silver Slipper. The Zimbabwe Oaks is run over 2000m but Lily Blue has won up to 2400m so that won’t be a problem.

Three brave fillies have picked up the Oaks gauntlet – Centre Stage, Prescott and Candy Cane.

Prescott and Candy Cane, as well as Lily Blue, are trained by Bridget Stidolph. Prescott has run second to her stable companion on several occasions, but Candy Cane has yet to race against her. This Pathfork (USA) filly previously raced in Gauteng from 1000m to 1800m, and has only had two starts at Borrowdale. She won her last outing where she beat Maitreya by a length in a 1450m Maiden Plate.

Candy Cane will have claiming apprentice Munashe Josi in the irons. Weight counts but the other runners have experienced jockeys on their side. Morgan Nyamagwete rides Lily Blue; Kevin Derere is aboard Centre Stage, while Nikki Sibanda is on Prescott.

Centre Stage from Tomcat Racing raced in South Africa and won a 2000m Maiden at Borrowdale on March 27. The daughter of Oratorio(IRE)’s last outing was on June 12 when she finished 5.75 lengths off Zambezi Rapids in a 1800m Allowance Plate.

Lily Blue looks hard to beat in this one and everyone likes to see a good horse win. I suspect the real battle will be on for second place.

On this site …see Borrowdale Video ‘page’

The last two races on tomorrow’s Borrowdale Park card could well be the most exciting. It is hard to choose between the 1600m Progress Plate and the 1260m Pinnacle Plate 105 as both have interesting runners.

Tandava returns to Borrowdale Park in the Pinnacle after a lengthy break but with a 6 kg pull in weights he should, if racing fit, be a match for Coachella.

The Progress Plate isn’t quite as simple. Zambezi Rapids, as a three-time winner carries 60 kgs, and Owlinthetree is on 57.5 kgs.  The latter will be giving Bam Bam Pebbles 1 kg and when they met over 1600m on June 3 Owlinthetree, conceding 2 kgs, was only three-parts of a length behind him. At the last Borrowdale meeting Owlinthetree was 1.60 lengths off Peggson over 2000m at level weights which is not to be sneezed at.

Zambezi Rapids, third to Lily Blue in the recent Zimbabwe Derby, is not so easy to assess.  He has won from 1200 – 1800m so will be distance suited.  This is something of an acid test for the son of Dynasty and may the best horse win.

The Progress Plate is the sixth on tomorrow’s card and is off at 16 05.  The Pinnacle Plate is due to be run at 16 45.

The first race at Borrowdale Park tomorrow is due off at 13 10 and six horses are due to line up for a 1000m Maiden Plate.

This field includes Tequila Man, Clifton Brawler and Safiyaa, plus three unknowns – Signett, Dindingwe and Jenny Blue. Regarding the newcomers, I only know they have not raced before but have no information about breeding as the two sites I usually turn to haven’t caught up with the Borrowdale fields yet. No doubt later in the day.

Clifton Brawler from Vee Racing ran third behind Citrusdal over 1700m at the last meeting, and prior to that was a close second to Petroni Vini over 1200m.

Tequila Man trained by Bridget Stidolph and with claiming apprentice Munashe Josi on board, was 2.80 lengths off Widjaan over 1000m on June 3, with Clifton Brawler behind him that day. He has been well placed over 1200m in previous starts and should go close here – unless one of the newbies surprises us.

There is racing at Borrowdale Park on Wednesday and with some luck the Final Fields will be made available later today.

If the race meeting was on Friday, Saturday or Sunday the fields would also be due out today.  Apparently it has not occurred to the powers that be that producing tips, previews etc takes a bit of thought and time.  The people that rely on this information also need time – as do those that do their own thing by studying form. So why support Borrowdale when other racing centres are producing the goods?

Thirty years ago the Mashonaland Turf Club treated the racing media with respect – and the payoff was extensive press coverage, enthusiastic punters, and loyal spectators, which resulted in willing sponsors and a thriving racecourse.

Today racing in Zimbabwe is sparsely covered by one or two die-hards, hanging in there for the love of the game; frustrated by the constant battle to get information, timeously, and probably regarded as nuisances – unpaid let me add.

Occasionally a “new” journalist shows an interest in the sport of kings, but without an extensive racing background no-one can roll out of bed one morning and decide to be a racing reporter.

It is complicated – and those that show some interest must be encouraged, helped, and guided along their way.

Of course, I am aware that factors other than appalling public relations have resulted in the difficulties that have faced racing locally for quite some time. However, inattention to the media, and the needs of local punters, is also to blame.

ASKS THE CENTAURIAN

Every time we buy a lottery ticket or have a punt on a horse, or forecast who might score first for Liverpool, we are assessing the odds – that is gambling. Buying a share in a racehorse is pretty much the same – but in the case of ZimFun Racing Club Ltd it’s a bit more than a just a gamble.

The total losses or costs are clearly defined for each shareholder – at US$100 for a full year’s involvement – amounts to just $2 per week. There are no more calls for cash for 12 months.

 In return the upsides fall into four categories. Firstly are the purses which might be won at Borrowdale Park and returned to the company coffers. Then there is the information, inside track – provided by the ZimFun WhatsApp social media group – you will get to know better than anyone outside the group just what the chances are for each of our horses and thus help you make up your mind if you want a bet and if so how much.

Thirdly, if we do end up with an above average performer, we retain the right to sell it and again return profits to the company account. Finally, and as important as anything else, there is the FUN – of participating in the whole Sport of Kings – going to the racecourse if you can, fun in the parade ring, shouting from the balcony as the races are run and with a bit of luck, leading a winner in with old mates and the new ones you have yet to make. Priceless.

We have estimated that the total cost of keeping a horse in training, paying for the incidentals, jockeys, airfares as necessary, vets and farrier run to about $6,000 per annum – these are our variable costs and exclude the cost of procurement and transport north to Zim.

To get that back we need to win a few races and get a few places in ordinary races each year. Your guess is as good as mine as to the likelihood of that happening but in Zim, where horse numbers are low and we might have say 120 to 150 races to pop at, the chances are actually above average. Of course winning a feature race like the Tankard or the Ok or the Republic Cup improves the economics significantly – but don’t hold your breath too hard – though it’s not out of the question by any means.

My guess is that each horse will be ready to run when it arrives and so the ZimFun can begin from the first day’s racing.

All it needs is for the other 1470 of my 1500 readers of this column to get their hands in their pockets as the first 30 have done – and send $100 cash to Virgin Management Service at 7 Normandy Road, Alex Park in Harare or send a sincere e mail pledge to spencer@virtrust.com – and ideally, do it now

News on colours next…..

Also I should have some payment options for RSA investors too – shortly….

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Photographer Gavin MacLeod recorded the defining moment at Borrowdale Park yesterday afternoon when Lily Blue surged ahead to win the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby by 1.50 lengths.

By Black Minnaloushe (USA), Lily Blue passed this ultimate test of speed and stamina – once again beating the boys with consummate ease.

Congratulations to the owners, the Gin ‘ll Fix It Syndicate (nominee Kirsty Stidolph), Robin MacLeod and Betty Prosser; trainer Bridget Stidolph, jockey Morgan Nyamagwete and breeder Geoff Armitage.

Memories are made of this,.

Lily Blue has won the 2020 Zimbabwe Derby having played a waiting game until it was time to show the field a clean pair of heels.

Congratulations to trainer Bridget Stidolph, jockey Morgan Nyamagwete and owners the Gin’ll Fixit Syndicate (nominee Kirsty Stidolph) Robyn Macleod and Betty Prosser. Lily Blue was bred by Geoff Armitage.

There was a problem with Globe Master’s gate, resulting in a false start but the field quickly reloaded. Tree Of Wisdom led the way, joined by Seattle Frost who eventually took over and was going well coming up the straight until Lily Blue and Wantage joined in the chase.

Wantage, stablemate of Lily Blue was second, then Zambezi Rapids and Seattle Frost.

Congrats also to SandSport LIVE for excellent coverage of Borrowdale today.