… BUT COMANCHE BRAVE HAS MORE TO DO

 Comanche Brave and Evert Pheiffer.  Pheiffer rides the Castle Tankard winner again on Saturday.  Photograph by Gavin Macleod:

The $40 000 OK Grand Challenge run over 1800m comes hard on the heels of the 2000m Castle Tankard so, inevitably, the Tankard form comes into the reckoning.

Nine of Saturday’s OK Grand Challenge runners took part in the 2017 Castle Tankard, won by Comanche Brave, and an additional five are now in the mix.

Tankard winner Comanche Brave has more to do this time. On May 6 he jumped from the number 5 stall and carried 52 kgs.  He was chased by Royal Honour (drawn 1, carrying  52 kgs, and 0.75 lengths behind); Mathematician, drawn 2, carrying 60 kgs and 3.25 lengths behind the winner;  with Windigo (56.5 kgs, drawn 4) 0.25 lengths off Mathematician. Then came Cool Solution , 52 kgs, drawn 7, and 4.25 lengths off Comanche Brave.

Now Comanche Brave, drawn 10, will carry 55.5 kgs, giving Royal Honour 1 kg, Cool Solution 3.5 kgs, and meeting both Mathematician (60 kgs) and Windigo (56.5 kgs) on worse terms. The shorter distance will probably suit most of these runners and I believe the first five home in the Tankard have to be considered the main players on Saturday.  I expect them to finish closer together but who knows in what order.

Let’s have a look at the rest of this field.  On their Tankard form Wylde Style, Ashton Park, Eurakilon and Roman Discent will have to improve considerably but, that said, Wylde Style and Eurakilon will probably prefer the shorter trip.  Ashton Park and Roman Discent have had more time in their new surroundings, and it is worth remembering that the latter travelled to Harare after racing at Kenilworth on April 18.  He is a son of Dynasty and Brendon McNaughton rides.

So we are left with the five who did not take part in the big race in May – Road To Dubai (58.5 kgs), Super Good (54 kgs), Life Is Good (52 kgs), Fah Fee (52 kgs) and Newton Power  (52kgs).

Road to Dubai, Super Good and Newton Power have won most, in some cases all, of their races over shorter trips and are proven speedsters.  However Road to Dubai, much earlier in his career, came second over 1800m from a very wide draw, before coming into his own in sprints.   At three years Super Good ran third to Mathematician in the SA Bloodstock 2000 and the Zimbabwe Derby.  In September he finished 7.50 lengths behind Comanche Brave over 1600m when giving away 3.5 kgs.

Similarly Newton Power is formidable over shorter trips but won a 1600m event at Clairwood.  Hard to say where these undoubtedly classy types will finish.

Life Is Good was strongly fancied in the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby but had to settle for second place. This will be his third start at Borrowdale.  This son of Var won over 1200m and 1400m at Scottsville and the Vaal, and narrowly beat Cape Cod over 1600m at Borrowdale on April 16 in soft going.  He carried 59 kgs to Cape Cod’s 60 kgs that day, winning margin half a length. Mathew Thackeray rides.

And  finally, Fah Fee.  By Ideal World, Fah Fee has only raced four times in Zimbabwe.  He finished two lengths behind Duffi’s Call, winner of the 2016 Ok Grand Challenge. That day he was behind Windigo and Mathematician who finished second and fourth.  Fah Fee’s next outing was in the Republic Cup in July 2016 – better draw a line through that – and  his only start since then was over 1200m on May 6 when he finished  well back in soft going –  a prep run no doubt.  Obviously there have been issues, but if he recaptures his South African form ……

I have not mentioned the stables fielding these runners.  Amy Bronkhorst  has a strong hand with Comanche Brave,  Eurakilon,  Life Is Good,  Wylde Style and Newton Power.  Road To Dubai, Windigo,  Fah Fee and Cool Solution will represent the Swanson yard.  Bridget Stidolph will saddle Mathematician, Super Good, Royal Honour and Roman Discent.  Penny Fisher sends out Ashton Park,

This should be a great race.  It looks fairly straightforward – or as straightforward as any big race is likely to be.  However with 6 of the 14 runners carrying 52 kgs there is always the chance of a major upset… those that are, won’t know, they are in under sufferance.

Racing starts early on Saturday with the first race due off at 11.25 am. The main event will take place at 15.25 pm.  Once again there are eight races on the card, including one over 2700m.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod: Comanche Brave and Evert Pheiffer.  Pheiffer rides the Castle Tankard winner again on Saturday.

The OK Grand Challenge meeting at Borrowdale Park on Saturday starts early with the first race due off at 11.25 am. There are 8 races on the card and the main race will take place at 15.25 pm.

Penny Fisher fields Barbarian, Kevin Barry (below), David’s Flower and Zita in the 1600m Merit Rated 75 Handicap – an interesting handful in a field that also includes Jameson Run and Crystalline amongst other likely candidates.

…Crystalline gallant in defeat…

Solinski, with Karl Zechner in the irons, won the Castle Lager Zimbabwe Oaks at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, leading from start to finish over 2000m.

The three-year-old filly, by Fencing Master (GB), is owned by the Dixie Chick Syndicate (nom: Miss V.E. Bruce), Duncan and Jackie Cocksedge, Dubbles Draper, Ursula Malan and C. John Smith. She is trained at Borrowdale Park by Kirk Swanson, and bred by Sarahdane Stud.

Congratulations to the winning connections. Solinski has just completed a quartet of wins which included  the TBA Silver Slipper, the Bloodstock SA 2000 and the Zimbabwe Derby.

Crystalline (Chambers) from the  Bridget Stidolph yard finished second, followed by Wylde Style and Explorers Club. Winning margin 0.75 lengths.

NEW FACES IN THE RING

MTC chairman Christopher Peech and his wife Noelene entertained Chinese diplomats at Borrowdale on Sunday. Fortuitously Jameson Run, owned by Christopher Peech and Craig Danckwertz, won the 1600m Graduation Plate!

The three-year-old Seventh Rock (AUS) gelding was ridden by Karl Zechner and was bred in ZImbabwe by Rumbavu Stud.

This was the first of three winners saddled by Kirk Swanson. Later in the afternoon the stable also scored with Haga Haga, ridden by Sherman Brown….and then came Solinski

Both photographs taken by Gavin Macleod.

Wylde Style (Simons) and Solinski  (Murray) approaching the finish of the 1600m Fillies Classic.  Wylde Style won by three-parts of a length.

The Zimbabwe Oaks – the major Classic for fillies – will be run over 2000m at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.  Initial reaction shock and horror, such a small field, what can one say about a four horse race?

Fortunately one can say plenty.  For a start Zimbabwe’s two fabulous three-year-old fillies, Solinski and Wylde Style, are part of the equation, and secondly, the two previous  races on the card are so tricky, I am more than happy to hone in on The Oaks.

Three of the four Oaks runners are locally bred – what an achievement for the diminished and beleaguered  Zimbabwe  Breeders.  The exception, Crystalline, is South African bred and the Oaks will be her fourth race in Zimbabwe.

Wylde Style and Solinski have only met once before, in the 1600m Fillies Classic, in February, when Wylde Style beat Solinski by three-parts of a length. Now they take each other on in one of the most prestigious of races, having reached this pinnacle by very different routes.

The West Man (USA) filly, Wylde Style, has won 7 of her 13 starts and been placed five times. She was  Spey Bridge Champion Two-Year- Old in 2015/2016 and achieved that by triumphing in the 1000m TBA Sales Stakes,  the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes (Gr3),  and the 1450m Champagne Stakes (L).  Her only defeat at two was her first start over 1000m in February 2016 when beaten a whisker by Rhythmical Reply.

Wylde Style’s first start as a three-year-old was in the 1200m Jacaranda Free Handicap where she went down by a length to Kevin Barry who was receiving 4 kgs. Next time out she won the 1600m Tote Free  Handicap, following up with two creditable thirds against some of Borrowdale Park’s top sprinters. Then came the Fillies Classic, where Wylde Style met and beat Solinski; followed by her second to Flasher On The Run in the Zimbabwe Guineas, and then top of the walk again in a 1100m Pinnacle Plate 100, where she just kept her nose in front of subsequent Castle Tankard winner, Comanche Brave.

Both Wylde Style and Comanche Brave are trained by Amy Bronkhorst, who is no stranger to success in big races.  Wylde Style lined up on May 6 with her stable mate for the 2017 Castle Tankard, run over 2000m.  She finished 7.75 lengths off the winner but perhaps we should not take too much notice of that.  This would have been a tough task for any three-year-old filly. On Sunday Wylde Style will be ridden by Randall Simons, and meet her peers at level weights.

Solinski  did not race as a two-year-old but has won four races and been placed twice in six starts.  Her first outing was in December 2016 when,  giving no indication she was about to set the world on fire, she came fourth to Nemba Beach over 1200m.  Next time out she won a 1200m Maiden Plate, finishing in front of King’s Wager and The Catcher.  Then second to Wylde Style in the 1600m Fillies Classic, an encouraging reminder that Solinski’s trainer, Kirk Swanson, is a master when it comes to identifying and preparing horses with Classic potential.

The daughter of Fencing Master (GB) went on to score an impressive hat-trick.  On March 19 she won the 1800m TBA Silver Slipper, finishing 1.25 lengths ahead of Crystalline, and on February 4 beat her stable companion, Flasher On The Run, to the line in the South Africa Bloodstock 2000 (Gr3).  Her last outing in the 2017 Zimbabwe Derby (Gr3) run over 2400m was a race those watching are unlikely to forget.  Solinski made every post a winning one, with Life Is Good four lengths back, followed by Flasher On The Run (4.75) and Crystalline (6.25).  Karl Zechner rode Solinski and has the ride again.

Apologies if I have led you to believe this is a match race.   Prior to moving to Bridget Stidolph’s yard Crystalline had five starts in Gauteng and KZN under her saddle, and she has not been disgraced in her three starts at Borrowdale Park.  She usually comes from behind and looked a champion when trouncing subsequent winner Whatsnewpussycat  by  8 lengths on February 4.

By Biarritz out of a Goldkeeper (USA) mare, Crystalline has had time to settle into her new surroundings and 2000m will suit her.  Regular jockey Fanie Chambers will be in the irons.

Explorer’s Club, by Seventh Rock (AUS), is a very dark horse indeed.  Prior to Gokhan Terzi’s departure to greener pastures she was in his yard and, between the end of July and December had five starts ranging from 1000m to 1800m, finishing sort of thereabouts.  After that she went home to Rumbavu Stud for a break and on her return joined the Swanson stable.

The rest is history.  On April 30 Explorer’s Club stepped out in a 1200m Maiden Plate that her stable companion, Maid In The Moon, was expected to win, having completed a hat-trick of seconds. Some very late scratchings reduced the field to three, making Maid In The Moon even more attractive.  Explorer’s Club had been rested for 133 days and would probably need a race. However the hot favourite had to chase her most of the way, settling for second (again) one length behind.

Sherman Brown was Explorer’s Club’s partner in crime that day and retains the ride.  Can’t help wondering if they plan to be the cats amongst the pigeons again….I am sure  Gokhan will be rooting for this pair.

Flashback to November 6 when Jameson Run and Flasher On The Run shared their first start in a 1000m Maiden Plate. A lot of water under the bridge since then.

If something bothers one for long enough a little bit of patience can sometimes provide an answer.  I have been brooding about Graduation Plates for a while…..

The race conditions for Graduation Plates are seemingly simple. These are races for maidens, and one and two time winners.  “Maidens all to carry 55kgs, one time winners all to carry 57.5 kgs, and two time winners all to carry 60 kgs.”

And then you look at a race card and wonder why there are variations in these weights.

At last I know why – thanks to a little paragraph in the Racing Programme, referring to Plate races, which reads: “A 0.5kg allowance shall be granted to all runners in Plate races except for Maiden and Pinnacle Plates at the time of publication of weights, for each unplaced start since finishing in the first four places except for starts in Listed and Graded races to a maximum of 3kg.”

Of the 8 runners carded for the 1600m Graduation Plate at Borrowdale Park this Sunday, three are two time winners, and the remainder have each won a race.  Zimbabwe Guineas winner Flasher On The Run carries 60 kgs, while conceding 0.5 kgs and 2 kgs, respectively, to Red Savage and Muhannad, the other two time winners.

Please note that both Muhannad’s wins have been over 1600m and it’s hard to decide whether or not he is a better bet than his stable mate Red Savage.

The lightly raced Jameson Run is having his second start after a break.  The son of Seventh Rock (AUS) has raced three times for one win over 1000m in November when Flasher On The Run and Megagram finished behind him. To date his only start around the turn was in the 1600m Tote Free Handicap in December when he ran second, receiving 6.5kgs, to Wylde Style. Jameson Run is set to carry 57.5 kgs on Sunday and is also worth following.

Megagram  will carry 57.5 kgs, Determination is on 57 kgs and Rhythmical Reply’s weight will be 55 kgs once Apprentice Habib has claimed 1.5 kgs – which makes him interesting.

The only filly in the race is Whatsnewpussycat (55kgs), a winner over 1800m in soft going on April 16.

If I was thinking about Quartets I would take Flasher On The Run, Red Savage, Jameson Run and Rhythmical Reply – boxed of course – but also be tempted to include Muhannnad.

It is an interesting little field for the third race at Borrowdale Park this Sunday , a MR 69 Handicap over 1100m. Kirk Swanson fields Tamarind, Belle Epoque, Supa Wonder and Shepparton, while Bridget Stidolph will saddle Porterhouse and Nimble Dancer.  All of them are capable of winning this one on their day.

Of the Swanson runners Belle Epoque (Brown) and Shepparton (Simons) are making their first appearance for the Swanson stable.  Both are coming back from lengthy layoffs.

Norbert Takawira has the ride on Tamarind, who is always thereabouts and carries top weight, while Karl Zechner will pilot in-form Supa Wonder.

Porterhouse (Chambers) and Nimble Dancer (McNaughton) seem to have lost their way in their most recent outings but have previously done well over 1100m. Nimble Dancer has the outside draw.

Shepparton (above),  is a three-year-old gelding by Fencing Master (GB). Photograph:  Zimbabwe Equine News.

The three-year-old Fencing Master (GB) gelding , Mitzvah Rain, showed considerable improvement in his last outing on May 6, finishing 3.50 lengths behind Jay Kay Two over 1000m.

Amy Bronkhorst’s charge steps out again on Sunday in the 1200m Maiden Plate, but will have to beat stable mate Arial and Delta from the Swanson yard. This is the second race on the Borrowdale Park card for May 21.

Butchie Boy (leading this pack) ran Flanders to three-parts of a length in his first outing on May 6, and looks a good thing for the 1200m Maiden Juvenile Plate at Borrowdale Park this Sunday May 21. This is the first race on the card and it is due off at 12.05.

Apprentice Calvin Habib rides Butchie Boy for Bridget Stidolph again.

Photograph: Gavin Macleod.

Kirk Swanson’s duo, The Catcher and Ezekial, finished first and second in the 1000m MR 49 Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Saturday.  The Catcher, with Sherman Brown in the irons, has now won two of his four starts.

By Curved Ball (AUS), the three-year-old gelding, The Catcher, is owned by John Koumides and was bred by Dr R.P. and Mrs R.C. Plunkett.

Ezekial, by Soar With Eagles (USA), is owned by Mr Koumides and Debra Swanson. The locally bred three-year-old left the maidens in his previous outing but finished 1.75 lengths behind the winner this time.  Amas Amat and Temple Run were close behind.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Progeny of the Australian bred sire, Gimmethegreenlight, are doing exceptionally well at present and Flanders, who won again at Borrowdale Park on Saturday, is no exception.

Bridget Stidolph’s two-year-old charge won his first start on April 30 by five lengths, and followed up at the Tankard meeting by winning the 1000m Juvenile Plate, starting price 18/10.  His winning margin was cut this time to 0.75 lengths by stable companion and first-timer, Butchie Boy, who is by Crusade (USA) out of a Kahal (GB) mare.

Flanders is owned by the Newbury Racing Syndicate (nominee Dennis Evans) and bred by Zandfliet Stud.   Fanie Chambers retained the ride.

Later in the day the Stidolph yard saddled Romantic Balladeer, winner of the 1450m MR 60 Handicap.  The Trippi  gelding beat Gateway Gamble by three-parts of a length with Record Bid and Ladies First behind.  Romantic Balladeer was ridden by Brendon McNaughton and is owned by the Gin’ll Fix It Syndicate (nominee Bridget Stidolph).  The seven-year-old, now a 7-time winner, was bred by Summerhill  Stud.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod. Flanders (Chambers), Gateway Gamble (Brown),Record Bid (Mgudlwa) and Ladies First (Storey).