Last season’s Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Dindingwe, easily won the 2000m Pioneers & Heroes Tankard on December 19 and handled the 1600m Pinnacle Plate 100 in a similar fashion when she came out again at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

One has to wonder if the daughter of Futura will prove even better as a four-year-old – and that would be saying something.

On Sunday Holy Land, Wantage and Armstrong were placed.

Norbert Takawira had the winning ride, and Dindingwe is trained by Debra Swanson. The lucky owners are Mr C M & Mrs E B Shepherd & Mr C G & Mrs K M Bonthrone, Messrs C J Danckwerts, G M Littleford, S H Murray, P C Rugg, P D Gorringe, S P Gorringe, V Patel,D K Ward & G Carter. The star filly was bred by Ndoro Stud.

Very well done everyone.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

Mackelroy won the 1200m Novice Plate at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, with Bella Noir second and then came Tradition and Wallaa.

By Twice Over (GB), the four-year-old gelding is owned by Messrs B M McLauchlan, G Goksel, G S Knowles & A P Nydam, and was bred by Klawervlei Stud. The winning margins were 0.75, 1.75 and 0.25 lengths.

During the afternoon Denis Schwarz rode two more winners for V Racing – In Good Time, winner of the 1260m MR 82 Handicap, and later Shesalegend in the 1600m MR 75 Handicap.

Kabelo Matsunyane had come to the party for the yard when Al Mashriq won the first race, a 1200m MR 65 Handicap.

With four winners in total on Sunday, this was a V Racing field day.

Congratulations.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News

Scott Buchan and Tom Mason after Cutback’s gutsy win in the 2022 Guineas Trial at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Cutback, a daughter of Twice Over (GB), proved she is all heart when coming from behind she got up to beat Keen Spirit by one and a half lengths.  This was a back-to-back win for Cutback who quit the maidens at the previous meeting.  Teaque Gould was in the irons on Sunday and full marks to him for a competent ride.

Ian’s Ferrari and Days Gone By also finished in the money.

Trained by Thomas Mason of Tomcat Racing, Cutback is owned by Scott Buchan and Neil Evans and was bred by Mr LMF Wernars.

Congratulations everyone.

Racing at Borrowdale Park tomorrow (Sunday 23 January 2022) begins at 12 15 and entry to the course is free.

The feature race is the Guineas Trial due off at 15 15 and five three-year-old fillies shown here are expected to line up for this 1600m event.

If you can’t be on the course the Borrowdale Livestream will be on ClockingThe Gallop on UTube. Zimbabwe racing can also be found on DSTV Channel 249 but the new 4Racing Channel 240 does not appear to be available in Zimbabwe and Zambia. A link to the Livestream will be posted on this site.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News

1 Draw 1 CUTBACK (3F) 60.0 (MR62) T Gould – Thomas Mason (Twice Over (GB) – Suedette by Dynasty) 6 starts 1 win 5 places – 1100 to 1700m

2 Draw 4 KEEN SPIRIT (3F) 60.0 (MR61) N Takawira – Debra Swanson (Skitt Skizzle – Caesour’s Spirit by Caesour (USA)) 4 starts 1 win 3 places – 1100 to 1260m

3 Draw 3 SWEET OPPORTUNITY (3F) 60.0 (MR60) K Matsunyane – Vanessa Birketoft
(Twice Over (GB) – Experience Counts by Count Dubois (GB)) 3 starts 1 win 2 places – 1000 to 1200m

4 Draw 2 DAYS GONE BY (3F) 59.5 (MR57) R Satombo – Debra Swanson (Byword (GB) – Rememberance by Fort Wood (USA)) 6 starts 1 win 3 places – 1000 to 1800m

5 Draw 5 IAN’S FERRARI (3F) 57.5 (MR60) J Penny – Bridget Stidolph (Wylie Hall (AUS) – Champagne ‘N Roses by Goldmark) 3 starts 3 places – 1000 to 1600m

Al Mashriq, from V Racing, won the first race at Borrowdale Park in 2022 – an 1100m Maiden Plate.

The four-year-old son of Var (USA) was bred by Mr J Ramsden, and Kabelo Matsunyane was in the irons. This was Al Mashriq’s third start and he is owned by Gengiz Goksel.

Congratulations!

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

Gokhan Terzi saddled two winners at Borrowdale on Sunday.

First up was Oden (de Gouveia) the most fancied runner in the 1200m Classified Stakes and owned by Messrs F Vahab and G Goksel.

Later, Enrapture (see pic), a five-year-old Querari (GER) mare bred by Riethuiskraal Stud, won the 1500m Graduation Stakes. Diego de Gouveia was riding again and Enrapture is owned by Messrs N and S Moodley, LT Naidoo and Mrs V Naidoo.

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

When Cutback won the 1600m Maiden Plate at Borrowdale Park on Sunday trainer Thomas Mason and part-owner Scott Buchan had to brave rain and hail to preserve the moment.

The filly’s other owner, Neil Evans, had the sense to stay away. Cutback, by Twice Over (GB) was ridden by Francois Herholdt and bred by Mr LMF Wernars.

Very well done everyone – not forgetting the photographer, Jenny Stock, and the grooms, who must have also been drenched.

Citrusdal and Emerald Floe fought out the finish of the 1100m Hachiman Sprint at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, with Citrusdal gaining the upper hand by a quarter of a length.

Varnica and Mind Master also finished in the money.

This was the Duke Of Marmalade gelding’s sixth victory, but most of his successes have been achieved over more ground.  Keanen Steyn was in the irons, and Citrusdal is trained by Bridget Stidolph, and was bred by Drakenstein Stud.  The five-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 & Bryn Ressell.

Congratulations everyone.

Earlier in the afternoon the Stidolph yard also scored with Peacable (Steyn), Wantage (Penny) and Ultra Edge (Penny).  So, despite the heavy going, it was quite a good day at the office.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The first race at Borrowdale Park today (January 9) is off at  12 15. There has been a significant amount of rain but no official report as yet.

The meeting can be viewed on TellyTrack DSTV Channel 249 – and the Livestream will be on Clocking The Gallop on UTube.

The direct link to the online race card is https://mcusercontent.com/2a1c7dfa1eb4e4b185607f5a6/files/ac8fc02a-f62f-d1dc-e7ec-8f90b0735cdc/MTC_race_card_9_January_2022.pdf

There are 8 races on the card and the Hachiman Sprint is at 16.05.

It is interesting to see who is not in it.

In 2020 this race was won by Christofle, then came Silver Coin, What A Dandy and Verdier. The following year What A Dandy won, then came Gladstone, Golden Lion and Verdier – and, guess what, only Gladstone will contest the Hachiman Sprint at Borrowdale Park this Sunday.

Of the eight acceptors, I am surprised Three To Tango and Citrusdal are even in there having built their reputations over further than 1100m. But then I am not adventurous, although always prepared to be proved wrong.

In fact, Citrusdal did well over 1100m on May 16 when second to Widjaan when conceding 3.5 kgs.

So, can Gladstone go one better this year? In 2021 the son of Pathfork (USA) carried 60.5 kgs and he is an 1100m specialist, although lacking scintillating form recently. On Sunday he is set to carry 57.5 kgs and will give weight in varying degrees to Jubilee, Seven Seas, Varnica, stablemate Mind Master, and Emerald Floe.

I could strain my brain and make a case for most of these runners, but for no good reason Seven Seas (de Gouveia) and Emerald Floe (Penny) appeal, while Varnica, will have claiming apprentice *Shumba on board.

There are 8 races on Sunday’s card and the Hachiman Sprint is due off at 16.05. The meeting begins with an 1100m Maiden Plate at 12.15.

Photographs by Jenny Stock of Zimbabwe Equine News.

To quote commentator Adrian Nydam, last season’s top-three-year-old, Dindingwe, “destroyed them”, and won the Pioneers & Heroes Tankard at Borrowdale Park today, with lengths to spare.

Wantage came second, then Finchatton and Yarraman.

Trained by Debra Swanson and bred by Ndoro Stud, Dindingwe was ridden by Rodgers Satombo. The Futura filly is owned by Mr CM and Mrs EB Shepherd and Mr CG and Mrs KM Bonthrone, CJ Danckwerts, GM Littleford, SH Murray, PC Rugg, PD Gorringe, SP Gorringe, V Patel, DK Ward and G Carter.

Heartiest congratulations everyone

Photograph by Laurent Viguie.

The first race at Borrowdale Park today (December 19) is off at 12 30 and the Pioneers & Heroes Tankard, the last race on the card, at 15 55.

The meeting can be viewed on TellyTrack DSTV Channel 249 – and the Livestream will be on Clocking The Gallop on UTube.

The direct link to the online race card is https://mcusercontent.com/2a1c7dfa1eb4e4b185607f5a6/files/54ca6d69-d3cd-2d64-2d03-641990c244b9/19_December_2021_RACECARD.pdf