Burn Bright, winner of her first start at Borrowdale on February 9th and trained by Bridget Stidolph, is one of ten three-year-olds nominated for the Zimbabwe Guineas on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025.  

The Fire Away (USA) filly won the 1600m Novice Plate and the field included other Guineas entrants Prince Of Denmark, Trustfall and Queen Of Fire.  Burn Bright (Marwing) is owned by Mesdames C M de Jong, S Ziehl, K Stidolph, Mrs S Loubser & Mr B M McLauchlan, and bred by Wilgersbosdrift and Mauritzfontein.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

King’s Crown, also a winner at the last Borrowdale meeting, is nominated for the Zimbabwe Guineas, the first leg of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown. The Guineas Weights & Draws can be found on this site.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The finish of the 1600m Ipi Tombe Stakes (L) at Borrowdale Park on Sunday was a cliffhanger. 200m out it looked like anyone’s race, but Action Zone held off Citrusdal, Ideal View and Jaeger Moon at the death.

The WFA conditions of the Ipi Tombe make it an interesting race and this time five-year-old Action Zone, by Canford Cliffs (IRE), was the youngest of the six contestants and all runners carried 60 kgs. Winning margins 0.50, 0.60 and 1.10 lengths.

Kaidan Brewer was aboard Action Zone, and this was the consistent gelding’s 9^th win from 22 starts. Bred by Daytona Stud (Pty) Ltd, he is trained by Thomas Mason and owned by Craig Danckwerts.

Congratulations on a memorable victory.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The feature race at Borrowdale Park today, Sunday, February 9th, 2025, is the 1600m Ipi Tombe Stakes. This site has links to the race card, tips, and the live stream. The first race is due off at 1 p.m.

On Saturday the 25^th of January 2025 Philasande Mxoli rode four of the six winners on the Borrowdale Park card.

He won the first race, an 1800m MR 63 Handicap, with Bruce’s Spirit, trained by Bridget Stidolph and owned by Messrs R S Dyer, S N Buchan, N Evans, M K Chant, G de Jong, A Dixon, R Morgan, R Sherwood and Bryn Ressell.

Mxoli also scored for Bridget when Jet Green (below), a four-year-old Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) filly, won the 1600m Progress Plate. Bred by Nadeson Park Stud, Jet Green is owned by Messrs A Dixon, R S Dyer, S N Buchan, N Evans, G de Jong, Bryn Ressell, R Sherwood and P Annesley. This was the filly’s second start in Zimbabwe.

Congratulations everyone.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

On Saturday, Trainer Gavin Macleod won the 1100m Hachiman Sprint with Tom’s Diner at Borrowdale Park.

Philisande Mxoli rode the four-year-old Pomodoro gelding who is in fine form at present. Owned by Robyn Macleod, Tom’s Diner was bred by Klawervlei Stud and he has now won three of his five starts at Borrowdale.

The minor placings went to Hildelita, Red Top and Kalipos.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The feature race at Borrowdale Park tomorrow, Saturday, January 25th, 2025, is the 1100m Hachiman Sprint, which will take place at 14:30. The first race is due off at noon.

The Hachiman Sprint field includes last year’s winner, Jubilee. Recent winners Hildelita, Red Top and Tom’s Diner are part of the line-up, as are Kallipos, Force Eight and Queen of Fire.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

Jet Green, a Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) filly having her first start at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, January 12th, finished within 0.25 lengths of When Evening Comes in the 1600m MR 65 Handicap.

The winner, trained by Thomas Mason and bred at Kevin Fallon’s Spotted Pig Stud, was completing a double and has now won 3 races for Messrs C Adamson, K P Fallon and Mrs I A Fallon.  Kaidan Brewer was in the irons.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News.

: Zimbabwe Equine News.

Leading trainer Debra Swanson added to her tally at Borrowdale Park on Sunday the 12^th of January when Admirals Chance won the 1200m MR 85 Handicap, and Pragmatist the 2000m Allowance Plate. Jeffery Syster rode both winners.

Admirals Chance, a five-year-old horse by Admiral Kitten (USA), is owned by Messrs P D Gorringe , S P Gorringe, V Patel & D K Ward. Bred by Mr S W van der Walt, he has now won five races and finished two lengths clear of stable companion Ultimate Jewel on Sunday.

The Dalzel Syndicate (nominee Mathew Moxon) owns Pragmatist, a five-year-old gelding by Jackson out of a Silvano (GER) mare. Bred by Maine Chance Farms, the five-time winner was involved in a tight finish with the newcomer to Borrowdale, Master Tik Tok.

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

In 2024 trainer Gavin Macleod and his daughter, Robyn Macleod, won the 1450m Zimbabwe Challenge with Brianna. At Borrowdale Park on Sunday, they won the 2025 version with Captive Moon.

Philasande Mxoli piloted the six-year-old Flower Alley (USA) gelding, bred by Geoff Armitage. Captive Moon has now won seven races. He won this Zimbabwe Challenge by 2.50 lengths and then came Abayyaan, Wantage and Citrusdal.

Earlier in the afternoon the Macleod/Mxoli team scored with Tom’s Diner, winner of the 1100m Graduation Plate.

Congratulations!

The feature race at Borrowdale Park this Sunday, the 12th of January 2025, is the 1450m Zimbabwe Challenge, won last year by Brianna under Morgen Nyamagwete.

Brianna’s trainer, Gavin Macleod, fields Captive Moon (Mxoli) and Raining Again (Derere) this time. Debra Swanson will saddle Abayyaan (Syster) and Var Aglow (Takawira), while Citrusdal (Marwing) and Wantage (Brewer)represent Bridget Stidolph’s yard.

The race is due off at 15:20 and this is a competitive field. Dare I say there is likely to be a change in the going which may complicate things? There has been some rain recently, but the weather is unpredictable this year – and that’s putting it mildly.

The first race on Sunday is off at 12:25.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News: When Brianna won the 2024 Zimbabwe Challenge.

Joan Callaghan had a birthday recently and posted this on a WhatsApp group. With her permission, I am sharing what she said as it expressed, perfectly, what many of us feel.

‘’Thanks once again for your messages 

‘’I am sitting here thinking about how wonderful it was to own horses in the good old Borrowdale days. A beautiful racecourse, great trainers and jockeys, and so many great characters who owned 

‘’I consider myself blessed to have been a part of this wonderful racing community.’’

Dandy Lad, trained by Freddy Maisch, was Joan’s first runner, and she said: “The very handsome Dandy Lad was sent up to me from Terence Millard …Royal Pardon out of Flushing Meadow.

“I was 33 years old and my last winner was here in Johannesburg …Emirate Gina …when I was 81! I’ve been around a long time.”

Thank you, Joan. Keep well.

On Friday, Hildelita, a four-year-old Vercingetorix filly bred by Bafazi Bloodstock, won the 1600m Champion Fillies Stakes at Borrowdale Park.

Trained by Debra Swanson and owned by the Centaur Syndicate (nominee Craig Danckwerts), Hildelita has now won four races. She won this one easily carrying 60 kgs, and then came Ian’s Ferrari (Klink) and Cutback (Penny). Jeffery Syster rode the winner.

Congratulations!

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.