Photograph by Andrew Philip. Sail From Sibaya with Sherman Brown aboard. Kevin Derere rides on Sunday.

If you are looking at numbers it is a disappointing line-up for the 1200m ZNA Charity Jacaranda Free Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

However this small field includes Flanders, back up the straight, and Butchie Boy, who tries and would have won more races if not constantly taking on Flanders…

Bridget Stidolph has a strong hand with this pair – they are certainly the most experienced runners. Flanders has won four of his five starts in Harare, finishing third last time out behind Peggson and Butchie Boy over 1600m.

This was the only time Butchie Boy has finished in front of his stable mate, usually settling for second place, but he will be receiving 3 kgs from Flanders now – which could make a difference. In the Champagne Stakes, run over 1450m,  Butchie Boy finished within 0.05 lengths of Flanders at level weights.

Kirk Swanson fields Nedo Nadi, winner of both his starts, and Sail From Sibaya, a winner and placed once from four starts. Both these three-year-olds will have weight on their side, which makes things interesting. Nedo Nadi has raced against Butchie Boy and Sail From Sibaya before, but has never met Flanders, the Champion Juvenile of 2016/17.

Ezekial, following up on his quite surprising victory in the 1450m MR 53 Handicap on October 8, won again at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

This time the son of Soar With Eagles (USA) was running in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap where he beat dead-heating Philanthropy and Red Savage by 0.75 lengths.

Bred by Sunmark Thoroughbreds in Zimbabwe, Ezekial is a five-year-old gelding who has now won three races and been placed twice from 8 starts. He is owned by Debra Swanson and John Koumides, trained by Kirk Swanson, and Francie Herholdt was in the irons.

Well done, everyone.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod

The Century Stand (AUS) colt, Silver Buck – third to stable mate Nedo Nadi in his first outing – won the 1200m Solinski Maiden Plate at Borrowdale on Sunday.

Misterioso was 0.75 lengths behind, then Domenico Angelo and the first-timer, Historic.

Trained by Kirk Swanson and ridden by Francois Herholdt, Silver Buck is owned by Messrs D.K. Ward, G. Carter, S.P. Gorringe and V. Patel, Mrs P.J. Lewis, and Mr P.D. and Mrs U.A. Gorringe. The colt was bred by Sarahdane Stud.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Perfect Grace has not carried 52.5 kgs for some time and the six-year-old Antonius Pius (USA) gelding made the most of his light weight, winning the 1800m Mathematician MR 80 Handicap on Sunday by two lengths. David’s Flower, Kevin Barry and Jay Kay Two filled the minor places. 

Bred by Highlands Farms Stud, Perfect Grace is owned by Craig Danckwerts, Debra Swanson, Gary Carter, Paula Lewis and Paul and Ursula Gorringe. Francois Herholdt was riding for Kirk Swanson.  Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod.

The Kirk Swanson and Francois Herholdt combination worked like a charm in the first four races at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Shepparton won the 1200m Comanche Brave Merit Rated 65 Handicap, followed by Silver Buck (1200m Solinski Maiden Plate), Perfect Grace (1800m Mathematician MR 80 Handicap) and Ezekial in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap.

What a day.

The winner was chased home by Zita (1 length behind), then Phantom Major and Amas Amat.

Lightly raced Shepparton has now won twice and been placed three times in seven starts for owner Christopher Peech. By Fencing Master (GB) the four-year-old gelding was bred in Zimbabwe by Rumbavu Stud. Congratulations to everyone concerned.

The closest finish at Borrowdale Park on Sunday came in the last race – the 1000m Winter’s Night MR 49 Handicap – when Gateway Gamble went down to Lady Carina by 0.50 lengths. Switchblade and Megagram also finished in the money.

Trained by Penny Fisher and with Ryan Munger in the irons, Lady Carina has now won two and been placed 5 times from13 starts.

This four-year-old filly by Miesque’s Approval (USA) was bred by Scott Bros. She is owned by Alex, Penny, Natalie, Alistair and Ken Fisher, plus Matt Charlton and Bruce McLauchlan. Congratulations to all the connections.

Knuckleball has quit the Maiden Plates at the sixth time of asking. The son of Curved Ball (AUS) won the 1600m A King Is Born Maiden Plate at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, giving trainer Amy Bronkhorst and jockey Randall Simons the first of two winners.

Owned by Mr V. Gappah, Mr R.H.S. and Mrs P Beattie, and Mr D. H. and Mrs J.L. Cocksedge, the three-year-old gelding beat Atlantic Bijoux by 2.50 lengths. Then came Blue Label and Business Jet. The winner was bred by Clifton Stud.

Congratulations to all the connections.

Rising star Peggson, trained by Amy Bronkhorst and with Randall Simons in the irons, performed perfectly in the Three-Year-Old Mile at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

By Jay Peg out of a Tara’s Hall (SNL) mare, Peggson played a waiting game which was all over once he made his move and drew clear of the field.  Butchie Boy finished two lengths back, followed by Flanders and Sweet Tea.

Peggson has now won two of his five starts and seems likely to make his presence felt in the months ahead.  This bay colt is owned by Messrs A. Ackhurst, G.S. Knowles, A.P. Nydam, S.W. Shutt and Amy Bronkhorst. He was bred at Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud.

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

Philanthropy with Fanie Chambers up, runs in the competitive Equina MR 55 Handicap on Sunday. Photograph: Gavin Macleod.

Ezekial wowed watchers at Borrowdale Park on October 8 when winning a 1450m MR 53 Handicap by six lengths, beating Goose Green, Detente and Megagram.

The son of Soar With Eagles (USA) out of a Sobieski (USA) mare, was having his first outing since July 8. Maybe he enjoyed this trip, maybe it was just his day.

In any event the handicapper has got hold of Ezekial, he has moved from a Merit Rating of 39 to 47, and it is fair to say he faces stronger opposition in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap on Sunday.

Of the 10 carded runners only Al Salaam (12.85 lengths back) faced Ezekial over 1450m. Al Salaam was giving the winner 7 kgs, and Ezekial only receives 2 kgs here.

This is a very competitive field which includes Wee Doch ‘n Dorris, Philanthropy, Finlay, newcomer Red Rebel, Viking Castle – and more.

Try a Quartet.

Kevin Barry and Ryan Munger team up again on Sunday.  The son of Horse Chestnut has more to do here but looks the part. Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.

If facts and figures strain your brain do not read this. However it might be wise to pay attention to recent changes in Merit Ratings in some of Sunday’s races at Borrowdale Park.

On October 8 Ashton Park was an impressive winner of a 1800 MR 92 Handicap, carrying 61 kgs. He was followed across the line by Kevin Barry (1 length back), Roman Discent (2 lengths behind), Call Me Earl (2.75 lengths), David’s Flower (3.25), Newton Power (5.25) and Lava Flow (5.30).

With the exception of Ashton Park all the above will come out on Sunday in the 1800m Mathematician MR 80 Handicap. So will Perfect Grace and Jay Kay Two, both carrying light weights but in stronger company here.

It is tempting to assume Kevin Barry is virtually home and dry – same distance, mostly the same runners etc – but study the weights carefully. Since they last met Kevin Barry and Roman Discent have each gone up by two index points, Call Me Earl has dropped two points; David’s Flower and Newton Power are minus a point, and Lava Flow is minus three.

This has resulted in some turnaround in weights. For instance, last time Call Me Earl was giving Kevin Barry 1.5 kgs but now receives 0.5 kg. Roman Discent ran against Kevin Barry at level weights but is now in receipt of 1 kg. David’s Flower is now 1.5 kgs better off, and although Newton Power and Kevin Barry both carry 60 kgs on Sunday, Newton Power was giving Kevin Barry 1.5 kgs last time out. And then there’s Lava Flow….4.30 lengths off Kevin Barry before but 3 kgs better off now.

I am not saying Kevin Barry can’t win but I won’t be very surprised if he does not.

Perfect Grace and Jay Kay Two didn’t take on Ashton Park but placed behind Ladies First over 1700m on October 8.  Perfect Grace meets Jay Kay Two on better terms. Working out whether this pair, with weight on their side, can cause an upset is beyond me.

Butchie Boy is used to playing second fiddle to stable mate Flanders.  Perhaps he can turn the tables on Sunday.

Going into the Three-Year-Old Mile at Borrowdale Park on Sunday the 2016/17 Champion Juvenile, Flanders, has the credentials – and can be compared to Wylde Style.

At the end of her two-year-old career Wylde Style, Champion Juvenile in 2015/16, had won four races including the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes and the 1450m Champagne Stakes.  Flanders, by Gimmethegreenlight (AUS), can make the same claims to fame.

Often during the 2016/17 season the three-year-old who could beat Wylde Style won, and it seems we might be facing a similar situation. It is early days – the three-year-olds will not be contesting the Classics until 2018 – but Sunday’s race may give some indication of things to come.

The six runners will meet at set weights and all, except for Peggson and Night Of Speed, have raced against Flanders before.

In addition to Flanders, Bridget Stidolph will saddle Butchie Boy and the two fillies, Sweet Tea and Hollywood On Set. Of these Butchie Boy came a very close second to Flanders in the 1450m Champagne Stakes, and was 2.50 lengths behind him in the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes.

Neither Flanders nor Butchie Boy have raced further than 1450m yet, but there is no reason to suppose an extra 150m will pose problems.

Amy Bronkhorst’s charge, Peggson, and Night Of Speed from the Kirk Swanson stable, have won over 1700m and 1600m respectively.

On July 8 Night Of Speed beat Knuckleball by 0.25 lengths over the mile, and Hollywood On Set was 3.50 lengths back.

Peggson ran second to Rebellious Queen over 1600m on September 9, then came out on September 24 and won a 1700m Maiden Plate, finishing four lengths clear of Knuckleball.

On previous form there is no doubt that both Peggson and Night Of Speed are at their best over ground. Whether their best is good enough to seriously challenge Flanders and Butchie Boy remains to be seen.

The first race on Sunday is due off at 12.20 pm.

Nedo Nadi – with Apprentice Mpumelelo Mjoka in charge – won the MR 69 Handicap for three-year-olds at Borrowdale Park, and it would have been disappointing if he had not.

The son of Fencing Master (GB) has now triumphed in both his starts but we still don’t know just how effective in the long term he will be. On Sunday the chestnut gelding was receiving weight all round and the Jacaranda Free Handicap and Tote Free Handicap, soon to be contested, should be interesting.

On this occasion Butchie Boy, carrying top weight of 60 kgs, finished 1.25 lengths behind Kirk Swanson’s winner; Nedo Nadi’s stable mate Sail From Sibaya (53.5 kgs) was third, then Knuckleball (58kgs) fourth.

Be that as it may Nedo Nadi has at this stage done all that was asked of him. He was bred in Zimbabwe at Rumbavu Stud and is owned by Mr C.P.M Peech.  Congratulations Christopher and Noelene …Nedo Nadi continues to look good.