By C John Smith

Today’s quiz question is, who said “rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated?”

Once again, the resilience of Zimbos has seen off all the prophets of doom who regularly forecast the demise of Borrowdale Park. In fact, the year is turning out to be something of a vintage season and it is due to conclude with a cracking race meeting on Saturday 27^th of July when we celebrate the life of Kamal Khalfan with a Memorial renewal of the Republic Cup over 1900m. And what a race that is going to be – it could not get much more exciting. Everybody with a pulse should attend as history might be made.

The race will probably bring together the very best middle-distance horses in the country, notably the Tankard winner Raffles and the OK and Triple Crown victor, Buster Barnes. Also in the field will be last year’s Tankard winner, Ideal View plus other stalwarts such as Wantage, Holy Land, Majestic Warrior, Citrusdal, and Jaeger Moon – it will probably be a ten or twelve-horse field, but Final Acceptances are not out yet.

Raffles will not have to lug 62kg around the track this time – but 61kg – and Buster Barnes will be carrying 55.5kg – a good bit more than the modest 52kg that he did in the OK – so the result is going to be a lot tighter in their renewed challenge. It’s anybody’s call this time – making for a really exciting finale to a season where so many positive outcomes have been in evidence.

• The three big, sponsored races were renewed with very generous purses. 
• Buster Barnes won the Triple Crown – a very rare and difficult accolade to achieve.
• Down to Business, who was the 2023/24 Zimbabwe champion, went south to campaign and pulled off the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup – with more to follow.
• The MTC continued its great progress to operating beyond breakeven – without a cent of betting revenue. 
• The club’s Rules and Bye Laws were successfully redrafted – for the first time in more than fifty years. 
• The club’s retail estate continued its progressive development – with much more to come. 
• The club’s farming venture has begun making material contributions to the financial fortunes of Borrowdale Park. 
• The people’s racing club, ZimFun completed its fourth season with a total of six winners to lead in. 
• Despite the modesty of Borrowdale purses, a number of new and potentially new owners emerged in the year – boding well for the future.
• The home of Owners and Trainers, the Ipi Tombe bar, re-opened and broadened its scope of activities excitingly.
• For the first time in many years, the MTC was able to boast a full complement of Stewards – and in so doing greatly enhanced its functionality. 
• Several local jockeys returned from sojourns overseas to augment the club’s broader riding resources. 
• Some new initiatives are currently in an advanced stage of planning by the MTC – all of which will further underpin the future of Borrowdale Park – watch this space.
• And Duncan Cocksedge – the elder statesman of Zimbabwe Racing – turned 90!

August and September will see the refurbishment of the track in readiness for the start of the 2024 – 25 racing season. Let us hope it will be an even more of a vintage year than the one now closing – a million miles away from the graveyard of sporting clubs.

C J Smith 21^st July 2024.

Abayyaan won the 1450m CFAO Weight For Age impressively at Borrowdale Park on the 13^th of July and the 8-time winner is among those nominated for the 1900m Republic Cup at the next race meeting.

The five-year-old gelding, by Vercingetorix, is owned by Messrs P D Gorringe, S P Gorringe, V Patel and D K Ward, G M Littleford, S H Murray, P C Rugg & M W Smith. Deryl Daniels was riding, and Debra Swanson is the trainer.

Congratulations!

There is no racing at Borrowdale Park today but this afternoon friends of the late Kamal Khalfan will be joining his family at Rumbavu Park in Harare in honour of his memory. 

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The Querari gelding, Bruce’s Spirit, won the 1800m MR 70 Handicap for owners Messrs R S Dyer, S N Buchan, N Evans, M K Chant, G De Jong, A Dixon, R Morgan, R Sherwood and Bryn Ressell, at Borrowdale Park last Saturday.

The five-year-old gelding is trained by Bridget Stidolph and Mathew Thackeray was riding.

Bred by Beaumont Stud, Bruce’s Spirit has now won five times. Stable companion Duchess of War (Penny) was close behind and then came Karvani (Daniels).

Well done everyone.

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.

The further she goes the better she likes it.

Zazu, a daughter of Global View (USA) won over 2700m, again, for her owners the Watanga Syndicate (nominee: Sandy Schwartz).

This time the five-year-old mare, bred by Ascot Stud, won the Damara Stayers Challenge at Borrowdale Park on Saturday the 13^th of July and she has now won five times.

She is trained by Debra Swanson and Jeffery Syster was in the irons. Zazu led from start to finish and although Coffeeberry (Thackeray) drew closer towards the finish, there was never any doubt about the winner.

Well done everyone.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

Owner Craig Danckwertz, trainer Thomas Mason, and jockey Matthew Thackeray, at Borrowdale Park on Saturday 13 July 2024, when Action Zone won the 1600m Round Table Pinnacle Plate 95.

Bugatti Blue (Syster) was a length off the winner and then came Tradition and Jubilee. By Canford Cliffs (IRE), the four-year-old Action Zone was bred by Daytona Stud (Pty) Ltd. and this was his sixth victory

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

There is racing at Borrowdale Park tomorrow and the first race is at 12 00. However, I have been informed of changes to some of the race times at Borrowdale Park on Saturday 13 July 2024:

Race 4 – 13:40

Race 5 – 14:10

Race 6 – 14:40

Race 7 – 15:10

The Don’t Horse Around Syndicate (nominee M Moxon) certainly haven’t been messing about since they began racing at Borrowdale Park at the beginning of this year.

On Saturday 29 June 2024 their second import from South Africa, Ultimate Jewel, won the 1100m MR 75 Handicap, having previously won at Borrowdale on the 11^th of May. The four-year-old Rabada gelding, bred by Summerhill Stud, was ridden by Deryl Daniels and is trained by Debra Swanson.

Just before that race Bello Grosso (Swanson/ Daniels) won the 1450m MR 65 Handicap for the Don’t Horse Around Syndicate – and that Erupt (IRE) 4-year-old, bred by Piedmonte Stud, has now won three times since beginning to race in Harare in January.

Both these races resulted in close finishes. Captive Moon (Macleod/Sibands) was 0.10 lengths off the winner, Bello Grosso, while Jusrite (Macleod/Nyamagwete) was three parts of a length off Ultimate Jewel.

Congratulations everyone!

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The Brumbies, also known as Paul Rugg, Grant Littleford, and Spencer Murray, had a field day at Borrowdale Park on the 29^th of June 2024, winning three of the seven races.

Trustfall (Swanson/Syster) won the first one, the 1000m Maiden Plate, and then Walking Thru Time (Parham/Brewer) took the 1700m MR 80 Handicap.

CJ Smith, along with the Brumbies, has shares in Jet Mirage (Swanson/Syster), and he won the 1260m Pinnacle Plate, beating Citrusdal (Josi) by three lengths.

Certainly, a day to remember. Well done everyone.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News. Below: (left) Walking Thru Time, (right) Jet Mirage.

New Galaxy, the three-year-old daughter of New Predator (AUS), held off stable mate Trust Me at Borrowdale Park yesterday, and won the 1800m Silver Slipper (L), the second leg of Zimbabwe’s Triple Tiara.

Thomas Mason’s charge had already won the first leg, the Fillies Mile, so now it’s all systems go for the Zimbabwe Oaks, which is run over 2000m.

New Galaxy is owned by Anna Mason, Sibongile Moyo, Edith Tapfuma, Rosemary Dorward, Ron Mhizha, Dave Machingaidze and Liam Kidd. A cool, calm and collected Kaidan Brewer was riding and the filly was bred by Tawny Syndicate.

Congratulations everyone!

Morgen Nyamagwete was on Trust Me who finished three-parts of a length back, and then came Emma Of Normandy (Josi) and Dark Future (Syster).

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

The first race at Borrowdale Park on Saturday is off at 11 45 am, and the feature is the 1800m Silver Slipper (L), the last on the 7-race card.

New Galaxy, winner of the Fillies Classic, the first leg of Zimbabwe’s Triple Tiara, will be hoping to add to her Classic laurels, but has yet to go further than 1600m. This applies to several of Saturday’s field and I will be watching the Futura filly, Dark Future, who was much improved last time out, finishing a length off New Galaxy.

The link to the online Borrowdale card can be found on this site, and The Centaurian’s latest column has also been posted here. For those unable to come to the course the link to Formgrids‘ Borrowdale live stream will be published later.

Forgotten Time, with Jarryd Penny up, won the 1260m Allowance Plate at Borrowdale Park on the 8th of June, comfortably.

The five-year-old son of Time Thief (AUS) usually finishes somewhere in the money, (before coming to Borrowdale late in 2022 he raced in South Africa), and his win on OK Grand Challenge Day was his third victory overall – and his second in Zimbabwe. The gelding was bred by Nadeson Park Stud.

Assistant trainer Mike Mallett and owners Grant Littleford, Paul Rugg and Spencer Murray were on course that day – and enjoying every moment.

Well done!

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News.

Despite all the other excitements at Borrowdale Park on the day of the OK Grand Challenge, New Galaxy’s victory in the 1600m Fillies Classic should not be overlooked.

The Fillies Classic is for three-year-old fillies and it is the first leg of Zimbabwe’s Triple Tiara. Next up should be the 1800m Silver Slipper, followed by the 2000m Zimbabwe Oaks. The 2023/4 racing season ends on the 31st of July so there is not much time to fit the remaining two legs in.

New Galaxy was having her sixth start on the 8th of June, and she is now a two-time winner. By New Predator (AUS) and bred by Tawny Syndicate, she is owned by Mesdames A G Mason, Edith Tapfuma, S P Moyo and Mr G Tafeni, Messrs D T Machingaidze and Dr Ronald Mhizha. Corne Orffer was on board the filly in the Fillies Classic, and she is trained by Thomas Mason.

Congratulations everyone!

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.