On Friday, the 20^th of December 2024, the 1600m Champion Fillies Stakes is the feature race at Borrowdale Park. Seven fillies and mares have been nominated and the Final Field should be known by Tuesday.

Let’s look at what happened in 2015.

Equina Wins Champion Fillies Stakes

Posted on Nov 17, 2015

 Zimbabwe’s champion race mare, Equina, clocked up another victory at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, despite carrying top weight. Quinton Riddle, master of the last–minute pounce, was in the irons and Amy Bronkhorst trains Equina. Gentle Brook, also from the Bronkhorst yard, was second. Print The Pounds was third and Diversify fourth.

Bred by Cheveley Stud, Equina is owned by Peter Moor. She has now won 12 races, including the Castle Tankard (GR 1), the OK Grand Challenge (GR 2) and the Republic Cup (GR 3).

Diz Buckler presented the Champion Fillies Stakes trophy to Equina’s trainer, Amy Bronkhorst, and Richard Moor. Quinton Riddle was also in the line-up.

Photographs: Gavin Macleod.

The Stidolph yard and jockey Nathan Klink were also in fine form at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, winning three of the cards’ six races.

Guerra came home lonely in the 1200m Graduation Plate finishing three lengths clear of Tom’s Diner. The Lancaster Bomber (USA) gelding carried top weight, and he is owned by Messrs A Dixon, R S Dyer, S N Buchan, N Evans, G De Jong, M K Chant, Bryn Ressell, F Sherwood, P Annesley, D C Samuels and S W Shutt. Congratulations everyone!

The next to score was Kallipos, owned by Edith Tapfuma, who won the 1260m MR80 Handicap, narrowly beating Admirals Chance. The son of Oratorio (IRE) has now won five races. Well done.

Borrowdale veteran Citrusdal completed the treble for Bridget and Nathan when he won the 2200m Pinnacle Plate 105. This was Citrusdal’s 14^th win – quite an achievement – and the eight-year-old is 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.

Congratulations to all the winning connections. A memorable day.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News: TOP Guerra; BELOW LEFT: Kallipos; BELOW RIGHT: Citrusdal.

Once more the Gold Cup Sprint (Gr 3) provided a thrilling finish with the first three home, Majestic Warrior, Var Aglow and Jubilee, crossing the line within less than a length.

This was Majestic Warrior’s fourth victory and the five-year-old gelding, by Master of My Fate, is owned by Duncan and Jackie Cocksedge. On Sunday, Ndoro Stud bred the winner, Debra Swanson trains, and Kevin Derere was in the irons.

The Swanson/ Derere partnership was firing at Borrowdale Park on Sunday afternoon, having won the first two races with Hemlock and King’s Crown.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The Gold Cup Sprint will be run at Borrowdale Park this Sunday, the 8th of December 2024. This race has a proud history – sponsored over many years by the likes of Schweppes and HRIB – so let’s look at one that went before – together with the race report published then.

DESPERATE DASH FOR HRIB GOLD CUP

What a race. The first four horses in the 2017 HRIB Gold Cup finished within 1.10 lengths, with Coachella holding on to win by a whisker from a fast finishing Super Good .

Bridget Stidolph saddled the first two horses past the post, Life Is Good ran third and Road To Dubai fourth. Fanie Chambers was aboard the winner.

By Alado (GB), Coachella was bred by Prof I.M. Sanne and is owned by John Koumides. The four-year-old gelding carried 61 kgs on Saturday and it has been quite a while since that was equalled in the HRIB – Zimbabwe’s most prestigious sprint.

It was Coachella’s sixth win and this one completed a hat-trick.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Hildelita (Syster) won the 2024 Sable Flyers (LR) run over 1260m at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, after a tight tussle with Queen Of Fire (Kaidan Brewer).

Leading trainer Debra Swanson saddled the four-year-old Vercingetorix filly, bred by Bafazi Bloodstock, and owned by the Centaur Syndicate (nominee: Craig Danckwerts). The winning margin on Sunday was 0.10 lengths and Hildelita has now won three races.

Congratulations!

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.

The Mashonaland Turf Club played catch-up after Sunday’s race meeting by presenting the racing awards in all categories for both 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Nobert Takawira was Champion Jockey in 2022/23 and that year Debra Swanson was the Champion Trainer. As usual, the photographs provided by Zimbabwe Equine News tell most of the story. Mark Pozzo was Master Of Ceremonies. Rosemary Dorward and Jill Bruss did the presentations.

To view the photographs and details of all the awards visit https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-park-racing-awards/

The first race at Borrowdale Park tomorrow, Sunday the 24th of November 2024, is at 12 25, and the Sable Flyers (L) is due off at 15 20.

After the race meeting the Spey Bridge Awards will be presented, and Borrowdale fans are invited to attend.

Captive Moon, bred by former Borrowdale Park stalwart Geoff Armitage, won the 1450m MR 85 Handicap on Sunday for trainer Gavin Macleod and his daughter Robyn Macleod.

Morgan Nyamagwete was riding the six-year-old son of Flower Alley (USA) and at the finish Admirals Chance (Syster) was only half a length off the winner.

Well done everyone.

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.

There were several tight finishes at Borrowdale Park on Sunday and the first came when Dark Future, by Futura, won the 1450m Maiden Plate, beating Hartenbos by a whisker.

Jeffery Syster rode the winner and Hartenbos was under Morgen Nyamagwete. Dark Future, a four-year-old filly, is trained by Debra Swanson, bred by Drakenstein Stud and is owned by Messrs P D Gorringe, S P Gorringe, V Patel and D K Ward.

Congratulations.

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.

The consistent New Predator (AUS) filly, New Galaxy, won the 1700m Classified Stakes at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, with Kaidan Brewer in the irons.

Trained by Thomas Mason, this was her fifth win from 10 starts. The four-year-old was bred by Tawny Syndicate and she is owned by Mesdames A G Mason, Edith Tapfuma, R A Dorward, S P Moyo, and Mr G Tafeni, Mr D T Machingaidze and Dr Ronald Mhizha.

It was a close finish with Karvani (who was conceding 7.5 kgs) only a quarter of a length behind the winner.

Congratulations!

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News

Top weight Jet Mirage (Syster) narrowly beat Majestic Warrior (Derere) by 0.10 lengths to win the 1260m Borrowdale Sprint on Sunday.  

The six-year-old son of Visionaire (USA) was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and he is owned by Messrs C J Smith, G M Littleford, S H Murray and P C Rugg.

This was the third winner Debra Swanson saddled at Borrowdale Park on Sunday afternoon, having previously won with Dark Future and Pragmatist.

Well done everyone.

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.